Healer of the Pride — ruling 1

If Healer of the Pride enters under your control at the same time as other creatures, its ability will trigger once for each of those creatures.

Healer of the Pride : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Healer of the Pride is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.

Official card text

Whenever another creature you control enters, you gain 2 life.

Complete guide

Healer of the Pride is a dependable lifeline for creature-heavy decks, providing a steady stream of health every time a friend joins the fray. This Cat Cleric turns every successful summon into a defensive advantage, making it difficult for opponents to win through combat damage alone. Understanding its triggered ability is key to maximizing your survivability in a match.

What It Does

Healer of the Pride features a triggered ability that watches for other creatures entering the battlefield under your control. Every time a creature—other than this specific Cat Cleric—successfully enters, the ability triggers and is placed on the stack. Unlike some lifegain effects, there is no limit to how many times this can happen per turn.

How It Resolves Step by Step

First, a creature spell you cast resolves, or an effect puts a creature onto the battlefield. Second, Healer of the Pride's ability triggers and is put on the stack; at this point, you can respond with other spells or abilities. Third, once both players pass priority, the ability resolves and you gain exactly 2 life. If multiple creatures enter simultaneously, such as through a mass resurrection spell, the ability triggers separately for each one.

Common Mistakes

A common misconception is that Healer of the Pride triggers for itself; however, the text explicitly says 'another creature,' meaning it must already be on the battlefield to see others arrive. Additionally, remember that tokens are creatures too. If an effect creates three 1/1 Soldier tokens, Healer of the Pride will trigger three times, resulting in a total gain of 6 life.

When to Play It

This card shines best in 'Blink' or 'Golgari Swarm' style decks where creatures enter the battlefield frequently. It serves as an excellent deterrent against aggressive decks, as it effectively nullifies small attacks just by you playing your regular game plan. It is also a vital piece for decks that care about 'life gain triggers,' as it provides a reliable source of those triggers.

Interaction examples

Standard Value Entry

Solemn Simulacrum

With Healer of the Pride on the battlefield, you cast Solemn Simulacrum. When the Golem enters, both its own search ability and the Healer's lifegain ability trigger. You can choose the order they go on the stack, allowing you to gain 2 life and find a basic land.

Doubling the Blessings

Roaming Throne

When Roaming Throne enters, you choose 'Cat' or 'Cleric'. Because Roaming Throne is now that type, Healer of the Pride triggers. If you already had a Roaming Throne on the battlefield naming Cat, then any subsequent Cat entering would trigger the Healer's ability twice, resulting in 4 life gained instead of 2.

Mass Entry Interaction

If a spell puts Healer of the Pride and two other creatures onto the battlefield at the exact same time, the Healer 'sees' the other two creatures. You will put two instances of the lifegain ability on the stack, gaining a total of 4 life.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Healer of the Pride

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1July 1, 2012· Wizards of the Coast
If Healer of the Pride enters under your control at the same time as other creatures, its ability will trigger once for each of those creatures.
No other card is named in this ruling.