Gollum, Scheming Guide MTG Card
2023-06-23 - Number 390
2023-06-23 - Number 292
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Halfling Horror |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
Whenever Gollum, Scheming Guide attacks, look at the top two cards of your library, put them back in any order, then choose land or nonland. An opponent guesses whether the top card of your library is the chosen kind. Reveal that card. If they guessed right, remove Gollum from combat. Otherwise, you draw a card and Gollum can't be blocked this turn.
Cards like Gollum, Scheming Guide
In the dynamic world of MTG, Gollum, Scheming Guide carves out a niche for itself among creatures adept at manipulating library and hand content. When looking at counterparts, Faerie Seer presents itself as a kindred sprite, offering the scry ability. While Faerie Seer allows for immediate peeking and organizing the top of your library, Gollum offers more nuanced manipulation by swapping a card from hand to library, subtly setting up future draws or graveyard synergy.
Merfolk Looter is another creature that echoes Gollum’s hand-library interaction, providing consistent card selection each turn. Unlike Gollum, which plants a surprise in the library, the looter refines hand quality directly and continues the flow of resources. Then there’s Seeker of Insight, applying a similar mechanism but with the added hurdle of casting a noncreature spell to activate its loot ability; Gollum, Scheming Guide, therefore, demands less setup for its effect to be useful.
While each of these creatures contributes to a strategy revolving around card advantage and selection, Gollum, Scheming Guide offers a unique balance of subtlety and forward planning that can be a crucial turning point in matches that hinge on the perfect draw or graveyard setup.
Cards similar to Gollum, Scheming Guide by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Gollum, Scheming Guide grants players the ability to subtly manipulate their deck’s composition. This shrewd character fetches key pieces from the deck, ensuring the right cards are in hand when most needed and maintaining a healthy flow of options.
Resource Acceleration: Gollum, Scheming Guide excels at providing crucial mana resources during pivotal moments. This not only increases your mana pool earlier in the game but also offers flexibility for casting spells, thus enhancing your overall board presence and potential plays in the long run.
Instant Speed: The ability to deploy Gollum, Scheming Guide at instant speed is a tactical advantage. It allows players to react to an opponent’s moves with finesse, reserving mana for the most opportune time—whether that’s interrupting an adversary’s strategy or optimizing your own during the late game scramble.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Gollum, Scheming Guide necessitates the discard of a card to trigger its activated ability. This is not always beneficial, especially when your hand is already depleted of options.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a precise arrangement of mana, including at least one black. This can present a challenge in decks that are not heavily skewed towards black mana, potentially restricting its versatility across various builds.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Gollum, Scheming Guide comes with a mana value that might be considered steep for its effect. Players might find alternative creatures or spells that provide similar or better functionality at a lower cost, leaving more mana available for other strategic plays during the game.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Gollum, Scheming Guide can seamlessly blend into a wide array of deck archetypes. Its ability to manipulate the pace of your play makes it a useful asset in both aggressive and defensive strategies.
Combo Potential: This cunning creature is perfect for strategies built around card synergies. Its unique effect can act as a linchpin in combo decks, facilitating unexpected victories and dynamic play patterns.
Meta-Relevance: As the MTG landscape evolves, a flexible card like Gollum, Scheming Guide remains pertinent. Its potential to disrupt opponents’ strategies is especially valuable in a meta that focuses on meticulous planning and precise execution.
How to beat
Gollum, Scheming Guide can be a challenging adversary in any MTG match. This creature is unique due to its ability to manipulate card advantage and deck manipulation. Knowing how to efficiently counter this card can make the difference in maintaining control of the game. The key to overcoming Gollum is to disrupt its ability to siphon cards by utilizing removals that don’t target, such as board wipes or non-targeted exile effects, to bypass its protection mechanics.
Similarly, forcing your opponent to sacrifice creatures can negate Gollum’s presence without having to target it directly. Another effective strategy is to employ graveyard hate cards that can remove Gollum after it has been placed into the graveyard, ensuring that its recursion abilities are nullified. Finally, maintaining an aggressive stance with creatures that have trample or flying can help you stay ahead in damage, reducing the effectiveness of Gollum’s scheming tactics. Understanding and preparing for these scenarios will help keep Gollum’s influence in check and give you the upper hand.
By employing these techniques, players can stifle Gollum’s potential and maintain a competitive edge in their MTG duels. Deck building with Gollum’s threats in mind is essential to achieving victory on the battlefield.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Gollum, Scheming Guide MTG card by a specific set like The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth and The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, 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 Gollum, Scheming Guide and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
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- Card Market
- Star City Games
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- MTG Mint Card
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Printings
The Gollum, Scheming Guide Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-06-23 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by Dmitry Burmak.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-06-23 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | LTR | 390 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dmitry Burmak | |
| 2 | 2023-06-23 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | LTR | 292 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dmitry Burmak |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Gollum, Scheming Guide has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Gollum, Scheming Guide card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-06-16 | If you have no cards in your library as Gollum, Scheming Guide's ability resolves, your opponent's guess will not be right no matter what they guess. That means you'll draw a card, or more accurately, attempt to draw a card from your empty library and therefore (usually) lose the game. |
| 2023-06-16 | If you only have one card in your library as Gollum, Scheming Guide's ability resolves, you'll look at that card, put it back on top of your library, and then continue with the ability as normal. |
| 2023-06-16 | You reveal the card even if your opponent guessed correctly. |