Gideon's Resolve MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment
Released	2017-04-28
Set symbol
Set name	Amonkhet
Set code	AKH
Number	272
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jakub Kasper

Key Takeaways

Search for Gideon or other legendaries gives players a crucial edge by increasing hand options.
Cost reduction for Gideon planeswalkers allows for a quicker, more efficient board setup.
Enabling instant-speed spells complements Gideon’s toolkit for strategic play manipulation.

Text of card

When Gideon's Resolve enters the battlefield, you may search your library and/or graveyard for a card named Gideon, Martial Paragon, reveal it, and put it into your hand. If you search your library this way, shuffle it. Creatures you control get +1/+1.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gideon’s Resolve excels in bolstering your hand by allowing you to search for a legendary card, notably the steadfast planeswalker Gideon, and possibly other key pieces that synergize with your strategy. Ensuring that you have access to essential cards can give you a significant edge over your opponents by keeping your options open and your plays impactful.

Resource Acceleration: This enchantment has the potential to accelerate your resources substantially. By reducing the cost of your Gideon planeswalkers, it enables faster deployment, thereby allowing you to get ahead on board presence. This cost reduction makes it easier to cast multiple spells in a turn, paving the way for a more efficient and dominating playstyle.

Instant Speed: While Gideon’s Resolve doesn’t operate at instant speed itself, it allows you to include various instant speed removal spells in your deck that complement Gideon’s toolkit. By doing so, you can hold back mana to disrupt your opponents’ actions swiftly while setting the stage to fortify your board position with the resolve of Gideon on your subsequent turns.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Gideon’s Resolve has a specific condition to discard a card, which can reduce your hand advantage, especially in scenarios when holding on to every card is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires both white mana and generic mana, making it less flexible for decks that run on a diverse mana base or that may struggle with producing the necessary white mana consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a somewhat elevated mana cost to activate its abilities, Gideon’s Resolve may not always be the most mana-efficient option available, considering alternative cards that could provide similar effects or benefits at a lower cost threshold.

Reasons to Include Gideon’s Resolve in Your Collection

Versatility: Gideon’s Resolve is considerably flexible, easily slotting into white-based Commander decks. Especially for those who appreciate a mixture of board control and life gain, as it offers consistent benefits that align with white’s overarching themes.

Combo Potential: With an ability to search out a key planeswalker – Gideon – this card has inherent combo potential. It complements strategies aimed at proliferating loyalty counters or utilizing Gideon’s various incarnations for maximum board impact.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where planeswalkers play a pivotal role, Gideon’s Resolve gains added significance. Its capacity to fetch and protect your Gideon planeswalker can be a game-changer against decks that struggle to handle persistent planeswalker threats.

How to beat

Gideon’s Resolve is a powerful enchantment in MTG that can seriously bolster your battlefield with its ability to buff creatures and potentially retrieve a Gideon planeswalker card from your deck. While facing this card, it’s essential to prioritize enchantment removal spells to dismantle your opponent’s strategy. Look for efficiently costed removal like Disenchant, or consider utilizing universally effective cards like Return to Nature that deal with more than just enchantments.

Alternatively, countering Gideon’s Resolve before it ever hits the board is another strategy. Counterspells like Negate or Cancel can prevent your opponent from ever gaining the advantage that Gideon’s Resolve provides. If Gideon’s Resolve is already in play and a Gideon planeswalker is on the field, direct your focus on removing the planeswalker immediately with targeted removal, such as Hero’s Downfall or Murder, to undermine your opponent’s buildup of power.

As with any strategy in MTG, it’s crucial to adapt to what’s across the table. A deck equipped with versatile answers is always a good defense. By disrupting the synergy that Gideon’s Resolve tries to establish, you can maintain control of the game and keep your opponent’s threats at bay.

Cards like Gideon's Resolve

Examining Gideon’s Resolve’s role in a Magic: The Gathering deck showcases its place within a specific niche of cards. This enchantment compares interestingly to fellow cards like Sigarda’s Aid which also accelerates gameplay by allowing you to cheat on timing and mana costs. However, Gideon’s Resolve pushes this further, offering a steady advantage by fetching a Gideon planeswalker card directly into your hand.

Oath of Ajani presents another similar dynamic, granting counters to creatures you control and reducing the cost of your planeswalkers, which is a facet that resonates with Gideon’s Resolve’s ability to tutor and support planeswalker-centric strategies. Oath of Ajani, though, does not offer the tutor ability that is central to Gideon’s Resolve and tends to be more versatile across different deck types.

Elspeth, Sun’s Champion also highlights an interesting comparison. As a renowned planeswalker card on its own, Elspeth doesn’t directly enhance other cards but instead creates powerful synergies and board presence. In contrast, Gideon’s Resolve is not a standalone threat but serves as a powerful engine for Gideon planeswalker cards, underscoring its importance in decks tailored around its namesake character.

Elspeth, Sun's Champion - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Gideon's Resolve by color, type and mana cost

Commander's Authority - MTG Card versions

Sigil of the Empty Throne - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gideon's Resolve 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's Resolve and other MTG cards: