Guardian of the Great Door MTG Card

Provides card advantage by protecting creatures, which upholds your gains and board presence. Saves resources by combining attack and defense roles, allowing tactical flexibility. Pairs well with instant speed spells, enhancing its defensive utilities and gameplay.

Guardian of the Great Door - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Angel
Abilities	Flying
Released	2023-11-17
Set symbol
Set name	The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
Set code	LCI
Power	4
Toughness	4
Number	16
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Justyna Dura

Text of card

As an additional cost to cast this spell, tap four untapped artifacts, creatures, and/or lands you control. Flying

The Core was sealed long ago by the Deep Gods, who set the angels to the eternal task of defending its golden gates.

Cards like Guardian of the Great Door

Guardian of the Great Door is an intriguing defensive card in MTG, bearing some resemblance to other stalwart defenders in the game. A close comparison can be made with Wall of Omens, which also serves as an excellent blocking creature. Though the Wall does not match the massive size of the Guardian, it compensates by providing card draw upon entering the battlefield.

Another similar card is Gleaming Barrier, which upon destruction, leaves behind a Treasure token to ramp up mana. This feature enhances its value beyond being just a roadblock. The Guardian of the Great Door, however, stands out with its sheer size and ability to protect against a wide array of attacks, without offering direct additional resources.

Reflecting on these likenesses, it’s clear that Guardian of the Great Door has its unique place in MTG. It’s a formidable obstacle for opponents and a reliable guardian for any strategy focused on fortification and delaying tactics. When compared, each card shines in its own way within the scope of defensive strategies.

Cards similar to Guardian of the Great Door by color, type and mana cost

Voice of the Blessed - MTG Card versions

Silverflame Squire // On Alert - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Guardian of the Great Door. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

Name	Format	Archetype	Event
Decklist	Free form		UOL LCI Sealed League
Five-color	Free form		Torino Tournament - Lost Caverns of Ixalan
WR mou	Free form		Torino Tournament - Lost Caverns of Ixalan
Selesnya Angels	Pioneer	Selesnya Angels	Pioneer Challenge 96 2023-12-09 (1)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Guardian of the Great Door offers a unique card advantage by providing a substantial defensive presence. The card’s ability to protect your other creatures from being targeted by your opponents can prevent card loss and maintain your board state, indirectly contributing to your card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Despite not providing direct resource acceleration, Guardian of the Great Door can effectively preserve your resources. Its vigilance allows it to both attack and defend, which means other creatures you control can be used more flexibly, potentially saving you from having to deploy additional resources for defense.

Instant Speed: While Guardian of the Great Door itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, playing a deck with Guardian requires you to consider the surrounding support cards. Including instant speed spells in your deck alongside Guardian lets you react dynamically to threats, making the most of Guardian’s protective ability and optimizing your turn structure.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In the case of Guardian of the Great Door, the card’s abilities might come at the cost of discarding other valuable cards from your hand. This can put you at a disadvantage by reducing your options later in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Guardian of the Great Door requires specific mana to cast, which can be a challenge in multi-colored decks that may struggle with mana consistency. Decks not heavily focused on its color identity might not get the best value out of the card.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Even by the standards of powerful creatures or effects, Guardian of the Great Door has a high mana demand. This could make it less attractive compared to other creatures or spells with lower mana requirements or more impactful abilities that come into play sooner, influencing the tempo of the game.

Reasons to Include Guardian of the Great Door in Your Collection

Versatility: The Guardian of the Great Door can serve as a reliable defender in multiple deck types. Its ability to impact the board with its defensive prowess makes it a solid inclusion in control or midrange builds that aim for late-game dominance.

Combo Potential: This card has the potential to sync with strategies that capitalize on high toughness creatures. Pair it with cards that utilize toughness for damage or for impactful abilities to turn its defensive nature into an offensive advantage.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors creatures and combat, Guardian of the Great Door’s ability to protect your planeswalkers or other valuable nonland permanents makes it a crucial tactical choice. Ensuring key pieces of your strategy remain on the battlefield can be game-changing.

How to Beat Guardian of the Great Door

Guardian of the Great Door makes for a towering presence on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. As a card that can potentially lock down large threats with its ward ability, it poses a significant challenge to overcome. One effective method players have found is utilizing removal spells that don’t target the Guardian directly, circumventing the ward’s protective effect. Cards like Wrath of God or Supreme Verdict can clear the board, including this formidable guardian, without having to pay the ward cost.

Additionally, effects that reduce the creature’s toughness to zero, such as Dead Weight or Languish, can also efficiently deal with the Guardian without triggering its ward. Players might also consider alternative strategies, like using untargeted bounce spells to return the Guardian to its owner’s hand, making them spend the mana to cast it again. This affords them a valuable window to press the advantage or deploy threats that the Guardian would otherwise block.

Understanding and anticipating the possible presence of the Guardian of the Great Door in an opponent’s deck allows players to incorporate these answers into their own, ensuring they’re not caught off-guard by this sturdy defender.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Guardian of the Great Door MTG card by a specific set like The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, 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 Guardian of the Great Door and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Guardian of the Great Door has restrictions

Format	Legality
Standard	Legal
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Future	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Guardian of the Great Door card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2023-11-10	You can tap any four untapped artifacts, creatures, and/or lands you control, including creatures you haven't controlled continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn, to pay the additional cost to cast Guardian of the Great Door.