Boon (slang)

The boons are a cycle of five cards that originally appeared in the Alpha printing of Magic, each with an effect relating to the number three (3), and one in each color. In general, a "boon" is a blessing or benefit; a thing that is helpful.

List

In color wheel order by color,

• Healing Salve ()
• Ancestral Recall ()
• Dark Ritual ()
• Lightning Bolt ()
• Giant Growth ()

This cycle is asymmetric in that Ancestral Recall is rare, while the other members are common.

Power level

The power level of the cards in this cycle varies wildly, as has R&D's willingness to reprint them. Ancestral Recall is part of the Power Nine, the most broken and monetarily expensive cards in the game, while Healing Salve and similar effects are generally considered to be unplayable.

Only two of the boons have been reprinted in a premier set since Eighth Edition: Giant Growth was last printed in The Brothers' War, and Lightning Bolt was last printed in Strixhaven Mystical Archive but last seen in Standard in Magic 2011) The latter has been replaced by Lightning Strike and Shock in a number of core sets. The other three cards have not been reprinted: Ancestral Recall and Dark Ritual are seen as being too powerful, and mana rituals are no longer being in black's wedge of the color pie, while Healing Salve is seen as too weak.

Variations

The concept of boons has been revisited many times; most notably, in various standalone expansions, each color would get a card in a cycle that has themes reminiscent of the original Alpha boons, although there continues be debate over the relative value of these effects.

For the effects, many years of development have coalesced on their appropriate costs:

• In Dominaria, Healing Salve was finally replaced by the strictly better Healing Grace; however, the inherent design of lifegain or prevention are both too weak and has not received much of a return.
• "Draw three cards" is usually five mana. Concentrate was once acceptable but has not been reprinted, but cards such as Into the Fae Court and Vivisurgeon's Insight show space for upsides.
• "Add three {M} mana" has a similar problem to Healing Salve, but in reverse; any spell that generates net mana is often dangerous, and anything below that is not a functional card. The last straight ritual is Pyretic Ritual, while several have used variable results such as Rousing Refrain.
• "Deal 3 damage" is consistently two mana. Lightning Strike has seen many reprints.
• "+3/+3 until end of turn" is often two mana, but with upsides. Giant Growth still gets an occasional reprint.