Healing Salve

Healing Salve was introduced as part of the Limited Edition Alpha set, released by Wizards of the Coast in 1993 as the inaugural printing of the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. It was conceived during the early design phase of the game by Richard Garfield, intended as a fundamental tool for white-aligned decks to provide immediate life gain or damage prevention, establishing a mechanical baseline for the color's defensive identity.

The card features artwork by Dan Frazier, whose distinctively illustrative and slightly surreal aesthetic defined much of the visual landscape of early Magic sets. Frazier’s work on this card depicts a glowing, ethereal substance being applied to a wound, a classic fantasy trope that matched the game's intent to evoke high-fantasy lore. At the time of its release, the card was widely played for its efficiency as a one-mana instant, though it eventually became a staple of 'beginner' cards as the game's power level evolved over subsequent decades.