Gideon, Martial Paragon MTG Card


Gideon, Martial Paragon - Amonkhet
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Planeswalker — Gideon
Released2017-04-28
Set symbol
Set nameAmonkhet
Set codeAKH
Loyalty 5
Number270
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byDaarken

Key Takeaways

  1. Enhances your creatures’ effectiveness with untapping and attacking benefits for a possible game-winning edge.
  2. Mana cost and discard requirement may pose strategic challenges, demanding thoughtful deck construction.
  3. Stands out among similar cards with unique untapping abilities, vital for aggressive playstyles.

Text of card

+2: Untap all creatures you control. Those creatures get +1/+1 until end of turn. 0: Until end of turn, Gideon, Martial Paragon becomes a 5/5 Human Soldier creature with indestructible that's still a planeswalker. Prevent all damage that would be dealt to him this turn. −10: Creatures you control get +2/+2 until end of turn. Tap all creatures your opponents control.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Gideon, Martial Paragon, you effectively get access to multiple abilities in one card. Key abilities allow you to untap all creatures you control, which can be used for both defensive and offensive plays, giving you an edge by utilizing your creatures’ abilities multiple times in a turn cycle.

Resource Acceleration: Gideon’s +2 loyalty ability is excellent for ramping up your resources. By giving your creatures an additional attack, you’re not only pressuring your opponent but potentially accelerating your board state by connecting with abilities that trigger on attack, effectively gaining extra value that can snowball into a win.

Instant Speed: While Gideon himself doesn’t interact at instant speed, he catalyzes instant speed interaction. His ability to untap all creatures you control can be strategically used after an opponent’s turn, ensuring your creatures are always ready to react or to conjure surprise blockers, thus keeping your opponents constantly guessing.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Gideon, Martial Paragon offers valuable loyalty abilities, it comes with the cost of needing to discard a card, especially when aiming to use its [-2] ability. This can set players back when hand resources are already stretched thin.

Specific Mana Cost: Gideon, Martial Paragon demands a precise mana arrangement to cast—three generic and two white mana. This requirement can be restrictive and often difficult to meet early in the game, particularly for multicolored decks that may struggle with mana consistency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Gideon’s casting cost of five mana is significant and when weighed against other options available in the game, it might seem steep. Players need to consider whether the loyalty abilities justify the mana investment, when other planeswalkers or spells could potentially provide more impact for the same, or lesser, cost.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Gideon, Martial Paragon offers a wide array of abilities, allowing it to adapt to various play styles. Its ability to untap all creatures you control and give them a boost can seamlessly integrate with both aggressive and defensive strategies.

Combo Potential: With its +2 ability, Gideon can synergize with cards that benefit from being untapped or have tap/untap mechanics, thus opening up numerous combo avenues and enabling explosive turns.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creatures play a central role, Gideon, Martial Paragon’s ability to pump up your team and ensure their readiness to either attack or defend makes it a resilient and impactful asset against a wide array of decks.


How to Beat

Gideon, Martial Paragon is a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, offering both substantial buffing to your creatures and a versatile toolkit for turning the tides of combat in your favor. Understanding the dynamics of this powerful planeswalker card can be pivotal in crafting a strategy to overcome it. This formidable ally can unleash devastating attacks and even transform into an indestructible creature himself.

To outmaneuver Gideon, players should consider utilizing control elements that can either negate his abilities or remove him from the battlefield outright. Edict effects that force a player to sacrifice a creature can bypass his indestructibility, while direct damage spells might be less effective unless they can deal damage directly to planeswalkers. Counterspells could also prove crucial at the right moment, intercepting Gideon before he ever has a chance to impact the game. Should Gideon hit the board, remember that disabling his loyalty abilities through cards that strip or freeze counters can greatly reduce his influence. As with any powerful card, swift and strategic action is key to keeping Gideon, Martial Paragon from claiming victory.


Cards like Gideon, Martial Paragon

Gideon, Martial Paragon stands out in Magic: The Gathering as an impactful planeswalker focused on bolstering your army. Within the realm of similar cards, we observe Gideon, Ally of Zendikar, also known for its creature boosting abilities. However, Martial Paragon shines in his ability to untap all creatures and bolster their attack until end of turn, an attribute Ally of Zendikar lacks.

Shifting attention to Gideon Blackblade, here we have another version that offers a suite of versatile abilities, including becoming an indestructible creature. While both Gideons grant a form of creature strengthening, Martial Paragon emphasizes a more aggressive, immediate board impact in contrast to Blackblade’s variety of individual buffs.

Ajani Steadfast is another card worthy of comparison. While not a Gideon, this planeswalker brings to the table a different array of supportive skills, particularly in bolstering loyalty counters on other planeswalkers and enhancing creatures. Though both cards support your forces, Gideon, Martial Paragon’s focus is more on the combative side, amplifying the power of your creatures for a pivotal strike.

In summation, while there are a handful of planeswalkers that can elevate your creatures’ capabilities, Gideon, Martial Paragon holds its position as an exceptional choice for turning the tide of battle with a single decisive move.

Gideon, Ally of Zendikar - MTG Card versions
Gideon Blackblade - MTG Card versions
Ajani Steadfast - MTG Card versions
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar - Battle for Zendikar Promos (PBFZ)
Gideon Blackblade - Mythic Edition (MED)
Ajani Steadfast - San Diego Comic-Con 2014 (PS14)

Cards similar to Gideon, Martial Paragon by color, type and mana cost

Elspeth Resplendent - MTG Card versions
Gideon Jura - MTG Card versions
Elspeth Tirel - MTG Card versions
Nahiri, the Lithomancer - MTG Card versions
Ajani, Wise Counselor - MTG Card versions
Elspeth, Undaunted Hero - MTG Card versions
Elspeth Resplendent - Streets of New Capenna (SNC)
Gideon Jura - Commander Masters (CMM)
Elspeth Tirel - Phyrexia: All Will Be One Commander (ONC)
Nahiri, the Lithomancer - Commander Masters (CMM)
Ajani, Wise Counselor - Core Set 2019 (M19)
Elspeth, Undaunted Hero - The List (PLST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gideon, Martial Paragon MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet, 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 Gideon, Martial Paragon and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gideon, Martial Paragon has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2017-04-18 All creatures you control get +1/+1 from Gideon’s first ability, not just the ones that it untapped.
2017-04-18 Gideon’s second ability causes him to become a creature with the creature types Human and Soldier. He remains a planeswalker with the planeswalker type Gideon. (He also retains any other card types or subtypes he may have had.) Each subtype is correlated to the proper card type: planeswalker is only a type (not a creature type), and Human and Soldier are just creature types (not planeswalker types).
2017-04-18 Gideon’s second ability doesn’t count as a creature entering the battlefield. Gideon was already on the battlefield; he only changed his types.
2017-04-18 If Gideon becomes a creature the same turn he enters the battlefield, you can’t attack with him or use any of his abilities (if he gains any).
2017-04-18 If damage that can’t be prevented is dealt to Gideon after his second ability has resolved, that damage will have all applicable results: specifically, the damage is marked on Gideon (since he’s a creature) and that damage causes that many loyalty counters to be removed from him (since he’s a planeswalker). Even though he has indestructible, if Gideon has no loyalty counters on him, he’s put into his owner’s graveyard.
2017-04-18 The set of creatures affected by Gideon’s first and third abilities is determined as the abilities resolve. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn and permanents you control that become creatures later in the turn won’t get +1/+1 or +2/+2.

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