Gloom Stalker MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Dwarf Ranger |
| Released | 2021-07-23 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Adventures in the Forgotten Realms |
| Set code | AFR |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 16 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Tomas Duchek |
Key Takeaways
- Allows deeper deck exploration, granting strategic flexibility and card advantage during matches.
- Ramps up land deployment, enabling the casting of potent spells ahead of your opponents.
- Instant speed provides tactical advantage and response opportunities in crucial gameplay moments.
Text of card
As long as you've completed a dungeon, Gloom Stalker has double strike.
"I'll make sure you never mistake a roper for a stalagmite again."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Gloom Stalker allows players to delve deeper into their deck by revealing the top four cards of their library and potentially adding a creature card from among them to their hand. In MTG, this translates to a wider selection of options and strategies to outmaneuver opponents.
Resource Acceleration: By potentially placing additional lands onto the battlefield, Gloom Stalker can ramp up your available resources, giving you the ability to cast more powerful spells or deploy multiple threats faster than your adversary can handle.
Instant Speed: Gloom Stalker’s ability to act at instant speed gifts players with the flexibility to respond to an opponent’s moves reactively. Whether it’s during combat or at the end of your opponent’s turn, optimizing the timing of when to cast Gloom Stalker can be a pivotal factor for gaining the upper hand.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Gloom Stalker demands a card to be discarded when played. This could be a setback, particularly in games where maintaining hand advantage is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: Gloom Stalker’s casting cost includes both black and green mana, which could restrict its inclusion to decks that can reliably produce both types of mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With both specific color requirements and a total mana value that might be considered steep, Gloom Stalker may compete for a deck slot against other creatures with a lower mana cost or those offering more immediate board impact.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: The Gloom Stalker card offers diverse gameplay options, adeptly fitting into decks that thrive on battlefield control and creature manipulation. Its ability to impact the board immediately makes it a flexible pick for various builds.
Combo Potential: With its capabilities for creature enhancement, Gloom Stalker can be a linchpin in combos that manipulate creature stats or require specific creature types to activate devastating effects, synergizing particularly well with darkness and shadow-themed decks.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state where light and evasion mechanics are prevalent, Gloom Stalker’s potential to disrupt those strategies can make it a key asset, keeping your deck competitive in an evolving meta.
How to beat
Gloom Stalker is a noteworthy presence in the realm of creature cards within Magic: The Gathering. This card typically shines in decks that favor a strategy of remaining unblockable. Gloom Stalker’s inherent ability to avoid being blocked as long as you control another Rogue can make it a slippery target on the battlefield. It shines within the Rogues archetype, which emphasizes evasiveness and disruption.
However, to effectively counter this card you may want to consider removal options that don’t rely on targeting. These include board wipes such as Wrath of God or the commonly used Doomskar which can clear the field regardless of a creature’s ability to be blocked. In addition, utilizing cards that restrict your opponent’s ability to cast spells during your turn, like Teferi, Time Raveler, can hinder their setup, preventing them from taking full advantage of Gloom Stalker’s abilities. Keeping your opponent off-balance and controlling the pace of the game is key when facing a deck that flaunts this elusive creature.
Ultimately, defeating Gloom Stalker demands a strategy that neutralizes creature abilities and focuses on maintaining board control, ensuring that rogue strategies don’t overrun your defenses. Thus, knowing when to sweep the board and when to restrict your opponent’s options becomes central to overcoming this shadowy threat.
Cards like Gloom Stalker
Gloom Stalker carves its niche within the MTG realm of creature cards that are both evasive and bolster other creatures. It shares traits with the venerable Duskhunter Bat, granting it the ability to evade blockers similar to Gloom Stalker’s flying prowess. While both creatures take to the skies, Gloom Stalker offers the added advantage of potentially protecting fellow creatures from a portion of your opponent’s spells.
Another comparable card is Vampire Nighthawk, a creature renowned for its deathtouch and lifelink, well-suited for both offense and defense. Gloom Stalker doesn’t boast these exact abilities, but it compensates with its own form of interaction disruption. Looking at the Whispering Specter, it also synergizes with poison counters like Gloom Stalker but sacrifices Gloom Stalker’s protective feature for a heavier focus on aggression and hand disruption.
Overall, Gloom Stalker’s unique blend of evasiveness and creature support sets it apart in MTG’s ecosystem. Its specific combination of abilities is tailored for a defensive yet impactful playstyle, offering both aerial offense and crucial defense in spell-heavy metagames.
Cards similar to Gloom Stalker by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Gloom Stalker MTG card by a specific set like Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, 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 Gloom Stalker and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Gloom Stalker has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Gloom Stalker card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-07-23 | Gloom Stalker will have double strike even if it wasn't on the battlefield as you completed a dungeon. |
