Banquet Guests MTG Card


It excels by providing card draw and potential mana acceleration upon entering the battlefield. Instant speed playability allows players to adapt to opponents’ moves efficiently. The requirement to discard for casting can be a strategic setback if not managed.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Halfling Citizen
Abilities Affinity,Trample
Power 0
Toughness 0

Text of card

Affinity for Food Trample Banquet Guests enters the battlefield with twice X +1/+1 counters on it. , Sacrifice a Food: Banquet Guests gains indestructible until end of turn.


Unveiling the Power of Banquet Guests

In the vast catalog of creatures that Magic: The Gathering offers, Banquet Guests has its unique place, especially when compared to other cards serving a similar purpose. This vampire card is akin to others that trade life points for power, much as the beloved Gray Merchant of Asphodel does with its ability to drain life from opponents while giving you a health boost.

Cards like Banquet Guests

Banquet Guests shares certain similarities with cards such as Sangromancer, which also thrives on an opponent’s discards to grant you life. However, Banquet Guests stands out with its potential to grow stronger with its attack-boosting mechanic when life is gained, presenting it as a more aggressive option. Meanwhile, Epicure of Blood can be seen as a kindred spirit as it also causes opponents to lose life whenever you gain life, although it doesn’t possess the combat enhancement Banquet Guests offers.

Looking into the nuances of life-gaining creatures, Bloodthirsty Aerialist serves as a closer comparison. It also collects +1/+1 counters as you gain life, potentially becoming a formidable threat over time. Nonetheless, Banquet Guests enters the battlefield ready to impact the board immediately with its size and life-draining capability.

Ultimately, Banquet Guests is a testament to the diverse strategies within Magic: The Gathering where life manipulation forms the crux of many powerful combos. It’s an excellent choice for vampire-themed decks looking to capitalize on life gain and board presence.

Gray Merchant of Asphodel - MTG Card versions
Sangromancer - MTG Card versions
Epicure of Blood - MTG Card versions
Bloodthirsty Aerialist - MTG Card versions
Gray Merchant of Asphodel - MTG Card versions
Sangromancer - MTG Card versions
Epicure of Blood - MTG Card versions
Bloodthirsty Aerialist - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Banquet Guests by color, type and mana cost

Femeref Enchantress - MTG Card versions
Victual Sliver - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Knight - MTG Card versions
Qasali Pridemage - MTG Card versions
Watchwolf - MTG Card versions
Park Heights Pegasus - MTG Card versions
Bronzehide Lion - MTG Card versions
Shanna, Sisay's Legacy - MTG Card versions
Selesnya Evangel - MTG Card versions
Transluminant - MTG Card versions
Selesnya Guildmage - MTG Card versions
Saffi Eriksdotter - MTG Card versions
Gaddock Teeg - MTG Card versions
Medicine Runner - MTG Card versions
Knight of the Skyward Eye - MTG Card versions
Valeron Outlander - MTG Card versions
Steward of Valeron - MTG Card versions
Grizzled Leotau - MTG Card versions
Knotvine Paladin - MTG Card versions
Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage - MTG Card versions
Femeref Enchantress - MTG Card versions
Victual Sliver - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Knight - MTG Card versions
Qasali Pridemage - MTG Card versions
Watchwolf - MTG Card versions
Park Heights Pegasus - MTG Card versions
Bronzehide Lion - MTG Card versions
Shanna, Sisay's Legacy - MTG Card versions
Selesnya Evangel - MTG Card versions
Transluminant - MTG Card versions
Selesnya Guildmage - MTG Card versions
Saffi Eriksdotter - MTG Card versions
Gaddock Teeg - MTG Card versions
Medicine Runner - MTG Card versions
Knight of the Skyward Eye - MTG Card versions
Valeron Outlander - MTG Card versions
Steward of Valeron - MTG Card versions
Grizzled Leotau - MTG Card versions
Knotvine Paladin - MTG Card versions
Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Banquet Guests shines in providing card advantage as it enables players to draw a card when it enters the battlefield. This not only gives you a creature presence but also immediately replaces itself in your hand, maintaining a strong card count that keeps your game plan flowing.

Resource Acceleration: Beyond its ability to contribute to card advantage, this creature also excels in resource acceleration. Upon entering the fray, Banquet Guests can help you ramp up by potentially adding mana of any color to your pool, streamlining your path to casting more significant and impactful spells earlier than usual.

Instant Speed: The instant speed interaction of Banquet Guests’ ability is what truly sets it apart. The flexibility to cast it during your opponent’s turn means you can remain reactive to threats, save mana for counterspells or other instant-speed interactions, and only commit to a play when most advantageous for your strategy.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Banquet Guests comes with a condition that necessitates the discarding of another card, potentially putting you at a resource disadvantage, especially if your hand is already depleted.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a very particular combination of mana types to cast. Limiting its adoption to decks that can reliably generate the necessary mana colors may reduce its overall versatility in a varied metagame.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Weighed against other cards at a similar mana range, Banquet Guests may be found wanting in terms of impact. As the mana curve of a deck is crucial for pacing, one must consider if the expenditure merits the benefit, especially when there may be other cards that achieve more for less or at a comparable cost.


Reasons to Include Banquet Guests in Your Collection

Versatility: Banquet Guests shines in its flexibility, slotting easily into decks that thrive on life gain or require creatures with solid defensive capabilities.

Combo Potential: This card works well in tandem with strategies centered around vampire synergies or lifelink mechanics, potentially setting up powerful board states.

Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, a creature that can both influence life totals and serve as a blocker may prove to be a substantial asset against aggressive decks in the meta.


How to Beat Banquet Guests

Banquet Guests is an interesting creature card to navigate around in Magic: The Gathering. While it may not look threatening at first glance due to its moderate stats, its real power lies in the life gain aspect it offers upon entering the battlefield. To effectively counteract Banquet Guests, it is essential to minimize the impact of its life-gain ability or bypass it entirely.

One strategy is to utilize removal spells that exile rather than destroy, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, to prevent your opponent from gaining life. Alternatively, leveraging cards that restrict lifegain like Tainted Remedy can turn this card’s strength into a weakness. Aggressive decks can benefit from applying constant pressure and overwhelming the battlefield before Banquet Guests can create a significant lifepoint buffer for your opponent.

Moreover, applying graveyard interaction to disable reanimation attempts could stifle strategies dependent on recurring Banquet Guests. In the game of Magic: The Gathering, it’s all about resource and board control, and with the right cards and strategy, Banquet Guests can be managed. Always plan ahead and be ready to adapt to your opponent’s plays for the best outcome.


BurnMana Recommendations

While Banquet Guests might not be the linchpin in every MTG deck, its capacity for card advantage and resource acceleration is undeniable. As a creature that can both draw you a card and potentially ramp your mana upon entry, it’s a card to consider for decks that benefit from such synergies. However, before inviting Banquet Guests to your deck, weigh the pros and cons. Will the discard requirement hinder your strategy? Does the mana cost align with your curve? Whether you’re honing a vampire-themed deck or looking to enhance your life-gain tactics, this card could be a tactical addition to your roster. Considering the evolving meta, strategic incorporation of such versatile creatures might just be the game-changer you need. Dive deeper with us into the intricacies of deck-building to discover where Banquet Guests fits in your collection.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Banquet Guests MTG card by a specific set like Tales of Middle-earth Commander and Tales of Middle-earth Commander, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Banquet Guests and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Banquet Guests Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-06-23 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by Viko Menezes.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12023-06-23Tales of Middle-earth CommanderLTC 4502015NormalBlackViko Menezes
22023-06-23Tales of Middle-earth CommanderLTC 472015NormalBlackViko Menezes
32023-06-23Tales of Middle-earth CommanderLTC 1302015NormalBlackViko Menezes

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Banquet Guests has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Banquet Guests card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2023-06-16 Do not eat the delicious cards. No, not even for second breakfast.
2023-06-16 Food is an artifact type. Even though it appears on some creatures in other sets, it's never a creature type.
2023-06-16 If an effect refers to a Food, it means any Food artifact, not just a Food artifact token. For example, you can sacrifice Lembas, an artifact card with the Food subtype, to activate the last ability of Bill the Pony.
2023-06-16 Some spells and abilities that create Food tokens may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't create any Food tokens.
2023-06-16 You can't sacrifice a Food token to pay multiple costs. For example, you can't sacrifice a Food token to activate its own ability and also to activate the last ability of Bill the Pony.