Gnottvold Hermit // Chrome Host Hulk MTG Card


Gnottvold Hermit // Chrome Host Hulk - March of the Machine
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Phyrexian Troll
Released2023-04-21
Set symbol
Set nameMarch of the Machine
Set codeMOM
Power 5
Toughness 5
Number188
Frame2015
LayoutTransform
BorderBlack
Illustred byArtur Nakhodkin

Key Takeaways

  1. Card advantage and board presence are significantly improved with Gnottvold Hermit’s transformation abilities.
  2. Chrome Host Hulk’s treasure tokens enhance mana resources, allowing for impactful plays and strategic depth.
  3. Flexibility with instant speed transformations gives players tactical advantages during gameplay.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gnottvold Hermit // Chrome Host Hulk MTG card by a specific set like March of the Machine, 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 Gnottvold Hermit // Chrome Host Hulk and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Text of card

Whenever Chrome Host Hulk attacks, up to one other target creature has base power and toughness 5/5 until end of turn.

Now they saw the truth. Divisions between Hagi and Torga were meaningless. There was only Phyrexia.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gnottvold Hermit, the front face of this double-sided card, empowers you with an additional creature to fortify your board presence. When it transforms into Chrome Host Hulk, it replenishes your hand by letting you draw three cards, thus ensuring a solid grip on the game’s momentum.

Resource Acceleration: As Chrome Host Hulk, this card offers a distinctive approach to resource acceleration. It allows the potential creation of three Treasure tokens, thus providing a significant boost in available mana and opening up options for more powerful plays in the subsequent turns.

Instant Speed: The ability to transform at instant speed is a real game-changer. It grants you the flexibility to adapt swiftly to the evolving battlefield, making it a formidable surprise for your opponents and a tactical advantage for you. The instant speed enables strategic depth, allowing you to respond to threats or opportunities as they occur, ensuring that timing is always in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Gnottvold Hermit prompts players to discard two cards upon transformation into Chrome Host Hulk. This cost demands careful hand management and can critically deplete your hand, especially in situations where card advantage is paramount.

Specific Mana Cost: Chrome Host Hulk requires a precise blend of mana types to cast—specifically two green—making it less flexible for multicolor decks that may struggle with mana fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an activation cost of seven mana for Gnottvold Hermit to transform into Chrome Host Hulk, some players may find it burdensome. In fast-paced games, investing such a significant amount of resources can be a disadvantage when facing more agile and lower-cost strategies.


Reasons to Include Gnottvold Hermit // Chrome Host Hulk in Your Collection

Versatility: Gnottvold Hermit and its back face, Chrome Host Hulk, offer dynamic play options. As a Hermit, it presents an early game deterrent for attackers. Flipped into Chrome Host Hulk, it transforms into a substantial threat that can significantly alter the board state.

Combo Potential: With both sides offering unique synergies, this card can slide into decks focusing on transforming creatures or leveraging sacrifice mechanics. The Hermit’s ability to create tokens upon death ensures you’re never left empty-handed, while Chrome Host Hulk’s potential to dish out multiple +1/+1 counters can exponentially increase your board’s power.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based strategies dominate, Gnottvold Hermit provides an immediate impact by discouraging attacks, while Chrome Host Hulk can break stalemates by beefing up your creatures, making it a relevant inclusion in the current competitive scene.


How to beat

Gnottvold Hermit and its backside, Chrome Host Hulk, present Magic: The Gathering players with a compelling challenge that calls for strategic handling. Gnottvold Hermit is notable for its role in denying opponents the ability to cast noncreature spells, pushing them towards creature-centric strategies. Navigating around this can be tricky, but one effective method is utilizing creature-based abilities that can target and eliminate the hermit without the need to cast spells that could be restricted.

Transitioning to the Chrome Host Hulk, this side raises the stakes with its imposing presence and ability to spawn creature tokens. Facing this giant, players might consider cards that permit mass removal to effectively deal with the tokens while finding ways to bypass or remove the hulk itself. Board wipes or targeted removal that isn’t hindered by Gnottvold Hermit can serve as a crucial tactic in overcoming this formidable double-faced card.

Ultimately, it boils down to anticipation and adapting your gameplay. Keeping versatile and powerful removal spells or investing in creature abilities that can handle threats are part of a savvy MTG player’s arsenal against the unique dynamics introduced by Gnottvold Hermit and Chrome Host Hulk.


Cards like Gnottvold Hermit // Chrome Host Hulk

Gnottvold Hermit // Chrome Host Hulk stands out as a transformative card in Magic: The Gathering, offering versatility and unexpected power swings. Looking at similar cards, Loyal Guardian is one that echoes this dual-purpose design. The Guardian, however, lacks the modal double-faced card feature, offering a stable yet singular boost to your creatures with its +1/+1 counters during the combat phase.

Alongside it, cards like Bane of Bala Ged offer a comparable impact on board state with its strong exile effect. Although powerful, it doesn’t provide the flexibility of changing roles from a defensive hermit to an aggressive hulk, as our highlighted card does. Then there’s Verdurous Gearhulk, which distributes +1/+1 counters and comes equipped with trample, enhancing its similarity to the offensive side of Chrome Host Hulk. Despite the strength Verdurous Gearhulk brings, it misses out on the early game defensive utility showcased by Gnottvold Hermit.

As players consider their deck-building options, the dynamic nature of Gnottvold Hermit // Chrome Host Hulk assures a multi-faceted strategy that few cards can replicate, positioning it as a compelling choice for those seeking dual advantage in a single card slot.

Loyal Guardian - MTG Card versions
Bane of Bala Ged - MTG Card versions
Verdurous Gearhulk - MTG Card versions
Loyal Guardian - MTG Card versions
Bane of Bala Ged - MTG Card versions
Verdurous Gearhulk - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Gnottvold Hermit // Chrome Host Hulk by color, type and mana cost

Living Airship - MTG Card versions
Adrix and Nev, Twincasters - MTG Card versions
Parcelbeast - MTG Card versions
Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix - MTG Card versions
Omnibian - MTG Card versions
Mystic Snake - MTG Card versions
Grazing Kelpie - MTG Card versions
Swirling Spriggan - MTG Card versions
Jungle Barrier - MTG Card versions
Fathom Mage - MTG Card versions
Horizon Chimera - MTG Card versions
Patagia Viper - MTG Card versions
Ezuri, Claw of Progress - MTG Card versions
Altered Ego - MTG Card versions
Rashmi, Eternities Crafter - MTG Card versions
Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle - MTG Card versions
Master Biomancer - MTG Card versions
Frilled Mystic - MTG Card versions
Zegana, Utopian Speaker - MTG Card versions
Sharktocrab - MTG Card versions
Living Airship - MTG Card versions
Adrix and Nev, Twincasters - MTG Card versions
Parcelbeast - MTG Card versions
Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix - MTG Card versions
Omnibian - MTG Card versions
Mystic Snake - MTG Card versions
Grazing Kelpie - MTG Card versions
Swirling Spriggan - MTG Card versions
Jungle Barrier - MTG Card versions
Fathom Mage - MTG Card versions
Horizon Chimera - MTG Card versions
Patagia Viper - MTG Card versions
Ezuri, Claw of Progress - MTG Card versions
Altered Ego - MTG Card versions
Rashmi, Eternities Crafter - MTG Card versions
Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle - MTG Card versions
Master Biomancer - MTG Card versions
Frilled Mystic - MTG Card versions
Zegana, Utopian Speaker - MTG Card versions
Sharktocrab - MTG Card versions

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gnottvold Hermit // Chrome Host Hulk has restrictions

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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Gnottvold Hermit // Chrome Host Hulk card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2023-04-14 Chrome Host Hulk’s ability overwrites all previous effects that set the affected creatures’ power and/or toughness to specific values. Other effects that set these characteristics to specific values that start to apply after the ability resolves will overwrite that part of the effect.
2023-04-14 Effects that modify the affected creature’s power or toughness without setting it will apply no matter when they started to take effect. The same is true for counters that change the creature’s power or toughness.