Gut, Zealous Fanatic MTG Card

Gut, Zealous Fanatic - Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	7
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Legendary Creature — Goblin Shaman
Released	2022-07-07
Set symbol
Set name	Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate
Set code	HBG
Power	5
Toughness	4
Number	13w
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Wayne Reynolds

Key Takeaways

Gut, Zealous Fanatic grants card advantage and resource acceleration, crucial for dominating MTG games.
Demanding a specific mana type and discard can limit flexibility and strategic options.
Despite its high mana cost, its combo potential and meta-relevance justify inclusion in diverse decks.

Text of card

When this creature specializes, create two tokens that are copies of a creature card exiled with this creature, except they're 2/2 and have haste. Sacrifice them at the beginning of your next end step.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gut, Zealous Fanatic ensures a steady stream of cards entering your hand, bolstering your options and keeping you ahead of the competition.

Resource Acceleration: This card allows for swift ramping of resources, setting you up for powerful plays and overwhelming your adversaries rapidly.

Instant Speed: Flexibility is key in fast-paced games, and the instant speed of Gut, Zealous Fanatic means you can adapt in real-time, disrupting your opponent’s strategy at critical moments.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Gut, Zealous Fanatic demands players to discard another card as part of its activation cost. In tense moments or games where hand size is critical, this can put you at a significant disadvantage by depleting valuable resources you may have needed for other strategic plays.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s activation cost necessitates a red mana. It’s designed for red-themed decks, which could make it less versatile or even redundant in multi-colored or non-red deck strategies. This specific mana requirement can sometimes hinder its function if your mana base isn’t well-tuned to support it.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that’s on the higher end for its abilities, Gut, Zealous Fanatic might compete with other critical four-mana spells that offer greater impact or utility. In a game where tempo is essential, using four mana for its effect could potentially slow you down, especially when options with lower mana costs could fit the turn curve more efficiently.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Gut, Zealous Fanatic offers a broad appeal as it seamlessly integrates into several deck archetypes. Its advantage in sacrificing creatures can work especially well in decks that revolve around token generation or recursion themes.

Combo Potential: With Gut, Zealous Fanatic’s ability to sacrifice another creature, it opens up numerous possibilities for combos. This can be particularly effective in strategies aiming to exploit death triggers or wanting to recycle creatures for additional value.

Meta-Relevance: In a game that values strategic sacrifices and the ability to disrupt opponent plays, Gut, Zealous Fanatic can be a significant addition. Adjusting to a meta filled with creature-based decks, this card could offer the necessary edge by acting both as a resource generator and potential disruptor.

How to beat Gut, Zealous Fanatic

Gut, Zealous Fanatic can be a persistent nuisance on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This resilient creature tends to return to the fray, even after it seems like it’s been dealt with. To successfully navigate around this pesky combatant, players need to employ strategies that go beyond conventional removal.

Common tactics include using exile effects to prevent Gut, Zealous Fanatic from returning to the owner’s hand. Cards such as Path to Exile provide an efficient solution, as they remove the creature from the game entirely. Another angle to consider is employing graveyard disruption. Tools like Relic of Progenitus or Scavenging Ooze can swiftly eliminate Gut from the game by targeting the player’s graveyard, where Gut, Zealous Fanatic is most vulnerable post-combat. Additionally, counterspell strategies can stop Gut, Zealous Fanatic before it even enters the battlefield, allowing for a more controlled game progression.

Timing is of the essence when facing Gut, Zealous Fanatic. Anticipating your opponent’s moves and having the right answers when they attempt to bring Gut back is key. Fine-tuning your deck to include versatile answers ensures that Gut, the Zealous Fanatic, doesn’t overrun your defenses.

Cards like Gut, Zealous Fanatic

Gut, Zealous Fanatic adds an interesting twist to the array of sacrifice-themed cards in the Magic: The Gathering universe. It has parallels with cards like Skirk Prospector, as both allow you the ability to sacrifice a creature for a boost in mana. However, Gut, Zealous Fanatic comes with the unique feature of sacrificing a human creature to ramp up your mana pool, enabling potentially game-altering plays.

Analogous to this card is Fireblade Artist, yet another option for fans of aggressive strategies. Fireblade Artist offers not only the sacrifice element but also hasten your creatures. This can apply pressure early in the game, where Gut, Zealous Fanatic focuses on mid-game mana acceleration. Alternatively, Woe Strider presents itself as a viable comparison. While it provides a way to sacrifice any creature, it facilitates deck manipulation through scrying, in contrast to the mana gain from Gut, Zealous Fanatic.

Ultimately, while each card has its situational advantages, Gut, Zealous Fanatic serves a specific role, particularly in decks centered around human tribal synergies, proving its unique place in Magic: The Gathering’s diverse strategy palette.

Cards similar to Gut, Zealous Fanatic by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gut, Zealous Fanatic MTG card by a specific set like Alchemy Horizons: 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 Gut, Zealous Fanatic and other MTG cards:

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