Gnarlid Colony MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Beast |
| Abilities | Kicker |
| Released | 2020-09-25 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Zendikar Rising |
| Set code | ZNR |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 185 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Izzy |
Text of card
Kicker (You may pay an additional as you cast this spell.) If Gnarlid Colony was kicked, it enters the battlefield with two +1/+1 counters on it. Each creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it has trample.
Where mana flows, the gnarlids follow.
Cards like Gnarlid Colony
Gnarlid Colony thrives in the space of creature cards that double as modal boosters within Magic: The Gathering. It shares the battlefield with the likes of Joraga Auxiliary, which also brings the flexibility of a kicker ability. Gnarlid Colony, being part of the kicker family, allows players to bolster it upon casting, much like Joraga Auxiliary, with the significant difference being in its ability to grant trample when kicked, giving it an edge during confrontations.
Another kin in the kicker lineage is Skyclave Geopede, which also benefits from the mechanic albeit in a landfall context – turning each land drop into potential damage amplification. Unlike Gnarlid Colony, the Geopede focuses on quick and substantial power increases, while Gnarlid Colony offers a permanent stat boost if kicked. This nuance between immediate impact and lasting growth can steer a deck’s strategy in different directions.
Delving into the comparison, Gnarlid Colony holds its ground as a versatile creature with the ability to transition from a modest two-drop to a formidable trample creature. The strategic balance it provides between early board presence and late-game force multiplication makes it a worthy consideration in decks that utilize the kicker mechanic.
Cards similar to Gnarlid Colony by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Gnarlid Colony brings more than just a creature to the field; it offers a potential boost to your hand. When used in conjunction with card-draw mechanics or landfall abilities, it effectively contributes to maintaining an advantage over your opponent by subtly influencing the board state and your resource pool.
Resource Acceleration: The kicker ability of Gnarlid Colony allows for strategic resource management. By investing additional mana when you’re able, it accelerates your potential damage output and board presence in the later stages of the game, playing a dual role as both an early game creature and a mid-game threat.
Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, Gnarlid Colony synergizes well with decks that capitalize on instant speed interaction. Its modal nature, by virtue of the kicker option, enables it to remain relevant at various stages of the game, thereby complementing strategies that require flexibility and timing.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Gnarlid Colony requires a dedicated deck build to take full advantage of its abilities, which might necessitate discarding other valuable pieces when optimizing your deck.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands green mana, potentially restricting deck types that can incorporate it efficiently.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of two green mana, its starting stats may not match up well against other options available at a similar cost, making it less preferable in competitive play.
Reasons to Include Gnarlid Colony in Your Collection
Versatility: Gnarlid Colony offers a flexible role in decks, functioning as an early blocker or an aggressive two-drop creature. Furthermore, thanks to its kicker ability, it can also serve as a late-game threat that scales with your available mana.
Combo Potential: This card synergizes with +1/+1 counter strategies, enabling combos with cards that reward counter placements on creatures. Its ability to ramp up its power and toughness makes it a natural fit for decks that capitalize on creature growth.
Meta-Relevance: In metas where creatures with +1/+1 counters perform well, Gnarlid Colony can be a key player. It adapts well to the evolving demands of the board, offering a significant presence that can sway the tide of battle in creature-centric matchups.
How to beat
Gnarlid Colony is a versatile creature card that can have a significant impact on the battlefield in MTG. When considering strategies to overcome this creature, it’s important to recognize its dual nature. As a 2/2 creature for two mana, it may seem unassuming, but with its kicker ability, it has the potential for growth and can contribute to overrunning an opponent with a larger board presence. Bearing this in mind, effective removal spells are key to combat Gnarlid Colony before it becomes too large to handle.
Direct damage spells such as Shock or Lightning Bolt can be economical ways to remove it before the kicker cost is paid. In addition, spells with exile effects, like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, can handle Gnarlid Colony regardless of its size, bypassing the +1/+1 counters it might have accumulated. Moreover, board wipes like Wrath of God ensure that a kicked Gnarlid Colony doesn’t lead to an overrun scenario. Always consider the optimal timing when playing these spells to maximize your advantage and keep Gnarlid Colony from tipping the scales in your opponent’s favor.
By employing precise removal and remaining vigilant of the growth potential of Gnarlid Colony, MTG players can maintain control over the game and prevent this seemingly simple creature from becoming a consequential threat.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Gnarlid Colony MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar Rising, 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 Gnarlid Colony 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 Gnarlid Colony has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Gnarlid Colony card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2020-09-25 | An ability that triggers when a player casts a kicked spell resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger, but after targets have been chosen for that spell. It resolves even if that spell is countered. |
| 2020-09-25 | If you copy a kicked spell, the copy is also kicked. If a card or token enters the battlefield as a copy of a permanent that’s already on the battlefield, the new permanent isn’t kicked, even if the original was. |
| 2020-09-25 | If you put a permanent with a kicker ability onto the battlefield without casting it, you can’t kick it. |
| 2020-09-25 | Kicker represents an optional additional cost that you may choose to pay as you cast the spell. A spell cast with that additional cost paid is “kicked.” |
| 2020-09-25 | Some instant or sorcery spells require alternative or additional targets if they’re kicked. You ignore these targeting requirements if those spells aren’t kicked, and you can’t kick those spells unless you can choose the appropriate targets. On the other hand, you can kick a permanent spell even if you won’t be able to choose targets for an enters-the-battlefield ability of that permanent once the spell resolves. |
| 2020-09-25 | To determine a spell’s total cost, start with the mana cost (or an alternative cost if another card’s effect allows you to pay one instead), add any cost increases (such as kicker), then apply any cost reductions. The converted mana cost of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was. |
| 2020-09-25 | You can’t pay a kicker cost more than once. |