Ivory Gargoyle MTG Card
1996-06-10 - Number 5
2008-09-22 - Number 19
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Gargoyle |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
Flying If Ivory Gargoyle is put into the graveyard from play, put it into play under owner's control at end of turn and skip your next draw phase. o4o W: Remove Ivory Gargoyle from the game.
Cards like Ivory Gargoyle
Ivory Gargoyle presents an intriguing choice for players looking to incorporate resilient creatures into their Magic: The Gathering decks. Resembling cards like Adanto Vanguard in its capacity to return from the graveyard, Ivory Gargoyle takes the concept further. Unlike Adanto Vanguard, which grants indestructibility at a life cost, Ivory Gargoyle can be brought back after a certain condition is met, enriching strategic depth.
Another card that echoes a similar durability is Reassembling Skeleton. This card can be repeatedly returned to the battlefield, which mirrors the self-recursion theme of Ivory Gargoyle. However, Reassembling Skeleton offers this return at a straightforward mana cost, bypassing the attack phase restrictions, thus providing guaranteed board presence. Furthermore, Mistmoon Griffin also shares the graveyard-triggered rebirth theme but differs in how it targets another creature in your graveyard to resurrect.
Overall, Ivory Gargoyle’s unique combination of aerial power and death-defying traits carves its niche among creatures with self-reanimation abilities. Its conditional return and attack requirement push players to strategize carefully, offering a compelling choice in the realm of persistent threats.
Cards similar to Ivory Gargoyle by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The ability of Ivory Gargoyle to return to the battlefield during the upkeep after it’s been destroyed provides a persistent threat, effectively granting you card advantage as your opponents will have to deal with it multiple times.
Resource Acceleration: Although not directly a resource acceleration card, Ivory Gargoyle enables longer game sustainability, which indirectly benefits strategies that capitalize over time, allowing you to maintain or stretch resources farther.
Instant Speed: Ivory Gargoyle can be activated at instant speed, offering flexibility in response to battlefield changes. This means you can decide during your upkeep if it’s advantageous to bring it back or leave it in the graveyard depending on the game state.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: With Ivory Gargoyle, getting it back into play after death requires a hefty discard. For players who may already be managing limited hand size, this cost is steep and can lead to a disadvantaged state if precious cards are lost.
Specific Mana Cost: Ivory Gargoyle’s casting cost demands white mana, which means its inclusion is mainly viable for mono-white or multicolor decks that can reliably produce this color. Players piloting other color combinations will find it challenging to use without the appropriate mana fixing.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The initial mana outlay to get Ivory Gargoyle on the board is considerable. In an environment where efficiency is crucial, dedicating five mana to cast a single creature that doesn’t have an immediate board impact can put you at a tempo disadvantage against decks with leaner, swifter threats or those deploying multiple spells in a turn.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Ivory Gargoyle stands out for its ability to adapt to various playstyles. As a creature that can easily return from the graveyard, it can serve multiple roles, from defense to recurring aerial threat in different deck archetypes.
Combo Potential: This particular card offers interesting synergies, especially in decks focused on manipulating graveyard mechanics. Its return to the battlefield can be exploited for enter-the-battlefield effects or sacrifice-based strategies.
Meta-Relevance: With shifting metagames that often favor resilient creatures, Ivory Gargoyle’s enduring presence can be a thorn in the side of opponents, fitting well into environments where games reach later stages and where each card’s long-term value is pivotal.
How to beat
Ivory Gargoyle presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. As a card with the ability to return from the graveyard to the battlefield, it can be quite resilient. Players seeking to overcome this creature should focus on strategies that prevent it from returning. Utilizing graveyard hate cards like Rest in Peace can be effective as it prevents cards from going to the graveyard, thus neutralizing the Gargoyle’s comeback ability.
Another strategy is to employ exile effects. Rather than destroying the Gargoyle, which would allow its encore performance from the graveyard, cards like Path to Exile, or those with activated abilities that exile creatures, steer you clear from its recurrent threat. Remember, once Ivory Gargoyle is exiled, it stays out of play, rendering any prospects of its return null and void.
Ultimately, the best method to handle Ivory Gargoyle involves a combination of strategic planning and the right choice of spells that either bypass the graveyard or remove creatures from the game entirely. By keeping these tactics in mind, players can keep the pesky Gargoyle at bay and maintain control of the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ivory Gargoyle MTG card by a specific set like Alliances and Masters Edition II, 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 Ivory Gargoyle 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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Printings
The Ivory Gargoyle Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1996-06-10 and 2008-09-22. Illustrated by Quinton Hoover.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1996-06-10 | Alliances | ALL | 5 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Quinton Hoover | |
| 2 | 2008-09-22 | Masters Edition II | ME2 | 19 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Quinton Hoover |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ivory Gargoyle has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ivory Gargoyle card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-10-01 | The player who controlled Ivory Gargoyle when it was put into a graveyard will skip their next draw step even if Ivory Gargoyle is returned to the battlefield under a different player’s control (because it’s owned by someone else) or isn’t returned to the battlefield at all (because it left the graveyard before the end of the turn, for example). |
| 2008-10-01 | The second ability can be activated only if Ivory Gargoyle is on the battlefield. |