Gixian Puppeteer MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Phyrexian Warlock
Power 4
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Gixian Puppeteer ensures a steady flow of cards, giving players better control over the game’s progress.
  2. Its instant speed abilities offer strategic flexibility, making it a formidable asset in any match.
  3. The card’s untapping potential accelerates resource utilization, enabling faster, more impactful plays.

Text of card

Whenever you draw your second card each turn, each opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life. When Gixian Puppeteer dies, return another target creature card with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.

To some, desecration. To Gix, decoration.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gixian Puppeteer facilitates extra card draw by allowing you to manipulate the top card of your library, ensuring a constant refresh of options in your hand and better strategic planning during the match.

Resource Acceleration: This card’s ability to untap another permanent can indirectly lead to faster resource accumulation by reusing mana-providing permanents, thus accelerating your board development and enabling more powerful plays ahead of schedule.

Instant Speed: Gixian Puppeteer can activate its abilities at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to respond to an opponent’s actions during their turn or to maximize your resource management without telegraphing your strategy to the opponent, keeping them guessing about your next move.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Gixian Puppeteer requires players to discard a card for its activated ability, which could potentially deplete valuable hands, especially in tight game situations where each card matters.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a mix of specific mana colors to cast, constraining it predominantly to decks that can reliably produce these types of mana, consequently reducing its versatility across various deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a relatively lofty mana cost, the Gixian Puppeteer may not be the deck’s most efficient player in terms of resource allocation, as there are alternatives that could fulfill a similar role with a lower investment, allowing for a smoother and more balanced mana curve within your strategy.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Gixian Puppeteer’s unique abilities make it a fantastic inclusion in various deck archetypes. As a card that can easily manipulate counters, it finds a home in counter-centric decks, bolstering both your creatures’ strength and your strategy’s resilience.

Combo Potential: This card slides perfectly into combos that revolve around +1/+1 counters. Its contribution to synergistic plays elevates deck performance when used alongside proliferate mechanics or counter-doubling effects. This opens up windows for explosive plays that can turn the tide of a game.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where long-term value wins games, Gixian Puppeteer stands out. It consistently adds pressure on the battlefield and can sway a steady board state to your advantage. The ability to consistently place and move counters makes it a threat that cannot be ignored, making it a must-have for competitive play.


How to beat

Gixian Puppeteer is a unique MTG card that can pose a significant challenge to players due to its ability to manipulate combat phases by untapping creatures and potentially altering the outcome of combat. To overcome this formidable card, it’s essential to employ strategies that limit its utility or remove it from the battlefield entirely.

Eradicating the Gixian Puppeteer from the game is a straightforward strategy, which can be achieved through removal spells. By including cards like Doom Blade or Path to Exile in your deck, you ensure that you have a response when the Puppeteer makes an appearance. These spells not only bypass the complexity of its ability but also provide a clean and efficient solution to the potential threat it represents.

Alternatively, denying your opponent the chance to activate Gixian Puppeteer’s ability is another effective method. This can be done by using counter spells when the Puppeteer is cast or by employing instant speed removal spells during your opponent’s turn before they get the opportunity to untap their creatures.

Lastly, another method to mitigate the effect of Gixian Puppeteer is to play cards that restrict actions during combat. Silent Arbiter could be particularly effective in limiting the benefit that the Puppeteer offers.


BurnMana Recommendations

With intricate abilities and strategic depth, the Gixian Puppeteer can be a lynchpin in MTG decks tailored for control and long-term advantage. It’s crucial to understand the dynamics this card brings to the game. Whether you are looking to finesse your opponent with intricate plays or build a deck that manipulates counters, the Puppeteer might be the missing piece to your MTG arsenal. Enhance your collection and your in-game strategy; dive deeper into the potential combos and the ways to tackle this powerful artifact creature. Join our community to continue evolving your gameplay with insights and tips on making the most of Gixian Puppeteer.


Cards like Gixian Puppeteer

The Gixian Puppeteer is an innovative artifact creature card that intrigues many players of Magic: The Gathering. Its unique ability to control opponents’ creatures has a remarkable resemblance to cards like Mind Control and Act of Treason. Both of these cards allow you to tap into the power of creatures you do not own, yet the Gixian Puppeteer does so with a more permanent approach, provided it remains on the battlefield.

Another related card is Beguiler of Wills which also lets you take control of your opponent’s creatures. However, while the Beguiler requires a heavy mana investment and targets only one creature, the Gixian Puppeteer can affect multiple creatures under specific conditions. Similarly, the notorious Willbreaker allows you to permanently gain control of creatures as they become targeted, yet it doesn’t create copies like our latest Puppeteer does, which amplifies the impact on the game state.

Through this lens, Gixian Puppeteer stands as a power player in control decks, offering both the element of surprise and multiplicative effects. Its strategic advantage in gameplay adds depth to decks built around controlling opponents’ forces, securing its place in the pantheon of influential MTG creature control cards.

Mind Control - MTG Card versions
Act of Treason - MTG Card versions
Beguiler of Wills - MTG Card versions
Willbreaker - MTG Card versions
Mind Control - MTG Card versions
Act of Treason - MTG Card versions
Beguiler of Wills - MTG Card versions
Willbreaker - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Gixian Puppeteer by color, type and mana cost

Hell's Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Rag Man - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Debaser - MTG Card versions
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions
Slinking Skirge - MTG Card versions
Gravedigger - MTG Card versions
Scandalmonger - MTG Card versions
Urborg Shambler - MTG Card versions
Whispering Shade - MTG Card versions
Filth - MTG Card versions
Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions
Bold Plagiarist - MTG Card versions
Toxin Sliver - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Spirit - MTG Card versions
Nim Shambler - MTG Card versions
Scourge of Numai - MTG Card versions
Deathgazer - MTG Card versions
Dirty Wererat - MTG Card versions
Faceless Butcher - MTG Card versions
Crowd of Cinders - MTG Card versions
Hell's Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Rag Man - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Debaser - MTG Card versions
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions
Slinking Skirge - MTG Card versions
Gravedigger - MTG Card versions
Scandalmonger - MTG Card versions
Urborg Shambler - MTG Card versions
Whispering Shade - MTG Card versions
Filth - MTG Card versions
Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions
Bold Plagiarist - MTG Card versions
Toxin Sliver - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Spirit - MTG Card versions
Nim Shambler - MTG Card versions
Scourge of Numai - MTG Card versions
Deathgazer - MTG Card versions
Dirty Wererat - MTG Card versions
Faceless Butcher - MTG Card versions
Crowd of Cinders - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gixian Puppeteer MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and 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 Gixian Puppeteer and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Gixian Puppeteer Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2022-11-18 and 2022-11-18. Illustrated by Bastien L. Deharme.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 1057022015NormalBlackBastien L. Deharme
22022-11-18The Brothers' WarBRO 992015NormalBlackBastien L. Deharme
32022-11-18The Brothers' WarBRO 3282015NormalBlackBastien L. Deharme

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gixian Puppeteer has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal