Last night at dinner, I mentioned to my roommate that Restoration Angel has supplanted Baneslayer Angel as the best Angel card of all time. It's another blatant example of creature power creep, and while it isn't necessarily a bad thing, it does restrict the available deck building options, especially in Modern. My biggest complaint about that format is the homogeneous nature of the card choices: if you play green, you play Tarmogoyf, etc. But enough about that, here is a timeline of the best Angel card in Magic through the years!
Alpha through 4th edition - Serra Angel
The first "best creature in the game", it was used by various control decks as a win condition that also answered multiple threats from your opponent. It also combined with Stasis to finish the opponent off quickly while you had them soft locked. Still a bomb in limited, she is one of Magic's most iconic cards of all time.
5th edition through Mercadian Masques - Vacant
WotC decided Serra Angel was too good, and took her out of the core set. Whether or not she would have seen any play during this time is debatable, but none of the replacements even came close. Warrior Angel, Radiant, Archangel, and others never were quite good enough to make it.
Nemesis through Planeshift - Blinding Angel
She took the defensive nature of Serra Angel and ran (or should I say flew?) with it! Locking unsuspecting creature decks out of the game completely, with their only hope to draw a Birds of Paradise to chump for one turn and hope that it resolved. Blinding Angel was a solid addition to permission based control at the time, since protecting her long enough usually led to victory.
Apocalypse through Judgment - Desolation Angel
Resolving this creature (with the kicker of course) was the best way to win a control mirror. A very dynamic card that could steal wins sometimes by being cast without kicker, she was one of many iconic cards from the enemy colored Apocalypse set.
Onslaught through Ravnica - Exalted Angel
No, she doesn't have the Exalted ability, but the Morph ability allowed for some fast beats. Not many aggressive decks could race an 8 point life swing starting on turn 4, and combined with Astral Slide and cycling cards, she could be impossible to kill. A long time player in Extended Scepter-Chant decks, she could be unmorphed on turn 3 with the help of Chrome Mox. Truly one of the best angels of all time, unfortunately relegated to the casual room with the printing of Baneslayer Angel.
Guildpact through Alara Reborn - Angel of Despair
The second black angel on the list shows that even when angels aren't the holiest, they still make for some great Magic cards. Angel of Despair's mana cost of 7 isn't unreasonable, but she spent most of her time coming out of the grave in Reanimator, Solor Flare, and Dredge decks. She is still a player in Legacy and can help you get out of many sticky situations with the Vindicate she brings along with her.
M10 through Dark Ascension - Baneslayer Angel
M10 brought a renewed focus on flavor, and a new focus on splashy creatures. Baneslayer was a workhorse in constructed, and nigh unbeatable in limited. The go-to threat for white control decks of the time, she obsoleted dozens of other creatures when she was printed.
Avacyn Restored through current - Restoration Angel
This card just does it all. From infinite combos with Kiki-Jiki, to value on Kitched Finks and Geist of St Traft, and just being an instant speed threat, all for the low price of 4 mana, Restoration Angel is easily the best angel of all time
And a bonus, the top 10 angels of all time, ranked!
1. Restoration Angel
2. Baneslayer Angel
3. Angel of Despair
4. Karmic Guide*
5. Iona, Shield of Emeria
6. Platinum Angel / Empyrial Archangel
7. Exalted Angel
8. Akroma, Angel of Wrath
9. Angel of Serenity
10. Emeria Angel
*Much in the way Worldgorger Dragon is one of the best dragons of all time, Karmic Guide makes the list almost solely on combo decks, and wasn't included in the discussion at the top.
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