Invasion of Gobakhan // Lightshield Array MTG Card
2023-04-21 - Number 22s
2023-04-21 - Number 22
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Battle — Siege |
| Abilities | Transform |
Text of card
(As a Siege enters, choose an opponent to protect it. You and others can attack it. When it's defeated, exile it, then cast it transformed.) When Invasion of Gobakhan enters the battlefield, look at target opponent's hand. You may exile a nonland card from it. For as long as that card remains exiled, its owner may play it. A spell cast this way costs more to cast.
Cards like Invasion of Gobakhan // Lightshield Array
The Invasion of Gobakhan card has sparked interest among MTG players who are keen on leveraging creature enhancements. It stands in comparison with other cards such as Overrun. Both cards boost creatures’ power, but Invasion of Gobakhan provides an additional benefit with its ability to grant haste to your creatures. Overrun, however, gives creatures trample, which Invasion of Gobakhan lacks.
When weighing it against Siege-Gang Commander, another card that favors the go-wide strategy, Invasion of Gobakhan doesn’t create creature tokens but excels at empowering existing ones. Siege-Gang Commander creates immediate board presence with three goblin tokens, whereas Invasion of Gobakhan can sway the game by turning an established board into an immediate threat.
In conclusion, while each card serves a strategic purpose in creature-focused decks, Invasion of Gobakhan holds its own as a powerful enhancer. For those looking to scale their creatures’ aggression and catch opponents off-guard with hasty attacks, Invasion of Gobakhan could be favored over others that provide either token generation or the trample mechanic.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Invasion of Gobakhan creates multiple creature tokens, overwhelming the battlefield and providing you with more creatures than the single card you played. This increases your stronghold on the game, offering significant card advantage.
Resource Acceleration: By putting several creature tokens onto the field, Invasion of Gobakhan can enhance your resource acceleration. These tokens can be excellent blockers, attackers, or used for other synergistic effects, optimizing your board state rapidly compared to your opponents.
Instant Speed: The real power surges as Invasion of Gobakhan can be cast at instant speed. This flexible timing allows you to adapt to the game’s shifting dynamics, potentially surprising your opponent by amassing a potent defense or offensive force at the end of their turn, making it tougher for them to plan and respond effectively.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Engaging with Invasion of Gobakhan can be challenging due to its demand that players discard a card as part of its casting cost. This compulsion can hamper your game plan, especially if your hand is already dwindling or the strategic value of each card is high.
Specific Mana Cost: Tapping into the power of Invasion of Gobakhan requires a particular combination of mana, which necessitates deck builds to have a reliable mana base to ensure it can be cast consistently. Restrictive mana requirements can deter its inclusion in decks that run a wider color palette.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Invasion of Gobakhan has the potential to shape the battlefield, its effectiveness is weighed against its mana cost. For decks aiming for efficiency and velocity, there are alternatives that could provide similar benefits without the heftier investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Invasion of Gobakhan excels in diverse deck builds, ideally fitting into strategies that prioritize creature flood and aggressive plays.
Combo Potential: This card opens up avenues for numerous synergies, particularly with mechanics that thrive off of deploying numerous creatures, such as populate or convoke.
Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to rapidly amass a formidable creature presence, Invasion of Gobakhan is well-positioned in a meta that favors swarm tactics and overwhelming board states.
How to Beat
Invasion of Gobakhan is one of those Magic: The Gathering cards that can drastically shift the game’s momentum in favor of those who wield it effectively. To counteract this card, players need to adopt strategies that mitigate the advantages it offers. A key tactic is to maintain removal spells or board wipes in your hand, ready to deploy once the card hits the battlefield. Sweepers like Wrath of God or Doomskar can clear out the tokens it generates, negating the immediate threat.
Another approach is to focus on pressure. Aggressive decks that can outpace the setup time required for Invasion of Gobakhan can often disrupt your opponent before they fully leverage its benefits. Speed is essential—capitalize on the early stages of the game. Additionally, consider running counter spells or hand disruption tools to prevent Invasion of Gobakhan from being played in the first place. Thoughtseize or Counterspell are classic cards that can thwart the casting of this potent spell. Lastly, instant speed interaction during your opponent’s turn can help disrupt their strategic plans, so be vigilant and ready to act.
BurnMana Recommendations
Mastering the rugged terrains of MTG is a quest for both the cunning and the bold. Invasion of Gobakhan is a card that can decisively tilt the game in your favor with its creature token generation at instant speed, offering a significant card advantage and resource acceleration to your game. However, it comes with its own set of challenges, such as its discard requirement and specific mana cost. Whether you’re building a new deck or refining an existing one, understanding the card’s strengths and weaknesses is crucial. Ready to take your deck to the next level? Explore with us and find out how Invasion of Gobakhan can transform your plays into momentous victories. Dive deeper into our content for more insights and strategies tailored for earnest MTG players like yourself.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Invasion of Gobakhan // Lightshield Array MTG card by a specific set like March of the Machine Promos and March of the Machine, 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 Invasion of Gobakhan // Lightshield Array and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Invasion of Gobakhan // Lightshield Array Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2023-04-21 and 2023-04-21. Illustrated by Andreas Zafiratos.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-04-21 | March of the Machine Promos | PMOM | 22s | 2015 | Transform | Black | Andreas Zafiratos | |
| 2 | 2023-04-21 | March of the Machine | MOM | 22 | 2015 | Transform | Black | Andreas Zafiratos |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Invasion of Gobakhan // Lightshield Array has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| 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 Invasion of Gobakhan // Lightshield Array card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-04-14 | A Siege’s controller can’t be its protector. If a Siege’s protector ever gains control of it, they choose a new player to be its protector. This is a state-based action. |
| 2023-04-14 | A battle can be attacked by all players other than its protector. Notably, this means a Siege’s controller can attack it. |
| 2023-04-14 | A battle can be dealt damage and be target of spells and/or abilities that target “any target.” |
| 2023-04-14 | A battle’s “defense” is displayed in the bottom right corner of the card. A battle enters the battlefield with that number of defense counters. If another permanent enters the battlefield as a copy of a battle, it also enters with that number of defense counters. |
| 2023-04-14 | As a Siege enters the battlefield, its controller chooses an opponent to be its protector. |
| 2023-04-14 | Battles can’t attack or block, even if one also becomes a creature. If an attacking or blocking creature somehow becomes a battle in addition to being a creature, it is removed from combat. |
| 2023-04-14 | Damage dealt to a battle causes that many defense counters to be removed from it. |
| 2023-04-14 | If a Siege never had defense counters on it (perhaps because a permanent became a copy of one), it can’t have its last defense counter removed. It will be put into its owner’s graveyard. You won’t exile it or cast the other face. |
| 2023-04-14 | If a battle has no defense counters, and it isn’t the source of a triggered ability that has triggered but not yet left the stack, that battle is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action. This doesn’t cause a Siege’s intrinsic triggered ability to trigger. |
| 2023-04-14 | If a battle that’s being attacked somehow stops being a battle, it is removed from combat. Similarly, if its controller changes in the middle of combat, it is removed from combat. |
| 2023-04-14 | If a non-battle permanent that is already on the battlefield become a copy of a Siege, its controller chooses one of their opponents to be that battle’s protector. However, it will most likely be put into its owner’s graveyard because it has no defense counters (see below). |
| 2023-04-14 | If a permanent that is represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it will be exiled as that Siege’s triggered ability resolves, then it will be cast transformed. Note that this applies only to transforming double-faced cards, not to modal double-faced cards that can normally be played using either face. |
| 2023-04-14 | If a token or a card that isn’t represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it can’t be cast as its triggered ability resolves. It will remain in exile. If it’s a token, it will cease to exist the next time state-based actions are performed. |
| 2023-04-14 | If the exiled card is a modal double-faced card and its back face is a land, its owner may play it as a land. (Note that if the front face is also a land, you couldn’t have exiled it to begin with.) |
| 2023-04-14 | In a multiplayer game, if the protector of a battle leaves the game and that battle is not currently being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it as a state-based action. If it is being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it once no creatures are attacking it. This means that it continues to be attacked and can be dealt combat damage as normal. |
| 2023-04-14 | Only creatures controlled by a battle’s protector can block creatures that are attacking that battle. This means a Siege’s controller can never assign creatures to block for it. |
| 2023-04-14 | Playing the exiled card follows all normal timing restrictions. |
| 2023-04-14 | Sieges each have an intrinsic triggered ability. That ability is “When the last defense counter is removed from this permanent, exile it, then you may cast it transformed without paying its mana cost.” |
| 2023-04-14 | The set of creatures affected by Lightshield Array’s last ability is determined as the ability resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn and noncreature permanents that become creatures later in the turn won’t gain hexproof and indestructible. |