King Macar, the Gold-Cursed MTG Card


King Macar, the Gold-Cursed - Journey into Nyx
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Noble
Abilities Inspired
Released2014-05-02
Set symbol
Set nameJourney into Nyx
Set codeJOU
Power 2
Toughness 3
Number74
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byGreg Staples

Key Takeaways

  1. King Macar excels at transforming enemies into assets, giving you a resource edge and disrupting foes.
  2. Generates mana through Gold tokens, accelerating plays and facilitating multicolored deck strategies.
  3. Instant speed pairings heighten King Macar’s defensive and interactive play potential within the game.

Text of card

Inspired — Whenever King Macar, the Gold-Cursed becomes untapped, you may exile target creature. If you do, put a colorless artifact token named Gold onto the battlefield. It has "Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: King Macar the Gold-Cursed brings a unique twist to gaining card advantage in games. Instead of drawing, this legendary figure transforms tapped creatures into Gold tokens, which effectively removes opponents’ threats while enriching your board state with resources.

Resource Acceleration: The Gold tokens that King Macar the Gold-Cursed produces can be sacrificed for mana, providing a significant boost in resource acceleration. This ability not only aids in executing high-cost spells ahead of schedule but also supports multi-colored deck strategies with its flexible mana generation.

Instant Speed: Although King Macar the Gold-Cursed operates at sorcery speed, his ability can be paired with vehicles or other cards that tap creatures at instant speed. This creates opportunities to disrupt your opponent’s strategy during their turn, by untapping King Macar with various MTG cards and artifacts, allowing for surprise interactions and maintaining a defensive stance while still advancing your board presence.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: King Macar the Gold-Cursed asks players for a bit more than just a tap to activate its abilities. The card’s insatiable need to attack for its gold-generating ability often means discarding an initial strategy to make room for its unique mechanism, a trade-off that can backfire if not properly supported.

Specific Mana Cost: Cast in a solid gold mana mold, this King demands two black mana in its cost. This specific investment ties you to a mono-black or limited color scheme, potentially constricting deck diversity and leaving less room for creative deckbuilding.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With four mana to let this monarch ascend his throne, players might pause, wondering if the resources might be better spent elsewhere. Perhaps a lower cost creature that generates tokens or a spell that disrupts the opponent’s field could offer more immediate results compared to the waiting game that King Macar plays.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: King Macar the Gold-Cursed is a unique card that can adapt to various deck types, especially those that revolve around tap and untap mechanics or that use gold tokens as a resource for spells and abilities.

Combo Potential: With the right setup, this card transforms creatures into valuable gold tokens, offering synergy with strategies that exploit artifacts or benefit from sacrificing permanents for a greater effect.

Meta-Relevance: In a format where creature-based strategies are prevalent, King Macar proves to be a consistent source of board control, making him a strategic addition to decks that thrive on disrupting opponents’ creature plays.


How to beat

King Macar, the Gold-Cursed poses an intriguing challenge to players across the MTG universe. This legendary creature’s ability to transform other creatures into gold can significantly disrupt your board presence. To successfully navigate this treacherous ability, one should prioritize removal spells that can address King Macar without having to declare him as an attacker or blocker, thereby circumventing his Inspired mechanic. Spells like Murder, Path to Exile, or even board wipes like Wrath of God come into play effectively here.

Furthermore, limiting King Macar’s ability to untap by using cards like Frozen Aether or leveraging creature tap abilities in your favor with the likes of Tangle Wire, can provide a strategic advantage. An alternative tactic involves utilizing enchantments like Pacifism to neutralize him without sending him to the graveyard, thereby avoiding triggering any potential recursion strategies your opponent might have.

The key to beating King Macar lies in preemptively managing his untap triggers and having a robust suite of removals or control elements. By maintaining a solid defense against his ability to control the field, players can ensure that King Macar’s curse remains a manageable threat.


BurnMana Recommendations

King Macar the Gold-Cursed offers interesting dynamics to any MTG player’s collection, with abilities that can swing the tide of battle in your favor. Card advantage, mana acceleration, and a knack for disrupting the opponent’s plans make King Macar a formidable asset. Recognize, however, the considerations involving deck diversity and mana investment. Understanding both the strengths and potential drawbacks is key to harnessing this card’s full potential. If you’re eager to master new strategies or seeking a card that stands out for its unique abilities, explore further with us. Embrace the challenge and refine your decks with King Macar’s golden touch.


Cards like King Macar, the Gold-Cursed

King Macar the Gold-Cursed is an intriguing legendary creature card in MTG that provides a unique approach to controlling the battlefield. It draws comparisons to Gilded Drake for its ability to exchange control of creatures. While Gilded Drake swaps with an opponent’s creature upon entering the battlefield, King Macar’s ability hinges on him becoming tapped, offering a different tactical flexibility. Both cards provide utility in creature management but differ significantly in their activation conditions and long-term board impact.

Comparably, cards like Dark Impostor harness the power to exile creatures, however, Dark Impostor also gains the abilities of the exiled cards, something King Macar doesn’t. But King Macar offers a consistent source of generating artifact tokens in the form of Gold, which can be leveraged for mana acceleration or various synergies within a deck. Xantcha, Sleeper Agent presents another indirect form of creature control but focuses more on politics and asymmetric resource denial, lacking the repeatable advantage of artifact creation seen with King Macar.

In essence, King Macar the Gold-Cursed stands out in MTG for its distinctive combination of creature control and resource generation, reflecting why it carves its own niche among legendary creatures with control abilities.

Gilded Drake - MTG Card versions
Dark Impostor - MTG Card versions
Xantcha, Sleeper Agent - MTG Card versions
Gilded Drake - Urza's Saga (USG)
Dark Impostor - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Xantcha, Sleeper Agent - Treasure Chest (PZ2)

Cards similar to King Macar, the Gold-Cursed by color, type and mana cost

Hell's Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Rag Man - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Debaser - MTG Card versions
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions
Slinking Skirge - MTG Card versions
Gravedigger - MTG Card versions
Scandalmonger - MTG Card versions
Urborg Shambler - MTG Card versions
Whispering Shade - MTG Card versions
Filth - MTG Card versions
Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions
Bold Plagiarist - MTG Card versions
Toxin Sliver - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Spirit - MTG Card versions
Nim Shambler - MTG Card versions
Scourge of Numai - MTG Card versions
Deathgazer - MTG Card versions
Dirty Wererat - MTG Card versions
Faceless Butcher - MTG Card versions
Crowd of Cinders - MTG Card versions
Hell's Caretaker - Chronicles (CHR)
Rag Man - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Phyrexian Debaser - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Slinking Skirge - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Gravedigger - The List (PLST)
Scandalmonger - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Urborg Shambler - Invasion (INV)
Whispering Shade - Odyssey (ODY)
Filth - Judgment (JUD)
Demon of Catastrophes - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Bold Plagiarist - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Toxin Sliver - Legions (LGN)
Vampiric Spirit - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Nim Shambler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Scourge of Numai - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Deathgazer - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Dirty Wererat - Hachette UK (PHUK)
Faceless Butcher - Time Spiral Timeshifted (TSB)
Crowd of Cinders - Shadowmoor (SHM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase King Macar, the Gold-Cursed MTG card by a specific set like Journey into Nyx, 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 King Macar, the Gold-Cursed and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where King Macar, the Gold-Cursed has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering King Macar, the Gold-Cursed card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2014-04-26 If an inspired ability triggers during your untap step, the ability will be put on the stack at the beginning of your upkeep. If the ability creates one or more token creatures, those creatures won't be able to attack that turn (unless they gain haste).
2014-04-26 If the inspired ability includes an optional cost, you decide whether to pay that cost as the ability resolves. You can do this even if the creature leaves the battlefield in response to the ability.
2014-04-26 Inspired abilities don't trigger when the creature enters the battlefield.
2014-04-26 Inspired abilities trigger no matter how the creature becomes untapped: by the turn-based action at the beginning of the untap step or by a spell or ability.
2014-04-26 The player who controlled King Macar when its ability triggered will control the artifact token, not the player who controlled the creature that was exiled.

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