Castle Garenbrig MTG Card
2019-10-04 - Number 240
2019-10-04 - Number 388
2020-09-26 - Number ELD-240
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
Castle Garenbrig enters the battlefield tapped unless you control a Forest. : Add . , : Add six . Spend this mana only to cast creature spells or activate abilities of creatures.
Without Garenbrig's strength, the realm would succumb to the wilds.
Cards like Castle Garenbrig
Castle Garenbrig is a unique land card in Magic: The Gathering that stands out for its ability to ramp up your mana, specifically for casting creature spells. It’s often compared to traditional mana ramp cards like Gilded Lotus or Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx. Gilded Lotus, for example, provides three mana of any color — a broad application that can fuel a variety of spells. Castle Garenbrig, however, is more specialized, offering three extra green mana but only for creature spells, emphasizing its role in green creature-heavy decks.
Emergence Zone is another interesting comparison, delivering flexibility by granting your spells flash until the end of the turn. While not a direct ramp, the tactical advantage of timing can be just as crucial. Castle Garenbrig doesn’t offer such temporal control, but if powering out big creatures is the game plan, it certainly provides the necessary boost. It’s this characteristic that also draws parallels to the card Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx, which can generate a significant amount of mana in devotion-based decks. Nykthos requires a decent board presence to be effective, whereas Castle Garenbrig is straight to the point, asking only for a simple activation cost and tapping itself and other lands.
As players compare their options for mana acceleration in a deck, Castle Garenbrig offers an efficient and reliable tool for summoning the biggest creatures in your arsenal, positioning itself as a staple in decks that favor such strategies.
Cards similar to Castle Garenbrig by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Castle Garenbrig. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | G | Pioneer | Pioneer Showcase Challenge 2024-05-12 | |
 | Amulet Titan | Modern | Amulet Titan | Modern Challenge 32 2024-05-10 (1) |
 | Nykthos Ramp | Pioneer | Nykthos Ramp | Pioneer Challenge 64 2024-05-11 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Castle Garenbrig not only taps for colorless mana necessary for countless spells but also enables a significant efficiency for beefing up your board presence. By effectively generating an extra mana when used for casting creature spells, this card can help ensure you have the creatures you need when you need them, potentially leading to a winning board state.
Resource Acceleration: This powerful land is your go-to for resource acceleration, especially in green-focused decks that thrive on casting large creatures. By investing four mana and tapping Castle Garenbrig, you get a total of six green mana specifically for creature spells or activated abilities of creatures, which could be the difference between summoning a game-changing threat a turn earlier than usual.
Instant Speed: Although Castle Garenbrig operates at sorcery speed, the instant-speed interaction comes into play when utilizing the mana it produces. You can tap this land for mana during your main phase and hold that mana in your pool to cast creatures with flash during your opponent’s turn, maximizing your flexibility and ability to respond to threats or opportunities instantaneously.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Castle Garenbrig doesn’t directly necessitate a discard, its activation is condition-restricted, compelling you to invest another green source which could be otherwise allocated, especially tight in multicolored decks.
Specific Mana Cost: Its utility is narrow as it caters primarily to decks with a heavy green presence. The generated mana exclusively serves to cast creature spells or activate abilities of creatures, thus limiting its universal appeal.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an activation cost of four mana including tapping itself, the card demands a significant investment before reaping its benefits. Alternative ramp options might provide a more immediate or versatile increase in mana resources.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Castle Garenbrig is a land card that seamlessly slots into green decks, providing both mana fixing and acceleration. Its ability to tap for additional green mana makes it an asset for casting high-cost creatures or activating demanding abilities more efficiently.
Combo Potential: This card becomes a powerhouse when combined with mana doublers or untap mechanics, allowing for explosive turns where you can deploy threats much earlier than expected. It’s a potent inclusion in decks aiming to summon massive creatures or activate game-changing abilities.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where speed can be crucial, Castle Garenbrig provides a competitive edge. For green-centric decks or those that run heavy on green mana requirements, it’s a card that could make the difference by facilitating faster, more impactful plays that align with the current pace and strategies of the game.
How to beat
Castle Garenbrig is a powerful land in MTG that accelerates mana specifically for casting creature spells. Nestled within green’s color identity, this powerhouse serves as a formidable tool in ramping up to large creatures early in the game. Beating this card often involves disrupting the player’s mana base. Land destruction cards or effects that can target nonbasic lands, such as Field of Ruin or Ghost Quarter, are direct counters, reducing their ability to utilize Castle Garenbrig’s full potential.
Another strategy would be to employ counterplay tactics that do not directly attack lands but rather render their advantages moot. This can be achieved by using cards that restrict the casting of creature spells or penalize the opponent for casting them, such as Essence Scatter or Counterspell for the former and cards like Imposing Sovereign for the latter. Additionally, focusing on building a board presence that can keep up with or outpace the accelerated creature threats can prove beneficial. This could involve deploying efficient removal spells or creatures with flash to maintain tempo and control over the game state.
The key to outmaneuvering a deck utilizing Castle Garenbrig lies in strategic interference and maintaining an adaptable game plan to handle any large threats that might be accelerated onto the battlefield.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Castle Garenbrig MTG card by a specific set like Throne of Eldraine and Throne of Eldraine, 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 Castle Garenbrig and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
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- MTG Mint Card
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Printings
The Castle Garenbrig Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-10-04 and 2019-10-04. Illustrated by Adam Paquette.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2019-10-04 | Throne of Eldraine | ELD | 240 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Adam Paquette | |
| 2 | 2019-10-04 | Throne of Eldraine | ELD | 388 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Adam Paquette | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | ELD-240 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Adam Paquette |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Castle Garenbrig has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Castle Garenbrig card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2019-10-04 | Although the common lands have basic land types, they aren't basic lands. |
| 2019-10-04 | Once the common lands (such as Mystic Sanctuary) enter the battlefield tapped, there's no way to untap them with a spell or ability to make their last ability trigger. |
| 2019-10-04 | The mana generated by Castle Garenbrig's last ability can't be spent to activate abilities of creature cards that aren't on the battlefield. |