Invasion of Pyrulea // Gargantuan Slabhorn MTG Card

Invasion of Pyrulea sets the stage for Gargantuan Slabhorn, giving players a strategic resource advantage. The card offers flexibility with resource acceleration and an efficient mana cost for earlier threats. Instant speed casting of Invasion part provides surprise plays and tempo control in matches.

Invasion of Pyrulea // Gargantuan Slabhorn - March of the Machine

Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Beast
Abilities	Trample,Transform,Ward
Released	2023-04-21
Set symbol
Set name	March of the Machine
Set code	MOM
Power	4
Toughness	4
Number	240
Frame	2015
Layout	Transform
Border	Black
Illustred by	Nicholas Gregory

Text of card

Trample, ward Other transformed permanents you control have trample and ward .

To the slabhorn, the branches of the Invasion Tree were as brittle as the stems of a Pyrulean fern.

Cards like Invasion of Pyrulea // Gargantuan Slabhorn

Invasion of Pyrulea // Gargantuan Slabhorn stands out within the Magic: The Gathering landscape for its versatility and sheer potential to change the battlefield dynamics. As a modal double-faced card, it offers players two distinct options that can be tailored to the current game state. Comparable to other flexible cards like Azorius Charm, which gives players a choice in how to respond to their opponent’s moves, Invasion of Pyrulea lets a player ramp their mana base similarly to Growth Spiral. Yet, it also allows for an alternative plan with the transformation into Gargantuan Slabhorn, a sizable creature that can dominate games.

Assessing the creature side, the towering presence of Gargantuan Slabhorn can be likened to other behemoths such as Carnage Tyrant. While both cards provide a substantial threat on the board, Gargantuan Slabhorn’s potential to come into play earlier due to the Invasion of Pyrulea side gives it a unique edge. Comparisons can also be drawn to Beanstalk Giant for its land-finding ability fused with a large creature payoff. Still, the option to switch strategies mid-game makes Invasion of Pyrulea // Gargantuan Slabhorn a particularly intriguing choice for strategic MTG deck builders.

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Invasion of Pyrulea // Gargantuan Slabhorn offers a double-layered benefit as when you cast Invasion of Pyrulea, it paves the way for slam-dunking Gargantuan Slabhorn onto the battlefield later. This sequence ensures you’re not just playing cards, but also building towards a significant presence on the board, putting you ahead in resource count.

Resource Acceleration: With Gargantuan Slabhorn’s efficient mana cost and the potential ramp provided by green mana symbols in the card’s cost, it accelerates your resource development. This allows you to deploy larger threats ahead of schedule, turning the tides of the game in your favor.

Instant Speed: While the Slabhorn half doesn’t benefit from instant speed, Invasion of Pyrulea does, letting you flexibly respond to your opponent’s moves. Casting it at the end of your opponent’s turn can surprise them, keeping your options open and maintaining the tempo, a critical aspect for control and midrange strategies.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Gargantuan Slabhorn card comes with the caveat of needing to discard other cards to harness its full potential. Discarding can be a strategic setback, especially if your hand is already strained for cards. This sacrifice might not always align with your game plan, diminishing your ability to maintain card advantage over your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that includes specific color requirements, the Gargantuan Slabhorn might not fit seamlessly into multicolored decks. This can potentially limit the card’s versatility across different deck types, forcing players to build around these mana demands or adjust their mana base to accommodate it.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment needed to play Gargantuan Slabhorn is quite significant. When evaluated against other creatures or spells in the same cost bracket, it becomes clear that there are alternatives that could provide equal or greater value for less mana, or with added flexibility. The high cost might deter some players from including it in their decks, favoring more cost-efficient options.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Invasion of Pyrulea // Gargantuan Slabhorn slides effortlessly into numerous deck types, bolstering those that require a strong defensive presence or that capitalize on alternate casting costs and morph mechanics.

Combo Potential: This card opens up a world of intricate plays, fitting nicely into strategies that pivot around powerful enters-the-battlefield effects or those that utilize the substantial statline of the Gargantuan Slabhorn for synergistic creature interactions.

Meta-Relevance: Given its robustness and adaptability, it often finds a home in diverse meta environments, contending well against decks that may not be prepared for its significant board impact or those that underestimate the tactical advantage it can provide.

How to beat Invasion of Pyrulea // Gargantuan Slabhorn

When facing the dual-faced card Invasion of Pyrulea // Gargantuan Slabhorn, careful planning is key. On one side, Invasion of Pyrulea offers a multiplicative enchantment that churns out a steady stream of tokens. This mechanic can quickly overwhelm unprepared players. To counter this, instant-speed removals such as Doom Blade or board wipes like Wrath of God can keep the tokens at bay and neutralize the threat before it grows out of control.

Flipping to the Gargantuan Slabhorn, we encounter a massive creature that can dominate the battlefield. High toughness creatures can act as a formidable wall against it. Ensnaring Bridge, for instance, can render the Slabhorn unable to attack, while imposing a sizeable obstacle for other heavy hitters your opponent may deploy. Moreover, cards that can alter the combat math, like Maze of Ith or evasion-granting spells like Levitation, can nullify the Slabhorn’s sheer force and provide you with a strategic advantage during combat phases.

Overall, countering Invasion of Pyrulea // Gargantuan Slabhorn involves being proactive. Swift removal, strategic defenses, and keen resource management can dismantle the looming threats posed by this versatile card and secure your position in the game.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Invasion of Pyrulea // Gargantuan Slabhorn MTG card by a specific set like 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 Pyrulea // Gargantuan Slabhorn and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Invasion of Pyrulea // Gargantuan Slabhorn 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 Pyrulea // Gargantuan Slabhorn 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	A “transformed permanent” is a double-faced permanent with its back face up. Notably, modal double-faced permanents and melded permanents are never transformed permanents, no matter which faces are up.
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 you reveal a land or double-faced card for Invasion of Pyrulea’s ability, that revealed card will be the one you draw.
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	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.”