Gilt-Blade Prowler MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Rogue
Power 2
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Gilt-Blade Prowler provides deck filtering for strategic draw improvement, translating to potential card advantage.
  2. Its instant speed ability enhances gameplay flexibility, allowing decisions and plays that could pivot the game.
  3. However, its specific mana cost and discard requirement may limit its versatility and prompt strategic deck-building.

Text of card

, , Pay 1 life: Draw a card. Activate only if you've discarded a card this turn.

"Let's just say my people are in the business of capital acquisition and intellectual property speculation." —Er-Miral


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gilt-Blade Prowler offers unique deck filtering abilities, providing you with the opportunity to sift through the top cards of your library, choosing just the right tool for the current game state. This adaptability can often translate into a compelling form of card advantage, as it elevates the quality of your hand through careful selection.

Resource Acceleration: While Gilt-Blade Prowler itself may not directly generate additional resources, its role in smoothing out your draws can indirectly lead to resource acceleration. By helping you consistently make land drops or find the necessary mana-fixing cards, it ensures you can deploy your threats and answers more efficiently over the course of a match.

Instant Speed: The ability to activate Gilt-Blade Prowler’s ability at instant speed grants you tremendous flexibility. You can end your opponent’s turn by improving your upcoming draw, or hold up mana to react to their plays with instant-speed spells. This versatility allows for more strategic depth and decision-making, which can be instrumental in clinching victories.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Gilt-Blade Prowler’s ability necessitates that a player discards a card, which may be a significant setback when hand size is already depleted or when the discarded card could be crucial for upcoming plays.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting requirement for Gilt-Blade Prowler involves both black and blue mana, making it less flexible and potentially challenging to cast on curve in multi-colored decks not specifically tailored to accommodate its mana needs.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With other creatures and spells in the metagame offering similar or greater value for less mana, Gilt-Blade Prowler’s mana cost may be considered steep for the tempo and utility it brings to the table.


Reasons to Include Gilt-Blade Prowler in Your Collection

Versatility: Gilt-Blade Prowler is a multi-faceted card that can slide into various decks. As a creature with a solid power-to-mana-cost ratio, it can provide both offensive and defensive advantages no matter the situation on the board.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to grant you perfect information about your opponent’s hand when boosted is invaluable. Pairing it with cards that capitalize on hand knowledge can be a game-changer, offering an unexpected synergy within tactical plays.

Meta-Relevance: With a meta that fluctuates, having a card that can tackle different strategies and archetypes is essential. Gilt-Blade Prowler fits well within a variety of environments, and its ability to adapt to ever-changing game dynamics increases its worth within your array of strategies.


How to beat Gilt-Blade Prowler

Gilt-Blade Prowler introduces an intriguing dynamic to creature combat within the Magic: The Gathering battlefield. This shadowy figure can be a real nuisance, mainly due to its hexproof ability, which shields it from targeted spells or abilities your opponents control. To outmaneuver this elusive adversary, switching tactics is essential. One effective strategy is deploying board wipes — these are spells that can clear the field without targeting individual creatures, thus bypassing the hexproof shield of Gilt-Blade Prowler.

Mass removal cards like Wrath of God or Damnation offer a clean slate by destroying all creatures. Another angle is to use spells that force your opponent to sacrifice creatures, as these do not target either, circumventing the hexproof barrier. Cards such as Liliana of the Veil or Diabolic Edict are prime examples that can apply this pressure. Alternatively, employing creatures with global effects, such as Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, can diminish a prowler’s impact by reducing its power and toughness indirectly.

Understanding and utilizing these methods gives you a solid defense against Gilt-Blade Prowler’s stealthy tactics. In this vein, adapting your deck to include such responses can turn the tide in your favor, showcasing the depth and strategy involved in Magic: The Gathering deck-building and gameplay.


Cards like Gilt-Blade Prowler

Gilt-Blade Prowler introduces a refined twist on the hand disruption mechanic in Magic: The Gathering. It can be likened to cards such as Thoughtseize or Duress, which are staples for stripping opponents of key cards. The Prowler, though, offers a broader stroke by potentially hitting any nonland card, not just those centered around particular types or high-cost spells.

When comparing Gilt-Blade Prowler to Kitesail Freebooter, we find both cards have the potential to disrupt opponent strategies. Kitesail Freebooter can snatch noncreature, nonland cards but only those with a converted mana cost of 3 or less, whereas the Prowler’s restriction is solely on nonland cards, making it a more flexible choice in certain decks.

Another notable parallel is with Brain Maggot. Both creatures allow you to look at an opponent’s hand and exile a card, but the Prowler boasts a more robust body, making it a better option for presence on the board. When considering these selections, Gilt-Blade Prowler certainly holds its ground with a combination of disruption and board presence, making it a worthwhile consideration for players seeking to enhance their disruptive strategy.

Thoughtseize - MTG Card versions
Duress - MTG Card versions
Kitesail Freebooter - MTG Card versions
Brain Maggot - MTG Card versions
Thoughtseize - Lorwyn (LRW)
Duress - Urza's Saga (USG)
Kitesail Freebooter - Ixalan (XLN)
Brain Maggot - Journey into Nyx (JOU)

Cards similar to Gilt-Blade Prowler by color, type and mana cost

Nettling Imp - MTG Card versions
Royal Assassin - MTG Card versions
Plague Rats - MTG Card versions
El-Hajjâj - MTG Card versions
Frozen Shade - MTG Card versions
Scathe Zombies - MTG Card versions
Sorceress Queen - MTG Card versions
Wall of Bone - MTG Card versions
Lost Soul - MTG Card versions
Mindstab Thrull - MTG Card versions
Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions
Strongarm Thug - MTG Card versions
Razortooth Rats - MTG Card versions
Ghastly Remains - MTG Card versions
Lord of the Undead - MTG Card versions
Deepwood Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Dross Prowler - MTG Card versions
Nim Lasher - MTG Card versions
Nim Abomination - MTG Card versions
Vesper Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Nettling Imp - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Royal Assassin - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Plague Rats - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
El-Hajjâj - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Frozen Shade - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Scathe Zombies - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Sorceress Queen - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Wall of Bone - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Lost Soul - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Mindstab Thrull - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Mischievous Poltergeist - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Strongarm Thug - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Razortooth Rats - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Ghastly Remains - Legions (LGN)
Lord of the Undead - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Deepwood Ghoul - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Dross Prowler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Lasher - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Abomination - Darksteel (DST)
Vesper Ghoul - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gilt-Blade Prowler MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons 2 and Jumpstart: Historic Horizons, 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 Gilt-Blade Prowler and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Gilt-Blade Prowler Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-06-18 and 2021-08-26. Illustrated by Evyn Fong.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12021-06-18Modern Horizons 2MH2 862015normalblackEvyn Fong
22021-08-26Jumpstart: Historic HorizonsJ21 3322015normalblackEvyn Fong

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gilt-Blade Prowler has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks