Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
A Hidden Gem from Foundations: Dazzling Angel
If you’ve ever wandered the shelves for a characterful white creature with a wink of lifegain, you’ve likely crossed paths with Dazzling Angel. This common from Foundations (fdn) is a quintessential little nugget: costed at {2}{W} for a sturdy 2/3 creature with flying, it leans into a timeless white theme—efficiency, evasion, and little bits of value that snowball as the game unfolds 🧙🔥💎. It’s not flashy, but it’s exactly the kind of card that makes a clumsy board into a glow-up moment when another creature you control enters the battlefield. The joy is in the cadence—the rhythm of creatures stepping onto the stage and you quietly stocking up a life buffer, one creature at a time ⚔️🎨.
Card profile at a glance
- Name: Dazzling Angel
- Set: Foundations (fdn) — Core set flavor, with back-to-basics vibes
- Rarity: Common
- Mana Cost: {2}{W}
- Type: Creature — Angel
- Power/Toughness: 2/3
- Keywords: Flying
- Oracle text: Flying; Whenever another creature you control enters, you gain 1 life.
- Flavor text: “Her wings ripple with impossible colors—a sign that a miracle is on the way.”
“Her wings ripple with impossible colors—a sign that a miracle is on the way.”
That lifegain trigger is modest in isolation, but it shines in decks that lean on creature entrances—tokens, soul sisters, or any white-centric battalion that loves to grow a board state as creatures arrive. Dazzling Angel isn’t about overpowering the table in a single swing; it’s about steadily stacking a cushion of life that buys you more turns to deploy answers, answers that feel as satisfying as a perfectly timed topdeck 💥.
Why this card feels like a true hidden gem
Foundations gave us a grab-bag of classic-feel cards, and Dazzling Angel sits in that sweet spot where design clarity meets addictive gameplay. It’s a sterling example of white’s tempo-lift: you don’t need a big finisher when your life total is climbing with every ETB (enter-the-battlefield) moment. The angel’s flight is a graceful reminder that you can win by attrition as much as by aggression. In multiplayer formats or budget-conscious duels, that consistent lifegain cadence can turn a modest board into a durable fortress, letting you weather removal and pressure while your opponents scramble for solutions 🧙🔥.
Artistically, Daneen Wilkerson’s work on Dazzling Angel stands out for its color storytelling. The wings shimmer with color and light, a visual cue that the miracle is bigger than a single card—it's a beacon for the entire board to cooperate toward a generous, almost radiant outcome. That sense of color-forward storytelling is part of why this card endears itself to fans who love a deck that looks as good as it plays. The “foundations” of the game—consistency, clarity, and fun—are right here in a common, making it a smart pick for modern low-budget builds and for collectors who chase consistent, accessible cards from older sets 🎨.
Practical deck ideas and playstyle notes
In a white-focused shell, Dazzling Angel shines as a reliable piece that sustains you during the midgame transition. Consider synergy with other ETB effects or lifegain-enabling creatures, such as lines of support that reward you for each creature entering the battlefield. A small, steady trickle of life can be the difference between stabilizing and being forced into a panic play. This card’s low cost and common rarity make it an excellent inclusion in budget lists where you’re prioritizing value and consistency over grand splashy finishes 🧲.
For casual decks, imagine a board that leans into incremental advantage: you deploy a sequence of small white creatures, and with each entry, your life pool grows—keeping you resilient against aggressive opponents. In a more competitive frame, paired with effects that give you incremental card or life-based benefits, Dazzling Angel can be a reliable engine piece—something you slide in to keep the board stable while you develop bigger threats or lock down life totals to outlast your rivals.
Collectibility and value snapshot
As a common from Foundations, Dazzling Angel isn’t chasing the high-dollar market; instead, it offers approachable entry into the set’s flavor, art, and mechanical magic. Current price data lists it around $0.11 in the nonfoil market, with foil variants around $0.41. It’s the kind of card that sees steady play in casual formats and remains a go-to for new players building a white creature-centric strategy. For collectors, it’s also a neat piece that highlights the artist’s style and the era’s design language—a little time capsule of mid-2010s MTG aesthetics 📈.
The artist behind the magic
Daneen Wilkerson brings a vibrant, color-rich sensibility to Dazzling Angel, infusing the wings with life and the body with a grounded, angelic presence. It’s easy to see why fans tout her work when browsing Foundation-era cards; the artistry adds a layer of storytelling that elevates even the simplest ETB engine into a memorable moment. For players who savor lore and art alike, this is exactly the kind of card that invites you to tell a tiny, hopeful story every time you cast it 🧙🔥.
Top cards by this artist: a quick browsing guide
While Dazzling Angel is a standout for its cost-effective lifegain trigger and flight, the broader catalog from this artist often features similarly approachable designs—cards that reward careful timing, efficient stats, and a splash of color in the illustration. If you’re building a personal “top cards by this artist” list, look for other white creatures with ETB triggers or gentle value engines. The joy is in noticing how a single artist can thread calm, color, and cadence through multiple cards, turning casual appreciation into a curated collection that you’ll want to revisit again and again 🎲.
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