Legion Guildmage MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human Wizard
Released	2018-10-05
Set symbol
Set name	Guilds of Ravnica
Set code	GRN
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	187
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Zack Stella

Key Takeaways

Card advantage is achieved by tapping foes and preserving your battlefield, which leverages board control.
Instant speed activation offers tactical choices during opponents’ turns for defense or card draw.
Though beneficial, its discard requirement and specific mana cost can limit deck inclusion and strategy.

Text of card

, : Legion Guildmage deals 3 damage to each opponent. , : Tap another target creature.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Legion Guildmage offers versatile options that can lead to card advantage. With its ability to tap an opponent’s creature, it indirectly prompts card advantage by preserving your creatures on the battlefield while diminishing your opponent’s board presence.

Resource Acceleration: While Legion Guildmage doesn’t directly provide mana or treasure tokens, it accelerates your resources by enabling more effective attacks or defenses. By controlling engagements, your other cards can often be played more efficiently, meaning less waste and more value per card played.

Instant Speed: The Guildmage’s abilities can be activated at instant speed, allowing for strategic flexibility. You can decide the best moments during your opponent’s turn to activate its abilities, whether that’s interrupting combat or utilizing its card-drawing ability when most advantageous.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Legion Guildmage’s second ability necessitates discarding a card, which could deplete your hand, leaving you at a disadvantage in the long game.

Specific Mana Cost: To utilize Legion Guildmage’s abilities, a combination of red and white mana is essential, potentially restricting its inclusion to Boros decks only.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Tapping five mana to deal direct damage might not always be the most mana-efficient play, especially when alternative spells or creatures could offer more significant impact for the same or lesser investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Legion Guildmage is a multifaceted card that can be slotted into various deck builds. With its ability to both tap down creatures and deal direct damage, it provides tactical adaptability whether you’re aiming for control or a more aggressive playstyle.

Combo Potential: This Guildmage’s tap ability opens up numerous combo avenues. In decks revolving around untap mechanics or those that profit from activated abilities, Legion Guildmage proves to be a strategic asset, offering both offensive and defensive utilities.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment that sees frequent creature-based strategies, having a card that can repeatedly lock down opponents’ threats or whittle down their life total holds considerable value. Legion Guildmage harmonizes well with decks looking to maintain relevance across a variety of matchups.

How to beat

Legion Guildmage is a versatile creature card in MTG, providing both utility and aggressive options for the Boros Legion player. Renowned for its adaptability, the Guildmage can either ping opponents to slowly whittle down their life total or tap creatures to prevent them from blocking potentially game-winning attacks. This card thrives in an environment that allows it to exploit its activated abilities to control the board and dictate the pace of the game.

To effectively counter Legion Guildmage, players need to preemptively disrupt its synergy within the deck. Removal spells are a strong countermeasure, preferably those that can handle the Guildmage before its controller accumulates enough mana to utilize its abilities. Instant-speed interaction is key, as it allows you to respond to the activation of the Guildmage’s abilities without losing tempo. Moreover, cards that restrict mana usage or lock down abilities can diminish the Guildmage’s impact, ensuring it remains just a simple creature on the board without the benefits of its potent abilities.

Understanding the pivotal roles creatures like Legion Guildmage play in MTG decks is crucial. By prioritizing its removal or neutralization, players can dismantle the strategic formations it supports, which is a fundamental step towards claiming victory on the battlefield.

Cards like Legion Guildmage

Within the broad tapestry of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering, Legion Guildmage stands as a multifaceted option for players looking for versatility on the battlefield. It shares the dual-ability characteristic with cards such as Azorius Guildmage. Both offer two different activated abilities, though they serve different guilds and strategies. Azorius Guildmage focuses on control, with abilities intended to delay the opponent’s game plan. Legion Guildmage, on the other hand, leans towards aggression, with potential to directly damage opponents or tap down creatures, fitting well within the Boros Legion’s combat-centric approach.

Comparatively, Goblin Electromancer is another Guild-focused creature, casting a spotlight on cost reduction for spells, which aligns with the Izzet League’s fondness for instant and sorcery spells. Though it doesn’t boast the direct interaction that Legion Guildmage offers, it excels in facilitating faster, more formidable spell plays. Meanwhile, Vedalken Anatomist represents a similar concept from the Simic Combine. Despite being solely a manipulator of creature strength and not offering direct damage, its capability to lock down creatures presents a strategic parallel to the Legion Guildmage’s tapping ability.

Legion Guildmage demonstrates a unique blend of offensive and control elements, carving out a niche within Magic: The Gathering creature cards that allows for direct player engagement and versatile tactical choices during the game.

Goblin Electromancer - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Legion Guildmage MTG card by a specific set like Guilds of Ravnica, 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 Legion Guildmage and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Legion Guildmage has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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