This card is freakin beastly and it works incredibly well with celestial Mantle, equip that to her and you will be set for a long time

  -- By Zack Rainey from HIll country on April 23, 2011

She is powerful creature... with the help of some counters (splash blue) or card distractions (splash black), this card will end the game....

  -- By Anonymous from Tower of Flame on February 02, 2011

I begin to build the casual Angel deck since this card appears. I understand how overpowered she is... but you must know that "white" is lack of big and scary creatures that can be played normally. Tarmogoyf and Vengevine (green), Dark Confidant and Abyssal Persecutor (black), are tough.... you think WotC let "white" handle those scary creatures with Serra Angel? Obviously not! All people who claim this card and rate less than 3 just thinking in standard format, not extendeed and legacy.... If Baneslayer move on extendeed or legacy, then you will stop babbling like that.... because Baneslayer will increase the meta game for "white" on extendeed and legacy...

  -- By Jace the Mind Sculptor from Germany on January 29, 2011

This card is powerful. 5/5 with 5 abilities for 3WW.... I think she's not as strong as Tarmogoyf, but still... 5 star because she's one of the best creatures ever printed....

  -- By Guy from Bellow from Girl from Bellow on January 17, 2011

This creature is God of Angels. 5/5 with 5 abilities for 3WW. I believe that Akroma, Iona, and Reya can do better, but if you want to drop them quickly - you need to play another card such as Reanimate or Exhume. And it's clear that Akroma, Iona, and Reya are dependent creature. Baneslayer can be played normally, without the support from another card.

  -- By Anonymous from The Vindication Place on December 30, 2010

Well, she's the best angel ever printed. 5/5 flier for 3WW is powerful enough, but.... wait.... first strike and lifelink..? Are you kidding..?! Also protection from dragons and demons...! This clearly powerhouse... a creature which can damaging and boosting your life at the same time! No doubt... 5 star.

  -- By Anonymous from Germany on December 20, 2010

This card is EPIC...! I don't know why the WoTC made this card, maybe they have some reason behind it... but regadless of that, this card is too powerful. More powerful than any other angels... The best angel ever printed!

  -- By Anonymous from grimharvest on December 19, 2010

This card is very powerful. I don't want to get rough like other people, but what I can say is Baneslayers too powerful, especially for standard. In legacy and extendeed, she's the best angel if you want to put in some white based decks. I agree that the mistake is "to keep print out this card in standard". But if she goes to legacy or extendeed, there'll be no problem because a lot more powerful creatures in there....

  -- By Mr.X from Tower of Flame on December 17, 2010

I agree both the player who rate this card 5 and the player who rate this card 3. I agree this card is overpowered. The cost 3WW with all those abilities I suggest it must be 4/4 and it should be a Legendary.... but it is not. Although it's not like Tolarian Academy, but it's a mistake to keep print out card like this..... I wonder why they're keep printing it again in the 2011 set...? Just to reduce the price...?

  -- By Anonymous from The Ark on December 15, 2010

Yeah players can destroy it for 2 or sometimes 1 mana...so why doesn't it cost 1W? Some people don't understand that cards can be overpowered even if a simple terror will kill it. There's also a difference between winning a game because you happened to play some broken-ass card and winning a game because you have a heavy-handed strategy. If a player wants to swing with this beast, she should be prepared to pay a high cost or suffer through some kind of drawback. Seriously, should a 1/1 with all those abilities cost only 1 white mana? Obviously not.

  -- By magicsofa from USA on December 12, 2010

I agree the guy above me, with the help of other spells Baneslayer is no match. She's also has better combat abilities, make her can beat the opponent by herself with four hits! Ahh... look the comments from Dr.Vintage.... I believe he's already failed as a doctor in the Vintage formats....

  -- By Anonymous from Volcanic Mountains on December 11, 2010

Perfect deck: White/Blue control. Couple BA's Sun Titans, Frost Titans, Elspeth, Day of Judgment, Wall of Omens, counters, and some card advantage to kick some ass. How you gonna remove something when I just negate it? Or let you do it, and then wipe the board anyways.

  -- By Anonymous from W/U, Controllville on December 09, 2010

This Angel is the best flying creature ever. 5/5 flying, first strike, lifelink, and also protections.... make her difficult to kill.... I agree about how powerful this card, but this card "still" can be handled fairy easy (if you have some spell destruction of course) and she's not a big deal. Compared to any other angels and flying creatures, she's the best one. But compared to the "game play", she's just great creature..... (although I choose Tarmogoyf over her)

  -- By Anonymous from Germany on December 08, 2010

I can't help but agree with all the complaining about how overpowered Baneslayer Angel is for 5 mana. She is to Serra Angel what Xathrid Demon is to Lord Of The Pit; a new card that does the same thing better, making the old one obsolete; even silly by comparison. Yet when I find myself frustrated that I have to burn all my old LOTPs and replace them with Xathrids I recall this truth: WotC is a company with the goal of making profit. I've been playing Magic since the begining (yes the 90's!) and throughout the years new cards that are sick or "broken" keep on coming, many of them obviously better versions of cards that already exist. I simply remind myself and other players who complain, that if the new cards weren't better than the old cards, gamers like me who already have extensive collections would have no reason to keep coming back and buying new sets. History shows that underpowered sets undersell. We Magic players/customers are the ones who pay for all that fresh ink and cardboard, and we won't buy anything new unless it's somehow better than what we already have.

  -- By Justin from Canada on November 21, 2010

My friends, don't get so rude. But we're all fooled by "CARDS". First, Serra Angel (rare version) a 4/4 flying and vigilance for 3WW with the price $3. Buy it? Of course, that the best Angel (at that time). Then here's appear Baneslayer Angel 5/5 flying, first strike, lifelink, and protections for 3WW with the price $20. Buy it? Of cource, that the best creature in standard format (at that time). Now, here's come Angel 5/5 flying, haste, first strike, vigilance, lifelink, and protections for 4WW, also "Morph" ability for 2WW with the price of this. Buy it? Of course..... and so on.... I just want to tell u that if you want to play magic along with the rule, just follow it, like me.

  -- By Ape from Planet of the Ape on November 01, 2010

Excellent card in many decks, but no matter how you look at it, Bankslayer Angel is still Bankslayer Angel. Casual players can't afford to get these kinds of cards, and it ruins the game to keep printing things like this, especially when they reprinted Serra Angel as a rare just months before Bankslayer was released with M10.

  -- By Jens N from Denmark on October 07, 2010

Great card. 5 Stars!

  -- By Anonymous from ??? on July 20, 2010

Serra Angel is the lowest class dude, just for casual play... But Baneslayer is for the tier one class... and she's the best Angel by far...!

  -- By Anonymous from ??? on July 16, 2010

Yeah, I agree with the guy above me. If your level is Serra Angel, then use her... But I'm sorry, my level is Baneslayer Angel... For Baneslayer... 5 Stars...!

  -- By Guy from Bellow from Girl from Bellow on July 15, 2010

I pulled one of these in the magic 2011 prerelease, and she really helped my G/W aggro deck.

  -- By Anonymous from Killeen, USA on July 11, 2010

I dont want to sound like im the person who gives a clearly awesome card a negative review to get people's attention, but I honestly dont think they should have reprinted baneslayer in M11. Its a really good card, but its so overpowered that no one even thinks of playing serra angel, or any other white flyer for 5cc. If they made it cost 6 or 7cc to play then it wouldnt be so bad, but seriously 3WW? Whats next wizards?

  -- By TheMonsterThatLivesInYourGarage from Your Garage on July 11, 2010

5/5 for 5 with 5 abilities = incredible in type 2. best angel ever printed, and the only reason abyssal persecutor isn't 30$+. only problem is it will more than likely eventually need a new home, and if it doesn't in legacy, then it never will

  -- By Anonymous from ny on June 27, 2010

pulled out of pack that came with a "duels of the planeswalkers" deck.

  -- By Anonymous from xenu on June 18, 2010

Baneslayer is the best Angel. Thanks to WOTC, I've complete my Angel deck for casual play. The sight of 5/5 and has Flying, First Strike, and Lifelink very helpful in the combat relations. Also the others ability (protection from Demons and Dragons) are great enough to face any opposing creatures!

  -- By Jace Beleren from Bandung on June 08, 2010

"Dr.Vintage" you're the most foolish doctor I have ever met. Baneslayer VS Tarmo? Type 2 VS Legacy? What a fool for a doctor... I think you're not a doctor, but just a doctor nuisance maybe.... Baneslayer is very destructive creature, look at the price! The price show you that this card is powerful for type 2.

  -- By Anonymous from Bandung on June 05, 2010

To the guy who was wondering if this card would hold its price: There is much talk about baneslayer angel being reprinted in M11, along with WotC making 4 more slayers, one for each color. So although it's really good, and it will stay standard for much longer, the price will drop slightly when it comes out IF it does get reprinted. I'd say somewhere between $30-$35 a piece. I do personally love this card though. I currently use it in a Black/White Sanguine Bond deck with nighthawks, transcendent masters, etc etc...

  -- By Cameron from Janesville, WI on May 26, 2010

The guy that claims he's been playing since Magic has been around is wrong. Magic has never had a creature as overpowered as Banslayer since 93' Sure back in the day Juzum Djinn was the Bomb, but even he pales incomparison to this. If MTG made a Demon this powerful it's drawback would be something like, "On your next end step, you lose the game".

  -- By Zaro from Rapid City, SD on May 04, 2010

this creature weighs in @ a 11 on a scale of 1-10 .....no doubt. But after it cycles out and is in vintage or legacy? come on now...........this one guy above is dead on with format usefulness, and i don't know how this will hold value? If it becomes a staple in M11 or whatever they call the next "main print" (which is always 98% watered down CRAP) the value will still plummet cause another 50 million will be printed.

  -- By Anonymous from total recall on March 31, 2010

Just pulled a foil one out... Yay for me.

  -- By Jake the snake from USA on March 26, 2010

I've pulled a few of these (bought a lot of M10) and I have to say Baneslayer is the best creature to come out in a long time. I'm glad WOTC designed her, too, because I think magic really needed this card. I've checked and there's only one other angel with lifelink, which is odd since you think angels would do that all the time. Also this card is really vulnerable to removal but in casual play or type 2 she sure kicks butt.

  -- By Mike from Michigan on March 09, 2010

TWO foil slayers otta one box? hmmm. thats interesting.

  -- By around the corner from Phila. Pa. on March 05, 2010

i totally disagree with the person from denmark. i started playing magic since it first came out,and its nice to see some sweet power cards being created again like the old days! magic had been watered down for far too long! thank you WOTC!

  -- By timdog from west warwick,ri on February 08, 2010

Vintage=too shabby, being white makes it much worse. 4 turn clocks have to be named lodestone golem or tarmogoyf. Legacy=might find a niche, otherwise crap. (Stax, some weird moat control). Extended=Is and will be played in a lot of decks, although i highly doubt its power... Standart=the nuts, esp. with so many jund decks around

  -- By Dr.Vintage from RockTheBells on February 01, 2010

Pretty much going to go with the over powered for cost crowd on this one. sure she's going to be a target for every kill spell in the game, but then what creature isn't? aren't Baneslayers and the like the reason WoTC prints things like Doom Blade? Actually, it kinda reminds me of the Urza block and the WTF cards they printed back then... Same designers?

  -- By Foeofthelance from The Dragon Cave on January 31, 2010

I have 8.

  -- By Anonymous from Philadelphia on January 29, 2010

PLEASE comment.........does anyone think this will hold value like tarmogoyf after rotation? 5 mana? used only in a lock artifact deck later on i bet. What can this do in a competitive vintage or legacy deck? I hope someone else gives their opinion about after this is out of rotation. Maybe it will be reprinted even in M11 or whatever. Thanks to anyone who comments

  -- By Anonymous from This card is real? wow on January 20, 2010

This is one of the best creatures in the game, definitely the best creature in Type II. This card is especially good in the new U/W control decks that can counter removal spells to keep it in play long enough to swing FTW.

  -- By Orestes Peristeris from Johannesburg, SA on January 19, 2010

This card is truly a BEAST!WoTc was on crack when they came up with this card! Glad i pulled two foul ones outta of the same box!

  -- By blaze5808 from victoria texas on January 12, 2010

Pulled it out in the pre-release booster draft. It's insanely good... too good... to broken. It's casting cost is extremely low... Serra Angel was the boss since Alfa... got downgraded to uncommon and ridiculed by this cheap folk.

  -- By Fernando from San Diego, CA on December 31, 2009

I took a break from magic for 7 years. My roommate wanted to start playing. I buy three M10 packs and I get a foil Baneslayer. I wished all MTG cards were this good.

  -- By Kevin from Tallahassee, FL on December 28, 2009

Flawless. if anyone doesnt rate this five stars its just because your getting pissed at getting beat by it. its got its price for a reason :/

  -- By brad clouse from richmond, ky USA on December 27, 2009

more like wallet$layer angel but honestly one of the best creatures in standard. If you get this out and your opponent doesn't have an answer, they are done. 5 stars all the way

  -- By Anonymous from tennesse on December 27, 2009

there have been printing errors back in the day, like NO BETA volcanic island, or the switch between plateau pix, and the serendib effret thing all come to mind. However, this is crazy and if tarmagoyf was supposed to be rumored as a casting cost error also....... Is this a mistake? for real? what a nastyyyy little lady.....

  -- By Anonymous from OMFG - on December 25, 2009

Perhaps one of the best White cards out there. I mean, seriously? 5/5 with lifelink, which already makes it better than Exalted Angel, first strike, so unless the opponent's creature has at least 6 toughness it can even touch the Baneslayer, also a flier, so to even try to block it you need flying, and also protection from Demons and Dragons, which eliminates almost everything that can even get close to killing it. Not to mention when I bought four random boosters, I got it.

  -- By Anonymous from Appleton, WI USA on December 20, 2009

Why?!?!? WHY?!?!?!? For the next year, is any site going to have this in stock for more than 40 seconds?

  -- By Al from Halifax, NS on December 13, 2009

Insane. this card makes serra angel look like a wimp. i poppe one in my first 3 M10 packs, along with nocturnus and archdruid. Oh yeah!

  -- By The monster that lives in your garage from your garage on December 05, 2009

Say what you will about this card--it's definitely helped boost Path & Banefire sales!

  -- By ferrioso from Sioux Falls, SD on November 19, 2009

Oops. I negate my prior review somewhat. When I first saw this card I thought it had vigilance. I was mistaken. So, instead of encroaching on Serra Angel's turf by 100% she only encroaches by 95%.

  -- By Jozsef from NJ on November 17, 2009

awesome card. Still, this beater is great. I don't know what Wizards was thinking when they made this. Perhaps they just /wanted/ to make a 5 mana 5/5 with 5 abilities.. Even so, Magic's standart isn't ready for such a powerful creature. They woul've been better off making it 4/4 and increasing its manacost by 1 white mana.

  -- By Jens from Denmark on October 30, 2009

What a bomb! now it's the most sought after mythic rare ever. Everyone who had this card will absolutely rate 5 stars, but those unfortunate soul who want to have one, but can't afford it, will simply give bad reviews, in the hope that no one will buying this, and the price will go down, so they can afford to buy a playset. I believe anyone, had already know how good this angel is: It's just so simple: If you can't beat it, play it!

  -- By pray from Jakarta, Indonesia on October 26, 2009

Funny someone mentioned getting this and liliana in the same pack because I bought 3 packs and got this and a foil Liliana... I guess when it rains it pours... what a ridiculously good card

  -- By David from VA USA on October 18, 2009

...WHAT'S NEXT!? -a legendary darksteel-angel-hydra for 1 colorless, 20/20, with haste, wich can't be countered and deals damage equal to its power when it comes into play???! This is a shame for MtG. Back to basics WotC!

  -- By Anonymous from Denmark on October 12, 2009

too good... wow even though i have one ( im lucky) I do think that it is over powering 5,5 lifelink protection and flying makes it cost way more and responding to the guy who said that he bought 3 boxes and he still didn't get 1 i got an bane slayer and a vampire nocturnes in 3 booster packs

  -- By Justin Wang from champaign, IL on October 09, 2009

It gets its rating due to its efficiency mostly. She's got three standard and useful combat abilities (Flying, First Strike, Lifelink) and the two minor but very intruiging protections. What prevents this card from being completely broken is that she does NOT have Vigilance. Not having vigilance means that she'll be too busy roving the skies for demons and dragons to defend you when your turn is over (unless you use another card or effect that keeps her untapped, or you decided not to attack.) The other downfall is that she's expensive in the money sense. I pulled one from a box I bought, but she's not that easy to come by and costs about 25$ a piece on average online or in card stores. One of the reviewers above me is right; if she costed one white mana more she would be worth about 1/4 as much to buy.

  -- By rogonandi from Edmonton, Canada on August 20, 2009

I really don't know what WotC was thinking with this one. I mean, back in the day we considered serra angel a 5 star card because it stood on it's own and could splash in other decks. This is a serra angel with 3 extra abilities at the same cost. They have degraded one of my favorite creatures and this I am not pleased about, but hey I was glad to pull this from my box. This one is going straight into my white-black-green casual deck. All I can say is It's a good thing dark ritual isn't standard legal anymore. Then this card would be truly beastin'

  -- By Jozsef from NJ on August 16, 2009

lols, pulled this outa a booster today... and liliana... haha ;D anyways, gud kard gud kard

  -- By Angry from Arlington Texas on August 11, 2009

5 STARS across the board for this AWESOME lady. An Angel with an ATTITUDE=DEADLY!

  -- By Anthony from Phila. Pa. on August 04, 2009

it's cute. but theres way too much removal in standard for this to ever win you a game. when it comes out its simply a target to save a better creature. like uril

  -- By sadf from asdfasdf on July 28, 2009

These things are so rare to find.. I bought three boxes so far and haven't pulled a single one of them. It is vunerable to a terminate, pulse, path, or any other removal but if you can get this beauty out and flying when your opponent doesn't have an answer you are set. I will have to rank this as one of the best creatures ever made!

  -- By Phil from Houma, LA on July 23, 2009

I am surprised no one has mentioned her protections. Being protected from dragons and demons elimates 90% of the fliers big enough to kill her. It might as well say, "To kill her, you have to terror (doom blade now), fireball, planar cleanse, Maelstrom Pulse, insert removal spell here, etc." She is too good for her cost and they put her in the same set as Serra Angel! Let's see, 5 mana for 4/4 flier with vigilance or 5/5 flier first striker with lifelink and protections?? I think I'll take the Baneslayer.

  -- By Chi-Guy from Chicago on July 23, 2009

Its a shame, paying 1 extra colorless mana for this would save everyone and extra 20 bucks for this card. Sheesh! Love the art!

  -- By Cheapy the Cheapskate from The Projects on July 22, 2009

Broken Card that is exactly what WotC said it was trying to avoid - "Power Creep." Good Gawd - talk about "power creep"... This is a leap! This negates the Serra Angel totally. What is WotC thinking? Another Akroma. I'm horrified that the only drawback to this card is its rarity. Boo, Wizards, Boo! :-(

  -- By Johnny E Worthen from Sandy, UT USA on July 20, 2009

too good. this is power creep at its finest. 5/5's normally go for 5 mana by themselves, but adding flying is another mana, and then lifelink is another. first strike, meh.. but still, this is a 7 mana angel for 5. this card is so good even if you were playing mono-black you'd want to splash white! how good is this card? so good from now on i'm gonna call it the mox angel, or perhaps baneslayer lotus. i haven't decided yet.

  -- By john wayne from the movies your grandparents remember, USA on July 19, 2009