Ichorplate Golem MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Golem |
| Released | 2023-02-03 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Phyrexia: All Will Be One |
| Set code | ONE |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 230 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Sam Wolfe Connelly |
Text of card
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, if it has one or more oil counters on it, put an oil counter on it. Creatures you control with oil counters on them get +1/+1.
Cards like Ichorplate Golem
The Ichorplate Golem stands out within the artifact creature landscape of MTG. Its stature and lack of colored mana dependencies make it a resilient choice for decks that can accommodate artifacts with a more colorless strategy. When compared to other golems like the Spined Thopter, the Ichorplate Golem demands more resources for its deployment but compensates with its greater durability and resistance against removal. The Spined Thopter, with its lower cost and flying ability, offers a different form of utility, emphasizing agility and evasion over raw strength.
Considering the Palladium Myr, a golem providing mana acceleration, we notice a shift in role from defense to resource generation. Although the Palladium Myr presents a lesser threat on the battlefield, it excels in ramping up a player’s mana pool, unlike the more combat-oriented Ichorplate Golem. Meanwhile, the Darksteel Sentinel offers up indestructibility, showcasing an alternative approach to surviving on the board compared to the Ichorplate Golem’s more straightforward bulk and presence.
In examining these varied aspects, the Ichorplate Golem justifies its place in Magic: The Gathering with its solid form and compatibility with artifact-centric strategies, offering a unique blend of steadiness in the face of an ever-changing battlefield.
Cards similar to Ichorplate Golem by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Ichorplate Golem can be particularly beneficial in decks that manipulate or utilize the graveyard. Its ability to add itself from the battlefield to your hand creates a positive loop that ensures you have a continuous creature play each turn, significantly enhancing your hand resources.
Resource Acceleration: In artifact-centric decks, playing Ichorplate Golem can contribute to the synergy that accelerates your resource development. Its presence strengthens artifact counts, which can be pivotal for powering up mechanisms or activating abilities of other cards that depend on the number of artifacts you control.
Instant Speed: While Ichorplate Golem itself may not operate at instant speed, its robust structure allows you to keep your mana open for other critical plays. You can develop your board with the golem while holding onto instant speed removals and counterspells, knowing your defenses are shored up against incoming threats thanks to its substantial body.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Ichorplate Golem demands a discard from your hand to activate its abilities. This can deplete your hand and reduce your options over the course of a game, particularly if you’re playing a deck that doesn’t replenish its hand swiftly.
Specific Mana Cost: Tailored for artifact-centric decks with its specific mana requirements, the Ichorplate Golem may not be a feasible inclusion in a deck that doesn’t support or benefit from artifact strategies, potentially limiting its versatility in broader deck types.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: In a game where speed can be crucial, the higher mana cost of the Ichorplate Golem can be a significant setback, especially when considering other creatures or spells that might provide immediate impact or have lower cost-to-effect ratios.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Ichorplate Golem offers adaptability to decks that thrive on synergies with artifact creatures. With its formidable presence on the battlefield, it can be a strategic fit for artifact-centric and mid-range builds alike.
Combo Potential: This card can become a lynchpin in combos that capitalize on artifact count, playing particularly well with effects that buff artifacts or proliferate counters, thereby enhancing its utility and impact.
Meta-Relevance: In a game environment that rewards resilience and board presence, the Ichorplate Golem stands up to the test. Its synergy with prevalent artifact strategies could make it a mainstay in competitive play circles.
How to Beat
The Ichorplate Golem offers a unique challenge on the battlefield with its formidable presence in Magic: The Gathering. Being a creature that boasts a significant toughness and the potential to become unblockable with poison counters, it invites strategic counterplay to overcome it. One effective strategy to defeat this metal behemoth is through the use of direct removal spells. Cards like Doom Blade or Path to Exile can efficiently handle the Golem without letting its abilities impact the game state.
Another viable tactic involves countering the spells that would summon Ichorplate Golem in the first place. Holding onto a Counterspell or Mana Leak can nip the problem in the bud before it becomes a larger threat. Lastly, employing creature abilities that exile or bounce it back to an opponent’s hand can mitigate the issues posed by the Golem. Unsummon or Oblivion Ring provide such solutions, removing the creature from the field and providing a tempo advantage.
When facing Ichorplate Golem, remember to keep a versatile removal suite at the ready, or disrupt your opponent’s plan early on. This way, you’ll maintain an upper hand and prevent any poisonous encroachment on your path to victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ichorplate Golem MTG card by a specific set like Phyrexia: All Will Be One, 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 Ichorplate Golem and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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
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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ichorplate Golem 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 |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ichorplate Golem card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-02-04 | If a creature has at least one oil counter on it, it gets +1/+1 due to Ichorplate Golem's effect. It does not get any additional bonus for having more oil counters on it. |
| 2023-02-04 | The first ability will check to see if a creature has any oil counters on it at the moment it entered the battlefield. If it doesn't, the ability won't trigger at all. This means that if the creature doesn't enter the battlefield with oil counters on it, there isn't an opportunity to put oil counters on it after it has already entered to get Ichorplate Golem's first ability to trigger. If the ability does trigger, it will check again as it tries to resolve. If the creature has no oil counters on it at that time, the ability will do nothing. |