Goliath Paladin MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Giant Knight |
| Abilities | Vigilance |
| Released | 2022-06-10 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate |
| Set code | CLB |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 6 |
| Number | 21 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | John Severin Brassell |
Key Takeaways
- Goliath Paladin offers card advantage, resource acceleration, and instant-speed actions for dynamic in-game flexibility.
- Mana cost specificity and the discard requirement might offset its substantial battlefield presence and impact.
- Combining versatility with meta relevance, Goliath Paladin remains a formidable card in various competitive decks.
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Goliath Paladin. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | WB | Pauper | Pauper League 2024-03-25 | |
 | WRG | Pauper | Pauper League 2024-03-29 | |
 | Caw-Gates | Pauper | Caw-Gates | Pauper Challenge 32 2024-04-14 |
 | Monarch | Pauper | Monarch | Pauper Challenge 64 2024-04-14 |
 | Orzov Blade | Pauper | 13^ tappa | Lega Pauper Mediavalle e Garfagnana 2023/24 - Road to Paupergeddon Pisa | |
 | Orzhov Blade | Pauper | Monthly Tournament #37 | |
 | Bant Control | Pauper | Bant Control | Pauper Preliminary 2024-04-09 |
| Orzhov Midrange | Pauper | Sprint Wheel Event - Geddon Series 2^ tappa PISA 2024 | |
 | Naya Stompy | Pauper | Ogonyok | |
 | Mardu Ephemerate | Pauper | Mardu Ephemerate | Pauper Challenge 32 2024-04-06 |
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Goliath Paladin MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, 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 Goliath Paladin and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See MTG Products
Text of card
Vigilance When Goliath Paladin enters the battlefield, you take the initiative.
"Why do you cower in the darkness, little gnolls? If you would challenge me, step into the light."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Goliath Paladin ensures consistent hand replenishment, empowering players to outlast opponents by maintaining superior card options. This advantage can be pivotal in outmaneuvering rivals across a match.
Resource Acceleration: With the ability to provide a significant boost to your resources, Goliath Paladin enables a faster development of your board state, which is essential in overwhelming opponents and securing victory in the crucial mid-game phase.
Instant Speed: Boasting the capability to act at instant speed, Goliath Paladin offers strategic flexibility, allowing players to make impactful moves in response to adversaries’ actions or during the end of their turn, thus optimizing the potential for advantageous plays.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Goliath Paladin demands a card be discarded upon activation of certain abilities. Such an ask can be taxing when your hand is already dwindling, effectively diminishing your strategic options and potential plays in the longer run.
Specific Mana Cost: This card comes with a mana cost that requires a precise combination – a particular challenge for multi-colored decks that might struggle with mana consistency. Ensuring the right mana is available at the right time can be a finicky endeavor, potentially delaying the deployment of this powerful ally.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment needed to summon Goliath Paladin is non-negligible. In fast-paced games, where efficiency is key, its cost can be a significant setback. It’s imperative to consider if the battlefield impact and long-term advantages of the Paladin justify the hefty initial mana outlay.
Reasons to Include Goliath Paladin in Your Collection
Versatility: Goliath Paladin has demonstrated its adaptability in various deck builds. Its robust stat line and ability to become a focal point in both offense and defense make it a reliable addition to your lineup, whether you’re at the kitchen table or the tournament scene.
Combo Potential: The Paladin’s synergy with equipment and aura spells offers players an array of combo possibilities. By leveraging its inherent traits, it can turn the tide of the game swiftly when combined with the right cards, enhancing any strategy focused on voltron or creature buffs.
Meta-Relevance: Within the shifting landscape of MTG’s meta, Goliath Paladin maintains its competitive edge. It shines particularly in environments where its solid presence can challenge popular archetypes, giving it a substantial role in your deck regardless of the prevailing trends.
How to Beat
Confronting a Goliath Paladin on the battlefield requires strategic planning and careful selection of spells and abilities. This card introduces considerable challenge due to its combination of robust stats and potential for enhancing board presence. Effective strategies involve removal spells that can bypass its defenses, such as Path to Exile, which can exile it before its abilities take effect. Additionally, board wipes like Damnation can be essential for resetting the board and removing the Paladin regardless of its size.
Players must also consider tempo. Utilizing counterspells or instant-speed interaction to disrupt your opponent’s play before the Paladin hits the board can be crucial. Disallow or Mana Leak are effective options in blue that can prevent it from ever posing a threat. Should the Paladin resolve, utilizing sacrifice effects or enchantments that negate its abilities, such as Pacifism, can prevent it from impacting the game significantly. It’s about staying one step ahead, managing resources wisely, and keeping answers ready to mitigate the threat posed by the Goliath Paladin.
Ultimately, overcoming the Goliath Paladin involves a combination of preemptive measures, efficient removal, and constant pressure to prevent your opponent from leveraging the Paladin’s full potential. Understanding the dynamics of your matchup and the synergy between your cards will determine your success in navigating this imposing challenge.
Cards like Goliath Paladin
Goliath Paladin serves as a robust figure in the realm of creature cards within MTG. Its comparison can be drawn with Loxodon Warhammer, another titanic force, which endows its controller with a lifelink and trample advantage. While Loxodon Warhammer offers an immediate impact with its equipment ability, the Goliath Paladin relies on its natural attributes to reinforce board presence. Furthermore, the Paladin does so at a consistent mana cost without the need for additional investment post-casting.
Applying the lens of similarity to other creature cards, Knight of the White Orchid comes into play. This noble steed provides a different sort of utility – fetching lands and ensuring a ramp in resources, which differs from Goliath Paladin’s sheer battlefield dominance. While Knight of the White Orchid helps in mana curve progression, the Goliath Paladin’s stature as a creature makes it a formidable blocker or attacker once it lands on the battlefield.
In analyzing these comparisons, Goliath Paladin stands out for those looking to establish a solid defense or apply pressure with an imposing creature. Its straightforward mechanics are inviting for players who appreciate immediacy and impact over conditional abilities or preparatory setups.
Cards similar to Goliath Paladin by color, type and mana cost
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Goliath Paladin has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Goliath Paladin card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2022-06-10 | A player who currently has the initiative may take the initiative again. This causes that player to venture into Undercity again, but does not cause them to have multiple initiative designations. |
| 2022-06-10 | If the player with the initiative leaves the game, the active player takes the initiative at the same time that player leaves the game. If the active player is leaving the game or if there is no active player, the next player in turn order takes the initiative. |
| 2022-06-10 | If you aren’t in a dungeon when instructed to venture into Undercity, you will put Undercity into the command zone and move your venture marker to Secret Entrance (the first room). |
| 2022-06-10 | If you’re already in a dungeon when instructed to venture into Undercity, you move to the next room of that dungeon. If you are already in the last room, you will complete that dungeon and start Undercity. This is true whether you’re already in Undercity or any other dungeon. |
| 2022-06-10 | In a Two-Headed Giant game, if both players on a team deal combat damage to the player that has the initiative at the same time, the player with the initiative will choose the order of the triggered abilities. Then, as those abilities resolve, one team member takes the initiative (and ventures into Undercity) and then the other team member does the same. The last player to take the initiative keeps it until the initiative changes again. |
| 2022-06-10 | Only one player can have the initiative at a time. As one player takes the initiative, any other player that had the initiative ceases to have it. |
| 2022-06-10 | Similarly, when instructed to venture into Undercity, you can’t start a dungeon that isn’t Undercity. |
| 2022-06-10 | The initiative is a designation a player can have. A player with the initiative designation is said to “have the initiative.” The initiative carries two inherent rules. First, whenever a player takes the initiative, and at the beginning of the upkeep of the player with the initiative, that player ventures into Undercity. Second, whenever one or more creatures a player controls deal combat damage to the player who has the initiative, the first player takes the initiative. Also, some abilities will refer to having the initiative and provide other benefits. |
| 2022-06-10 | There is no initiative in a game until an effect instructs a player to take the initiative. Once a player is instructed to do this, they have the initiative until another player takes the initiative. |
| 2022-06-10 | You cannot venture into Undercity unless instructed to do so, either because you have the initiative at the beginning of your upkeep or because you take the initiative. Notably, if you aren’t in a dungeon and an effect instructs you to venture into the dungeon (not venture into Undercity), you can’t start Undercity. |
Guide to Vigilance card ability
In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.