Gather Courage MTG Card
2005-10-07 - Number 165
2014-07-18 - Number 175
2018-11-02 - Number 105
2024-01-12 - Number 143
2020-09-26 - Number M15-175
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
| Abilities | Convoke |
Text of card
Convoke (Each creature you tap while playing this spell reduces its cost by or by one mana of that creature's color.) Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
Cards like Gather Courage
Gather Courage stands out among the combat trick spells in Magic: The Gathering with its unique ability to boost a creature’s power and toughness without tapping into your mana pool if needed. When stacked against cards like Giant Growth, which offers a similar +3/+3 boost for one green mana, Gather Courage presents strategic flexibility. Being able to cast it for its alternate convoke cost can surprise opponents during combat while preserving mana for other spells.
Another comparable spell is Vines of Vastwood, which not only pumps a creature but also offers protection from being the target of spells or abilities your opponents control for the turn. While Vines doesn’t have the convoke feature of Gather Courage, its added protective ability and potential for greater power increase make it a formidable card in creature-focused decks.
Much like the subtle nuances between these cards, players must choose based on their tactical preferences and the synergy within their deck. Gather Courage may not have the additional perks of some alternatives but offers its unique advantage through the convoke mechanic, allowing for greater versatility in the heat of battle.
Cards similar to Gather Courage by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Gather Courage shines when it comes to bolstering your forces without losing hand momentum. By potentially enhancing a creature for no cost through its convoke ability, you preserve cards in hand while shaping the battlefield to your advantage.
Resource Acceleration: This card allows you to leverage the creatures you already have in play. Rather than tapping lands, you can tap unused creatures to pay for the spell’s cost, accelerating your resources and enabling you to cast other spells or hold mana for strategic moves during your turn.
Instant Speed: The instant nature of Gather Courage means you can adapt to the fluid dynamics of a game, using it to surprise an opponent during combat or in response to their actions. This flexibility can turn the tide of a game, providing a combat trick that can save a creature from destruction or turn an unassuming creature into a lethal threat.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Gather Courage requires you to discard a card, which could put you at a strategic disadvantage, especially if your hand size is already dwindling. This aspect of the card might make players hesitate as they balance the potential benefits against the cost of lost resources.
Specific Mana Cost: The card’s green mana requirement necessitates a certain level of commitment to green mana sources in your deck. This can restrict its inclusion to green-centric or two-color decks that can reliably produce green mana, potentially excluding it from more diverse multi-color strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sporting a green mana cost for its base effect, some players might argue that Gather Courage’s cost is steep in comparison with other pump spells in the game. This can make it less attractive in decks that need to maintain a high tempo and could benefit from lower-cost alternatives.
Reasons to Include Gather Courage in Your Collection
Versatility: Gather Courage is a card that can slip seamlessly into numerous green deck archetypes. With its low mana cost and the option to convoke, it allows creatures to tap in lieu of paying its mana cost, making it a powerful addition to decks that flood the board with creatures.
Combo Potential: This instant not only boosts a creature’s strength but also its toughness, at instant speed, enabling surprise defenses or bolstered attacks. It can be a key component in strategies centered on buffing creatures or surprise combat tricks, enhancing both offensive and defensive maneuvers.
Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to turn the tide of battle, Gather Courage holds a place in metagames where creature-based strategies prevail. It provides a cost-effective method to protect key creatures from removal or to win crucial combat exchanges, thus aligning well with aggressive, tempo, and midrange decks in the current landscape.
How to Beat Gather Courage
Gather Courage stands out as a unique combat trick in the Magic: The Gathering landscape. At its core, it offers an unexpected twist in battle by providing your creatures with an instant boost in power and toughness. This surprise factor makes it a formidable card to face, especially when your opponent has a creature on the brink of being taken out.
However, its strength can be mitigated with effective strategy. Removal spells that can be cast at instant speed, such as Path to Exile or Fatal Push, are essential for handling creatures that have been targeted by Gather Courage. This preemptive approach can nullify the buff before it impacts the game. In addition, having counterspells ready, like Negate or Dovin’s Veto, allows you to directly counter Gather Courage and keep the playing field level. When it comes to creature combat, sometimes the best offense is a well-prepared defense.
Managing your resources and keeping key spells in reserve can be the difference between victory and defeat. By anticipating your opponent’s moves and being ready to respond to Gather Courage, you can maintain control and ultimately overcome this powerful card.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Gather Courage MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica: City of Guilds and Magic 2015, 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 Gather Courage and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Gather Courage Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2005-10-07 and 2024-01-12. Illustrated by Brian Despain.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2005-10-07 | Ravnica: City of Guilds | RAV | 165 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Brian Despain | |
| 2 | 2014-07-18 | Magic 2015 | M15 | 175 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Brian Despain | |
| 3 | 2018-11-02 | GRN Guild Kit | GK1 | 105 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Brian Despain | |
| 4 | The List | PLST | M15-175 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Brian Despain | ||
| 5 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 143 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Brian Despain |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Gather Courage has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Gather Courage card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-10-05 | Because convoke isn’t an alternative cost, it can be used in conjunction with alternative costs. |
| 2018-10-05 | Convoke doesn’t change a spell’s mana cost or converted mana cost. |
| 2018-10-05 | If a creature you control has a mana ability with in the cost, activating that ability while casting a spell with convoke will result in the creature being tapped before you pay the spell’s costs. You won’t be able to tap it again for convoke. Similarly, if you sacrifice a creature to activate a mana ability while casting a spell with convoke, that creature won’t be on the battlefield when you pay the spell’s costs, so you won’t be able to tap it for convoke. |
| 2018-10-05 | Tapping a multicolored creature using convoke will pay for or one mana of your choice of any of that creature’s colors. |
| 2018-10-05 | When calculating a spell’s total cost, include any alternative costs, additional costs, or anything else that increases or reduces the cost to cast the spell. Convoke applies after the total cost is calculated. |
| 2018-10-05 | When using convoke to cast a spell with in its mana cost, first choose the value for X. That choice, plus any cost increases or decreases, will determine the spell’s total cost. Then you can tap creatures you control to help pay that cost. For example, if you cast Worldsoul Colossus (a spell with convoke and mana cost ) and choose X to be 3, the total cost is . If you tap two green creatures and two white creatures, you’ll have to pay . |
| 2018-10-05 | You can tap an untapped creature you haven’t controlled continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn to convoke a spell. |