Skip to content
MTGCombos
MenuClose

Share your combos and save your decks.

Join for freeLog in
Magic The Gathering Combos

Home     Submit A Combo     Deck Builder     Forums     Picture Guess     Help

You are not logged in [click to login] - [Join For Free!]  

Sustaining Spirit

Sustaining Spirit

Click or tap the image to zoom

Alliances

#18 · EN · Rare · 1996-06-10

Browse all 2 printings ↓

Sustaining Spirit

{1}{W}

Creature — Angel Spirit

Cumulative upkeep {1}{W} (At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice it unless you pay its upkeep cost for each age counter on it.) Damage that would reduce your life total to less than 1 reduces it to 1 instead.

Power: 0

Toughness: 3

Artist: Rebecca Guay

Color identity: W

Reference prices

Reference prices by finish and currency
FinishUSDEUR
Nonfoil$1.18€1.06

Data snapshot 2026-10-22. Not live offers.

Use in a combo · Use in a deck

Editions & versions

2 printings across 2 editions. Choose a printing to view its artwork and details.

Reference prices · Data snapshot 2026-10-22. Prices vary by seller and condition; — means no quote.

Combos using this card

A final flourish...

Format legality
Standardnot legal
Futurenot legal
Historicnot legal
Timelessnot legal
Gladiatornot legal
Pioneernot legal
Modernnot legal
Legacylegal
Paupernot legal
Vintagelegal
Pennylegal
Commanderlegal
Oathbreakerlegal
Standardbrawlnot legal
Brawlnot legal
Competitivebrawlnot legal
Alchemynot legal
Paupercommandernot legal
Duellegal
Oldschoolnot legal
Premodernlegal
Predhlegal
Tlrlegal
Rulings

2008-10-01 If an effect asks you to pay life, you can’t pay more life than you have.

2008-10-01 Paying cumulative upkeep is always optional. If it’s not paid, the permanent with cumulative upkeep is sacrificed. Partial payments of the total cumulative upkeep cost can’t be made. For example, if a permanent with “cumulative upkeep {1}” has three age counters on it when its cumulative upkeep ability triggers, it gets another age counter and then its controller chooses to either pay {4} or sacrifice the permanent.

2008-10-01 Sustaining Spirit won’t prevent you from losing the game if your life total is 0 or less or some other effect causes you to lose the game.

2008-10-01 The ability doesn’t change how much damage is dealt; it just changes how much life that damage makes you lose. An effect such as Spirit Link will see the full amount of damage being dealt.

2008-10-01 The second ability applies only if your life total is being reduced by damage. Other effects or costs (such as “lose 1 life” or “pay 1 life”) can reduce your life total below 1 as normal.

2008-10-01 The second ability is not a prevention effect. It stops unpreventable damage from reducing your life total below 1.

2004-10-04 Does not affect damage if you are already at zero or negative life. You still take it all.

Current Oracle text is shown for every printing.