Gaea's Courser MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Centaur Soldier |
| Released | 2022-11-18 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | The Brothers' War |
| Set code | BRO |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 5 |
| Number | 181 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Michele Giorgi |
Text of card
Whenever Gaea's Courser attacks, if there are three or more creature cards in your graveyard, draw a card.
"Even the leaves oppose your being here. What hope have you against nature's might?"
Cards like Gaea's Courser
In the vast array of green creature cards in MTG, Gaea’s Courser finds its niche among those that leverage the power of lands. Comparable to cards like Llanowar Elves, which taps for mana, Gaea’s Courser uniquely allows for an increase in land plays. Unlike Llanowar Elves, the Courser doesn’t tap for mana, but instead paves the way for ramping by letting you play an additional land each turn.
Exploration is another card that shares this land-centric ability with Gaea’s Courser, offering the chance to play an extra land on your turns. While Exploration is an enchantment and less vulnerable to removal compared to a creature like Gaea’s Courser, the Courser has the advantage of also being a creature that can provide defensive and offensive options.
Azusa, Lost but Seeking further broadens the horizon of land play. It not only matches Gaea’s Courser’s additional land drop but exceeds it, allowing two extra land plays per turn. However, Azusa’s initial casting cost is higher, bringing into play a strategic consideration depending on the game’s phase.
Overall, while sharing a thematic link with these cards, Gaea’s Courser holds its ground as a solid choice in a deck strategy that aims to outpace opponents by manipulating land resources and board presence.
Cards similar to Gaea's Courser by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Gaea’s Courser offers players a unique form of card advantage by potentially drawing multiple cards per turn. With its ability to explore when certain conditions are met, consistent card advantage can be a game-changer for deck momentum and strategy.
Resource Acceleration: The ability of Gaea’s Courser to ramp up mana by allowing you to play additional lands is a significant boost. Resource acceleration is crucial for outpacing opponents, and the Courser’s land synergy makes it a linchpin in decks that seek to exploit landfall triggers and mana-intensive spells.
Instant Speed: While Gaea’s Courser itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it synergizes well with cards that do. By securing additional lands from the Courser’s ability, you ensure that mana is available for instant speed interactions, keeping you responsive to opponents’ moves while developing your own board.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Gaea’s Courser demands a card to be discarded to activate certain abilities, a steep price when your hand is already depleted or you’re clutching key cards for your game plan.
Specific Mana Cost: Needing a blend of green and another type of mana, its specific cost can be a challenge in multicolored decks that might struggle with mana consistency.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With Gaea’s Courser’s abilities tethered to a higher mana cost compared to other creatures in its class, it might be tough to justify its place over alternatives that hit the battlefield sooner or offer similar benefits for less mana.
Reasons to Include Gaea’s Courser in Your Collection
Versatility: Gaea’s Courser offers flexibility in its application across various deck archetypes. Its ability to boost land plays can benefit ramp-heavy decks, green-centric commander builds, or any strategy that requires a consistent acceleration of resources.
Combo Potential: This card has inherent synergy with landfall mechanics and can be an enabler for powerful interactions. Its presence on the board can amplify strategies that revolve around the number of lands entering the battlefield or being in play.
Meta-Relevance: Given the ever-shifting landscape of the meta, a card like Gaea’s Courser can adapt to multiple environments. It’s a reliable choice when the game prioritizes long-term resource advantage, especially in formats where having access to more mana can mean the difference between victory and defeat.
How to beat Gaea’s Courser
Gaea’s Courser carries a unique presence on the battlefield with its intertwining of creature abilities and land-related synergies. When strategizing against it, it’s crucial to consider its potential for creating an unbreakable wall of creatures, especially when combined with landfall abilities that can escalate each turn. Keeping a watchful eye on enchantment removal or land control cards can stifle Gaea’s Courser’s effect on the game. Cards such as Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin, disrupt the opposing mana base, thus reducing the Courser’s impact.
To successfully outmaneuver Gaea’s Courser, consider using flying creatures to bypass its terrestrial might as it generally lacks reach. In control decks, countermagic plays a pivotal role in preventing Gaea’s Courser from hitting the field in the first place, with Essence Scatter and Negate being prime candidates. Another effective tactic is combatting it with exile effects, such as Path to Exile, which can unceremoniously remove it from play no matter how potent its land synergies become.
Altogether, victory lies in hindering the Courser’s land interaction, neutralizing its presence efficiently, or evading it altogether. By implementing these strategies and preparing your deck with appropriate counters, Gaea’s Courser can be transformed from a threatening roadblock into a minor nuisance on the path to triumph.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Gaea's Courser MTG card by a specific set like The Brothers' War, 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 Gaea's Courser and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Gaea's Courser has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |