Court of Garenbrig MTG Card
2023-09-08 - Number 25
2023-09-08 - Number 33
2023-09-08 - Number 54
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment |
Text of card
When Court of Garenbrig enters the battlefield, you become the monarch. At the beginning of your upkeep, distribute two +1/+1 counters among up to two target creatures. Then if you're the monarch, double the number of +1/+1 counters on each creature you control.
Cards like Court of Garenbrig
The Court of Garenbrig is an intriguing land card in Magic: The Gathering that paves the way for mammoth-sized plays. Its greatest comparison is to the land card Castle Garenbrig, which also accelerates mana generation specifically for creature spells. Both inspire strategies centered around deploying colossal creatures. However, Court of Garenbrig stands unique in its condition-free additional mana offering despite entering the battlefield tapped which could affect the tempo.
Another card worth comparing is Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx, revered for its devotion-powered mana acceleration. Unlike Court of Garenbrig, which is skewed towards creature spells, Nykthos can fuel an array of strategies, providing versatility. Yet, the Court doesn’t require a board presence to be effective, lending to consistency in creature-heavy decks. And there’s Ancient Tomb, offering immediate mana at the cost of life—ideal for faster plays but risky against aggressive decks.
Evaluating mana ramp options in Magic: The Gathering, Court of Garenbrig carves its niche. It’s tailored for green-based decks focused on casting monumental creatures, providing them with a reliable mana base to turn the tide of the game in their favor.
Cards similar to Court of Garenbrig by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Court of Garenbrig. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Jund Prison | Vintage | Red Prison | Vintage League 2024-04-19 |
 | Naya Monsters | Free form | Canadian Highlander for Duals - Underground Sea Guaranteed - Proxies Allowed | |
| Decklist | Free form | Canadian Highlander for Duals - Underground Sea Guaranteed - Proxies Allowed | |
 | UBRG | Free form | Canadian Highlander for Duals - Underground Sea Guaranteed - Proxies Allowed | |
 | Gruul | Free form | Canadian Highlander for Duals - Underground Sea Guaranteed - Proxies Allowed | |
 | Abzan | Free form | Canadian Highlander for Duals - Underground Sea Guaranteed - Proxies Allowed | |
| Naya Turbo Initiative | Free form | Canadian Highlander for Duals - Underground Sea Guaranteed - Proxies Allowed |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: With Court of Garenbrig, you enhance your hand by effectively making your giant spells cost less mana, letting you utilize your cards more efficiently and play heavier hitters earlier than usual.
Resource Acceleration: This land excels at ramping up your mana for casting giant creatures. By tapping for three greens plus an additional mana, you could see your colossal giants hit the battlefield at an astonishing speed, presenting a quicker route to overwhelming your opponents.
Instant Speed: While Court of Garenbrig itself might not function at instant speed, its ability to provide a burst of mana allows for the immediate response with your giant spells. The ability to generate significant mana can be instrumental in casting those game-changing spells right when you need them, keeping you one step ahead.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Court of Garenbrig doesn’t have a direct discard requirement, its mana-production ability necessitates a specific focus on Giant spells or creature casting. This can indirectly force a player to part with non-giant related cards to accommodate more giants into the deck.
Specific Mana Cost: Court of Garenbrig’s activation cost demands green mana, potentially restricting its inclusion to green-centric or dual-colored decks. This could limit the card’s versatility across the wider MTG card pool.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The initial cost of playing Court of Garenbrig, which is three generic and one green mana, might be seen as steep for a land card, especially when competing with other utility lands or mana accelerants that offer more immediate or flexible benefits.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Court of Garenbrig offers a unique flexibility to decks focused on casting creature spells. It can seamlessly integrate into mono-green stompy decks or any green-based creature-heavy strategies, providing extra mana to summon your most formidable creatures to the battlefield.
Combo Potential: This land’s ability to generate an additional green mana specifically for creatures amplifies combos that depend on casting large creatures or activating abilities with high green mana costs. It becomes a cornerstone in decks built around green creature synergies.
Meta-Relevance: In matchups where summoning sizable threats quickly can tilt the scales in your favor, Court of Garenbrig stands out. Especially effective in a meta with an abundance of green creature strategies, it’s a land that can provide the pivotal mana boost to outpace opponents in creature-centric duels.
How to Beat Court of Garenbrig
Court of Garenbrig can be a powerhouse in Magic: The Gathering, especially for decks focusing on ramping up to cast colossal creatures. The card’s ability to provide additional green mana specifically for creature spells makes it a valuable asset for green decks. However, it’s important to remember that it does not accelerate the casting of noncreature spells, leaving an opening for those who wish to outpace it.
To effectively counter Court of Garenbrig, consider employing land destruction cards or spells that restrict the opponent’s ability to tap lands for mana. Cards like Field of Ruin can target and remove Court of Garenbrig from the game, while mana denial strategies with cards like Damping Sphere can limit its efficiency. Additionally, pressure tactics with fast-paced aggressive decks can outmaneuver the slower, more powerful creatures that Court of Garenbrig intends to support, making it vital to prioritize an early lead and maintain a pace that ramp strategies struggle to match.
Taking note of these strategies helps players prepare for the challenge posed by Court of Garenbrig. It’s a high-value target on the battlefield—so keep those land disruption and aggro strategies ready, and you’ll hold the reigns against the might of Garenbrig’s court.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Court of Garenbrig MTG card by a specific set like Wilds of Eldraine Commander and Wilds of Eldraine Art Series, 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 Court of Garenbrig and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Court of Garenbrig Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2023-09-08 and 2023-09-08. Illustrated by Sam Guay.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-09-08 | Wilds of Eldraine Commander | WOC | 25 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sam Guay | |
| 2 | Wilds of Eldraine Art Series | AWOE | 54 | 2015 | Art series | Borderless | Sam Guay | ||
| 3 | 2023-09-08 | Wilds of Eldraine Commander | WOC | 33 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sam Guay |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Court of Garenbrig has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Court of Garenbrig card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-09-01 | If combat damage dealt to the monarch causes that player to lose the game, the triggered ability that causes the controller of the attacking creature to become the monarch doesn't resolve. In most cases, the controller of the attacking creature will still become the monarch as it is likely their turn. |
| 2023-09-01 | If some of the creatures are illegal targets as Court of Garenbrig's last ability tries to resolve, the original distribution of counters still applies and the counters that would have been put on illegal targets are lost. |
| 2023-09-01 | If the monarch leaves the game during another player's turn, that player becomes the monarch. If the monarch leaves the game during their turn, the next player in turn order becomes the monarch. |
| 2023-09-01 | If the triggered ability that causes the monarch to draw a card goes on the stack and a different player becomes the monarch before that ability resolves, the first player will still draw the card. |
| 2023-09-01 | The game starts with no monarch. As a player becomes the monarch, the current monarch (if any) ceases being the monarch. There is never more than one monarch at a time. |
| 2023-09-01 | There are two inherent triggered abilities associated with being the monarch. These triggered abilities have no source and are controlled by the player who was the monarch at the time the abilities triggered. The full texts of these abilities are "At the beginning of the monarch's end step, that player draws a card" and "Whenever a creature deals combat damage to the monarch, its controller becomes the monarch." |
| 2023-09-01 | To double the number of +1/+1 counters on a permanent, put a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to the number it already has. Other cards that interact with putting counters on it will interact with this effect accordingly. |
| 2023-09-01 | You choose how the counters will be distributed as you put Court of Garenbrig's last ability on the stack. Each target must receive at least one +1/+1 counter. |