Garruk's Packleader MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Beast
Power 4
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Its ability to draw cards offers substantial advantage when playing creatures with power 3 or greater.
  2. Restrictive mana cost and high casting price can limit deck inclusion and tempo.
  3. Resourceful in creature-heavy decks, Garruk’s Packleader boosts card advantage and combos well.

Text of card

Whenever another creature with power 3 or greater enters the battlefield under your control, you may draw a card.

"He has learned much in his long years. And unlike selfish humans, he's willing to share." —Garruk Wildspeaker


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Garruk’s Packleader excels in providing consistent card draw whenever you play a creature with power 3 or greater. This consistent drawing engine can significantly increase your chances of having the right tools and answers throughout the match.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly a mana acceleration card, by helping you draw into more creatures, Garruk’s Packleader can indirectly lead to a form of resource acceleration. More creatures mean more power on the board and potential synergies that can turn the tide of a game.

Instant Speed: While Garruk’s Packleader itself is not an instant, it allows you to reap the benefits of playing creatures at instant speed. Casting a creature with flash on your opponent’s turn not only surprises them but also nets you an immediate card draw, keeping your hand replenished and ready for the next move.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Garruk’s Packleader requires a combination of both generic and green mana to cast, specifically three generic and two green. This dictates that the card finds its home primarily in green or green-centric decks, potentially limiting its inclusion in multi-colored or colorless decks that can’t reliably produce the necessary green mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost totaling five mana, Garruk’s Packleader comes with a significant mana investment. In a format where creatures can define the pace of play, allocating five mana for a creature that does not have an immediate board impact can put the player at a tempo disadvantage against more streamlined and lower-cost creature strategies.

Discard Requirement: While Garruk’s Packleader itself does not have a discard requirement, its value is inherent in drawing cards when other creatures with power 3 or greater enter the battlefield under your control. This requires a playstyle that ensures a steady stream of such creatures, potentially leading to suboptimal hands where a player may hold onto larger creatures rather than playing a more efficient curve or might have to discard them due to hand size limits.


Reasons to Include Garruk’s Packleader in Your Collection

Versatility: Garruk’s Packleader can seamlessly adapt to a variety of green-centric decks, particularly those that focus on playing creatures with substantial power. Its ability to draw a card whenever you cast a creature with power 3 or greater supports repeated card advantage throughout the game.

Combo Potential: This card holds significant combo potential in decks that spawn a slew of powerful creatures. It works excellently with token generators or effects that put creatures with the required power directly onto the battlefield, ensuring that your hand remains full.

Meta-Relevance: Given that the metagame often sees cycles of creature-heavy decks rising in popularity, having Garruk’s Packleader in your arsenal can be a game-changer, leveraging both creature plays and card draw mechanics to keep pace and potentially out-value your opponents.


How to beat

Garruk’s Packleader can be a powerful card in MTG, augmenting a player’s hand whenever a creature with power 3 or greater enters the battlefield under their control. To effectively counter this card, smart removal is key. It’s essential to deal with the Packleader swiftly before your opponent can capitalize on its ability to generate card advantage. Using instant-speed removal cards can surprise an opponent, disrupting their strategy by eliminating the Packleader before they can play a large creature.

Another method is to prevent the Packleader from triggering by controlling the types of creatures that hit the board. Cards that reduce the power of creatures or prevent them from entering the battlefield are also effective. Keeping the Packleader from seeing other creatures meet its trigger condition limits its effectiveness. Mass removal spells also do a great job of clearing the board, ensuring that Garruk’s Packleader doesn’t pull the opponent ahead. Beating this card involves either preemptive or instant response actions to keep your opponent’s card advantage at bay and to maintain an even playing field.


BurnMana Recommendations

After exploring Garruk’s Packleader’s strengths and its impact in MTG, we see how it can be an asset for enhancing your deck’s performance. This card is a boon for green synergy decks, thriving in environments where creatures of power 3 or greater are abundant. Its card draw capability offers a strategic advantage, helping you maintain momentum and resources against opponents. Whether you’re aiming to bolster your collection or refine your gameplay tactics, Garruk’s Packleader is a valuable addition. Eager to harness this card’s full potential and optimize your deck strategies? Dive in with us to gain deeper insights and advanced techniques to elevate your MTG experience.


Cards like Garruk's Packleader

Garruk’s Packleader is an interesting creature card in MTG that gives players an advantage by drawing a card whenever another creature with power 3 or more enters the battlefield under their control. A comparison to draw attention to is with Elemental Bond, which shares an almost identical ability, but it has a lower converted mana cost. What’s distinctive about Garruk’s Packleader is that it simultaneously acts as a sizable creature which provides a board presence that Elemental Bond does not.

Looking at Drumhunter, we notice a similar drawing mechanic, but with the added benefit of providing an additional colorless mana during your upkeep if you control a creature with power 5 or greater. The Packleader doesn’t offer this additional mana, but has the drawing trigger more frequently due to the lower power threshold. Kavu Lair also aligns closely with these mechanics, though it benefits all players, not just the controller. It acts more democratically but could advantage opponents unlike the unilateral boost from Garruk’s Packleader.

In essence, while there are several creatures and enchantments with comparable card draw utilities in MTG, Garruk’s Packleader remains a favorable choice for its consistent card draw ability and its solid presence on the board.

Elemental Bond - MTG Card versions
Drumhunter - MTG Card versions
Kavu Lair - MTG Card versions
Elemental Bond - Magic Origins (ORI)
Drumhunter - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Kavu Lair - Invasion (INV)

Cards similar to Garruk's Packleader by color, type and mana cost

Thicket Basilisk - MTG Card versions
Cockatrice - MTG Card versions
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Spring-Leaf Avenger - MTG Card versions
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Consuming Blob - MTG Card versions
Ashaya, Soul of the Wild - MTG Card versions
Primeval Force - MTG Card versions
Thicket Basilisk - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Cockatrice - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Ironroot Treefolk - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Elvish Bard - Alliances (ALL)
Durkwood Boars - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Elven Riders - Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)
Panther Warriors - Portal (POR)
Redwood Treefolk - Weatherlight (WTH)
Spined Wurm - Stronghold (STH)
Rabid Wolverines - Exodus (EXO)
Deadly Insect - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Vintara Elephant - Prophecy (PCY)
Crashing Boars - Beatdown Box Set (BTD)
Kavu Climber - Masters 25 (A25)
Kavu Chameleon - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Spring-Leaf Avenger - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Okina Nightwatch - Arena League 2005 (PAL05)
Consuming Blob - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Ashaya, Soul of the Wild - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Primeval Force - Eighth Edition (8ED)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Garruk's Packleader MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2011 and Magic 2013, 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 Garruk's Packleader and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Garruk's Packleader Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2010-07-16 and 2019-08-23. Illustrated by Nils Hamm.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12010-07-16Magic 2011M11 1772003normalblackNils Hamm
22012-07-13Magic 2013M13 1752003normalblackNils Hamm
32014-07-18Magic 2015M15 2832015normalblackNils Hamm
42019-08-23Commander 2019C19 1682015normalblackNils Hamm

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Garruk's Packleader has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PioneerLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2010-08-15 If Garruk’s Packleader and another creature with power 3 or greater enter the battlefield under your control at the same time, the ability will trigger.
2012-07-01 The ability checks the power of each creature as it enters the battlefield. It will take into account counters the permanent enters the battlefield with and static abilities that affect its power (such as Flinthoof Boar’s ability). After the creature is on the battlefield, raising its power with a spell (such as Titanic Growth), an activated ability, or a triggered ability won’t cause this ability to retroactively trigger.
2012-07-01 The creature’s power is checked only to see if the ability triggers. It doesn’t matter what the creature’s power is when the ability resolves.

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