Swords to Plowshares

Swords to Plowshares first appeared in Limited Edition Alpha (LEA), 5 August 1993. The original record is LEA #40, at uncommon, illustrated by Jeff A. Menges. Original finish availability: nonfoil only.

The original edition predates printed collector numbers; the number above identifies the catalogue record.

Use the curated shortlist for meaningful edition differences, then the shared explorer for the wider catalogue. Editorial records reviewed 4 November 2026; current prices and legality can change.

Swords to Plowshares costs {W}, is an Instant and has a white colour identity. It exiles a target creature, and that creature’s controller gains life equal to its power.

The life calculation uses the creature’s power as it last existed on the battlefield. If the spell’s only target is illegal when it would resolve, the spell does not resolve. Exiling is different from destroying and does not itself cause the creature to die.

Compared with Path to Exile, the defining concession is life rather than an optional basic land. The same current Oracle rules apply to the original Alpha card and later artwork versions.

The first printing is Limited Edition Alpha (LEA) #40, released on 5 August 1993 at uncommon, illustrated by Jeff A. Menges and available only in nonfoil. #40 is a catalogue number, not a number printed on the original card. Later Beta and Unlimited editions are catalogued as #41; that difference matters when identifying an edition.

Ice Age #54 in 1995 supplies Kaja Foglio artwork, an early alternative to the Menges image. It is a nonfoil edition from the older-frame era.

The 2013 Judge Gift Card J13 #1 is foil-only with Sam Wolfe Connelly art. From the Vault: Twenty V13 #2, also in 2013, uses a different illustration by Terese Nielsen in that product’s foil presentation. Eternal Masters #32 later reuses Nielsen’s painting with nonfoil and foil options.

Strixhaven Mystical Archive in 2021 adds global #10 by Mark Tedin and Japanese alternate-art #73 by Nagano. Their frame, language and finish choices require more precise identification than “Archive Swords.”

Secret Lair #1021 in 2022 belongs to Kamigawa: The Manga: The Cards and credits Ryo Kamei. Fallout in 2024 introduces Alex Konstad artwork on regular #173 and surge-foil #701. These are meaningful later collector branches without requiring every minor Commander reprint in the editorial table.

Menges and Foglio: Alpha and Ice Age are distinct early illustrations. Shared artwork across an early edition does not by itself identify Alpha; inspect border, corners and the actual product.

Connelly and Nielsen: the Judge and From the Vault cards are both 2013 foils, but they are not the same image. EMA #32 makes Nielsen’s illustration available in a later ordinary reprint with two surface choices.

Tedin and Nagano: STA #10 and #73 are separate Mystical Archive paintings. #73 is the Japanese-language artwork record, rather than simply the Japanese translation of #10.

Kamei and Konstad: SLD #1021 uses manga imagery; Fallout #173 and #701 use Konstad’s crossover illustration. The Fallout surge variant shares its picture with the regular record.

Alpha #40 and Ice Age #54 are nonfoil-only. Judge J13 #1 and From the Vault V13 #2 are foil-only, with different artists. EMA #32 offers nonfoil and traditional foil.

Both shortlisted Mystical Archive records have nonfoil, traditional foil and etched foil availability. An etched #73 and an ordinary foil #73 share the Japanese painting; finish is not another artwork.

SLD #1021 has nonfoil and traditional foil. Fallout #173 also offers nonfoil and traditional foil; #701 is a separate surge-foil-only record. Do not collapse the traditional and surge surfaces into one undifferentiated “Fallout foil.”

The physical-card preview is useful for identifying art and frames but cannot reproduce the real etched or surge surface. Check the set, number, language and finish on the actual offer.

For the first printing: Alpha #40 is the reference. Beta and Unlimited #41 are different editions, even though their familiar front artwork can look similar in a small image.

For early alternate art: Ice Age #54 gives you Foglio’s image in an older frame. For a later conventional reprint, compare Nielsen’s EMA #32.

For a specific promo: J13 #1 is the Connelly Judge foil; V13 #2 is the Nielsen From the Vault foil. The shared year and reflective finish do not identify the artist.

For Archive art: compare Tedin’s #10 with Nagano’s #73 before deciding on traditional or etched foil. Verify language separately.

For a themed collection: compare manga #1021 and Fallout #173. Choose #701 only if surge foil is specifically part of the Fallout goal.

Our history-to-art comparison is LEA #40 nonfoil and STA #73 nonfoil. The original Menges illustration and Nagano’s Japanese presentation make the artistic change clear while holding finish constant.

For a later English-language deck copy with a familiar reprint image, EMA #32 is the more relevant comparison. This recommendation does not establish a current cheapest edition or authenticate a physical Alpha copy.

Path to Exile — Compare life gain with the optional land search on another one-mana exile spell.

Lightning Bolt — Explore a fellow Alpha-era instant’s major artwork eras.

Teferi's Protection — Compare a later white protection spell’s promo and etched records.

Black Lotus — Explore why edition identity and collector reproductions need separating.

Browse the complete Card Guides directory. For deck work, the shared Build a Deck action passes the selected printing to Deck Studio, where current legality and role eligibility are checked independently of this editorial guide.

Reviewed 4 November 2026 against accessible catalogue records and indexed catalogue extracts, with official product or policy references where applicable. Existing ManaScout text was audited rather than treated as evidence. Direct Scryfall API access was unavailable during this editorial review; the shared live explorer continues to use its existing integration.

• Catalogue: Limited Edition Alpha (LEA) #40
• Catalogue: Ice Age (ICE) #54
• Catalogue: Judge Gift Cards 2013 (J13) #1
• Catalogue: From the Vault: Twenty (V13) #2
• Catalogue: Eternal Masters (EMA) #32
• Catalogue: Strixhaven Mystical Archive (STA) #10
• Catalogue: Strixhaven Mystical Archive (STA) #73
• Catalogue: Secret Lair: Kamigawa: The Manga: The Cards (SLD) #1021
• Catalogue: Fallout (PIP) #173
• Catalogue: Fallout (PIP) #701
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