Gideon's Lawkeeper MTG Card
2011-07-15 - Number 18
2017-03-17 - Number 7
2017-06-16 - Number 11
2019-11-07 - Number 119
2022-12-02 - Number 190
2020-09-26 - Number MM3-7
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Soldier |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
, : Tap target creature.
"The essence of a lawful society is swift deterrence."
Cards like Gideon's Lawkeeper
Gideon’s Lawkeeper stands out as a tactical piece on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This card, like other low-cost creatures such as Goldmeadow Harrier, offers the ability to tap potential threats. While Goldmeadow Harrier also taps opponents’ creatures, it differentiates itself by being a Kithkin Soldier, which can benefit from tribal synergies.
Moving along, we can draw a parallel with Law-Rune Enforcer, a card that similarly taps a target creature. However, Law-Rune Enforcer has an additional restriction, affecting only creatures with a converted mana cost of 2 or greater. This highlights Gideon’s Lawkeeper’s utility in managing any problematic creature on the board regardless of its cost. Conversely, Avacynian Priest is another creature with a similar tapping functionality that can target non-Human creatures, thus showing preference in specific matchups.
When considering the strategic advantages and board control these tapping creatures provide, Gideon’s Lawkeeper exhibits its value in enabling players to manage the flow of the game by neutralizing key threats without prejudice towards their mana cost.
Cards similar to Gideon's Lawkeeper by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Gideon’s Lawkeeper may not directly grant card advantage by itself, but by effectively stalling opponent creatures, it allows you time to utilize other cards and strategies to gain card advantage. This creature can be pivotal in prolonging the game, ensuring you have ample opportunity to draw and play more cards than your opponent.
Resource Acceleration: While Gideon’s Lawkeeper doesn’t produce additional mana or resources, its low casting cost means it can hit the battlefield early, preserving your mana for further plays. It serves as a form of tempo acceleration, letting you control the pace of the game and making it more difficult for your opponent to develop their board.
Instant Speed: The Lawkeeper’s ability to tap opponent’s creatures operates at instant speed, offering the flexibility to disrupt enemy strategies during their turn. This capability makes it a versatile card, letting you decide the most advantageous moment to limit an opponent’s offensive potential or to preempt abilities that require the creature to be untapped.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Gideon’s Lawkeeper does not demand its controller to discard cards, providing a stable presence on the battlefield without additional resource loss.
Specific Mana Cost: Gideon’s Lawkeeper comes with a mono-white mana cost, which requires commitment to white mana sources and could limit deck diversity.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While costing a single white mana may seem low, the ongoing need to use mana to activate its ability could amount to a higher and possibly inefficient mana investment over the course of a game.
Reasons to Include Gideon’s Lawkeeper in Your Collection
Versatility: Gideon’s Lawkeeper can be a flexible addition to a variety of decks. Its tap ability allows it to fit seamlessly into control decks that want to manage the opponent’s creatures, as well as any white-focused decks that benefit from manipulating the state of the board.
Combo Potential: This card pairs well with strategies that capitalize on tap and untap mechanics. In synergy with cards that untap your permanents, Gideon’s Lawkeeper can become an effective tool to neutralize multiple threats or enable repeatable combo interactions.
Meta-Relevance: Given its low cost and utility in stalling aggressive creatures, Gideon’s Lawkeeper maintains its relevance. It’s particularly useful in games where controlling the early board state can be pivotal, helping you maintain tempo against creature-centric and aggro decks dominating the play environment.
How to Beat Gideon’s Lawkeeper
Gideon’s Lawkeeper, a staple in control decks, poses a unique challenge on the battlefield with its ability to tap opposing creatures. This can disrupt many strategies, as it effectively keeps your most formidable threats at bay. But facing this card isn’t the end of the line. Creature removal spells are your direct line of attack against the Lawkeeper. Cards like Doom Blade or Murder can swiftly deal with this pesky creature before it takes control of the game.
Board wipes also come into play as a viable strategy. Since Gideon’s Lawkeeper is often used in decks that favor a multitude of creatures, sweeping spells, like Wrath of God, become more appealing to clear the field. Moreover, investing in hexproof or shroud abilities for your creatures can nullify the Lawkeeper’s influence as it prevents targeting by abilities altogether. Finally, haste-enabling cards ensure that your creatures can act before Gideon’s Lawkeeper has a chance to tap them down, keeping the tempo in your favor.
With these tactics, the Lawkeeper’s grip on the game can be loosened, enabling you to outmaneuver your opponent and maintain the pace of your offensive efforts.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Gideon's Lawkeeper MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2012 and Modern Masters 2017, 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 Gideon's Lawkeeper 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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Printings
The Gideon's Lawkeeper Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2011-07-15 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Steve Prescott.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2011-07-15 | Magic 2012 | M12 | 18 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Steve Prescott | |
| 2 | 2017-03-17 | Modern Masters 2017 | MM3 | 7 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steve Prescott | |
| 3 | 2017-06-16 | Archenemy: Nicol Bolas | E01 | 11 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steve Prescott | |
| 4 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 119 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steve Prescott | |
| 5 | The List | PLST | MM3-7 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steve Prescott | ||
| 6 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 190 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steve Prescott |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Gideon's Lawkeeper has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |