Golgari Keyrune MTG Card


Increases mana and transforms into a creature, providing card advantage and maintaining board presence. Allows surprise blockers with creature conversion at instant speed, boosting tactical gameplay. The Keyrune’s mana flexibility and combat relevance make it a multifaceted tool in MTG.
Golgari Keyrune - Return to Ravnica
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact
Released2012-10-05
Set symbol
Set nameReturn to Ravnica
Set codeRTR
Number229
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byDaniel Ljunggren

Text of card

: Add or to your mana pool. : Golgari Keyrune becomes a 2/2 black and green Insect artifact creature with deathtouch until end of turn.

Like a single ant, it only hints at the colony below.


Cards like Golgari Keyrune

The Golgari Keyrune card offers a unique dynamic in the landscape of mana artifacts within Magic: The Gathering. It presents similarities to other keyrunes and cluestones, each providing color-specific mana and a secondary effect. Comparing Golgari Keyrune to say, the Dimir Keyrune, we see both cards give you access to two types of mana and have the ability to become creatures. However, the Golgari Keyrune stands out with its ability to turn into a 2/2 black and green Insect artifact creature with deathtouch, providing not only a mana boost but also a potentially lethal blocker or attacker.

Looking at the Golgari Cluestone, another card from the same guild, it too ramps up your mana pool but also includes a draw card mechanic at the cost of sacrificing the cluestone. This offers late-game card advantage, whereas the keyrune focuses on an immediate board presence. Furthermore, while the Orzhov Keyrune transforms into a creature with lifelink, the Golgari Keyrune’s deathtouch attribute may align better with strategies that favor board control over life gain.

Ultimately, the Golgari Keyrune holds its own among mana-generating artifacts in MTG, bringing a balance of resource acceleration and tactical creature options for players aligned with the Golgari guild’s themes of death and growth.

Dimir Keyrune - MTG Card versions
Golgari Cluestone - MTG Card versions
Orzhov Keyrune - MTG Card versions
Dimir Keyrune - MTG Card versions
Golgari Cluestone - MTG Card versions
Orzhov Keyrune - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Golgari Keyrune by color, type and mana cost

Pestilent Cauldron // Restorative Burst - MTG Card versions
Plague Boiler - MTG Card versions
Golgari Cluestone - MTG Card versions
Golgari Locket - MTG Card versions
Pestilent Cauldron // Restorative Burst - MTG Card versions
Plague Boiler - MTG Card versions
Golgari Cluestone - MTG Card versions
Golgari Locket - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While the Golgari Keyrune doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, its ability to transform into a creature helps you maintain board presence without expending additional cards from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: The Keyrune provides a significant boost in your mana resources by tapping for either black or green mana. This versatile acceleration is particularly useful for casting high-cost creatures and spells within the Golgari color palette.

Instant Speed: Although the key itself doesn’t have an instant speed ability, it gives you the flexibility to turn it into a creature at the end of your opponent’s turn. This surprises opponents and leaves your mana open during their turn to react accordingly with removal or other instant-speed interactions.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While the Golgari Keyrune allows for an increase in mana flexibility and creature utility, it does not come without drawbacks. A player looking to utilize the Keyrune’s ability to transform into a creature must be ready to deal with the discard mechanism that some related Golgari cards involve. This might strain your hand, especially if you are running low on cards.

Specific Mana Cost: The Keyrune requires a specific combination of black and green mana to activate its creature-form ability. This demand can sometimes be a hurdle in multicolored decks that might not have the necessary mana readily available, thereby restricting the Keyrune’s full potential to decks that are centered around the Golgari colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The three-mana investment to cast the Golgari Keyrune can be steep compared to other mana accelerants or creatures with similar cost and functionalities. When resources are crucial, especially in the early game, the Keyrune’s cost might set you back when racing against decks that deploy threats more efficiently.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Golgari Keyrune not only provides a ramp by adding one mana of black or green to your pool, but it can also turn into a creature that can be a game-changer in combat due to its deathtouch ability.

Combo Potential: In decks that synergize with artifacts or creature count, this card easily toggles between both types, offering dynamic interaction possibilities and enhancing various strategies on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: Given its resilience against removal spells when not a creature and the ever-useful deathtouch when it is, Golgari Keyrune holds its ground in diverse metagames, adapting to the shifting landscape of powerful creatures and utility artifacts.


How to beat

The Golgari Keyrune is a versatile mana artifact that offers flexibility and a potential threat on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. Similar to other mana artifacts such as the Dimir Keyrune, it not only ramps your mana but can turn into a creature to deliver damage or block when necessary. To efficiently tackle the Golgari Keyrune, consider artifact removal spells that can dispatch it regardless of its form. Cards like Abrade or Nature’s Claim can easily target and eliminate the Keyrune before it becomes a larger problem by transforming into a creature.

Strategic timing is key in dealing with such artifacts. If you wait until your opponent has invested the mana to animate the Keyrune, then removing it in response can set back their board presence significantly. Sweepers are also effective if the Keyrune is often utilized as a blocker or attacker since this would force it back into artifact form, making it susceptible to mass removal spells. Something as accessible as a Lightning Strike can deal with it after it transforms into a creature.

Overall, keeping removal in hand and prioritizing threats are essential tactics when facing any utility artifact in Magic: The Gathering. By focusing on these strategies, the Golgari Keyrune can be neutralized before it ever has a chance to tip the scales in your opponent’s favor.


BurnMana Recommendations

Diving into the depths of MTG strategy, the Golgari Keyrune stands out for its dual utility, balancing mana acceleration with tactical creature conversion. Its ability to pivot from an unassuming artifact to a deathtouch creature makes a significant impact on game states, offering players the chance to gain advantage through versatile board presence. While managing the inherent cons is part of the Keyrune challenge, its strategic merits in certain decks cannot be overlooked. For those seeking to refine their Golgari decks or simply boost their collection with a multifunctional card, understanding the Golgari Keyrune’s role could be quite rewarding. For insight into optimizing its use and integrating it into your winning strategies, continue with us on your MTG journey.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Golgari Keyrune MTG card by a specific set like Return to Ravnica, 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 Golgari Keyrune and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Golgari Keyrune has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2013-04-15 Activating the ability that turns the Keyrune into a creature while it’s already a creature will override any effects that set its power and/or toughness to another number, but effects that modify power and/or toughness without directly setting them will still apply.
2013-04-15 Until the ability that turns the Keyrune into a creature resolves, the Keyrune is colorless.