Gonti, Lord of Luxury MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 11 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Aetherborn Rogue
Abilities Deathtouch
Power 2
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Gonti thrives in creating card advantage by accessing opponents’ top cards, enhancing game flexibility.
  2. Despite a high mana cost, Gonti’s unique abilities justify its inclusion in diverse deck strategies.
  3. Instant speed removal and graveyard hate are key strategies against Gonti’s recurrent game impact.

Text of card

Deathtouch When Gonti, Lord of Luxury enters the battlefield, look at the top four cards of target opponent's library, exile one of them face down, then put the rest on the bottom of that library in a random order. You may cast that card for as long as it remains exiled, and mana of any type can be spent to cast it.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gonti, Lord of Luxury shines in creating card advantage, providing you with access to your opponent’s top cards, which effectively means you often get the best tool for the current game situation.

Resource Acceleration: Although Gonti itself does not directly accelerate resources, the ability to cast an opponent’s card using any color mana can free up your mana resources for other plays, subtly supporting your mana flexibility and overall strategy.

Instant Speed: While Gonti, Lord of Luxury operates at sorcery speed, the stolen card from your opponent can be an instant, thus indirectly providing the instant-speed utility to disrupt their plans or capitalize on the most opportune moment during the match.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Gonti, Lord of Luxury doesn’t directly demand that you discard cards, the potentially high-return ability comes at the indirect cost of needing a robust hand. To fully utilize Gonti’s triggered effect, you need additional strategies to maintain card advantage or else you risk depleting essential resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Gonti requires a specific mana cost which includes both black and colorless mana. This can be a hurdle in multi-colored decks that may not consistently generate the required mana types, limiting Gonti’s versatility across various deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, two of which must be black, Gonti’s entrance on the battlefield comes later than many other impactful creatures. In a format where speed and efficiency can be crucial to victory, there are alternatives that allow you to impact the board state earlier or at a less restrictive cost.


Reasons to Include Gonti, Lord of Luxury in Your Collection

Versatility: Gonti, Lord of Luxury offers remarkable flexibility, easily slipping into decks centered around control, midrange, or even those employing reanimator tactics. Its ability to “steal” cards from an opponent’s library ensures that it adapts to a wide array of game states, providing value regardless of the match-up.

Combo Potential: With Gonti’s entrance to the battlefield triggering its unique ability, it pairs seamlessly with cards that facilitate flickering or bouncing creatures to and from the battlefield. This allows for repeated use of the ability, potentially yielding a significant card advantage over an opponent.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where having information and resources can decide the outcome, Gonti can give an unexpected edge. The current competitive environment often sees decks that have a multitude of answers. Being able to utilize an opponent’s answers against them can often lead to surprising victories. Its presence in your deck ensures that you’re always equipped to turn the tide in a meta full of surprises.


How to beat

Gonti, Lord of Luxury, is a unique and powerful card in Magic: The Gathering which provides players with not only a deathtouch creature but also a glimpse into the opponent’s deck and a chance to play one of their cards. When faced with Gonti, the key is to prevent its ability from triggering multiple times. This can be accomplished by exiling it or ensuring it does not re-enter the battlefield once it’s dealt with.

Control decks can use instant-speed removal to keep Gonti off the table, effectively negating its enter-the-battlefield ability. Counterspells are also highly effective, stopping Gonti before it can create any advantage for your opponent. For more permanent solutions, cards like Rest in Peace can remove it from the game entirely after its one-time use, preventing any reanimation shenanigans.

Also, be wary of blink or reanimation strategies that aim to abuse Gonti’s ability. Having graveyard hate or effects that stop creatures from entering from anywhere other than a player’s hand can be crucial. In a nutshell, by limiting Gonti’s interactions and recurring presence on the board, you can curb the luxury it offers to your opponent and maintain the upper hand in the match.


BurnMana Recommendations

Gonti, Lord of Luxury is more than just a creature; it’s a strategic tool in MTG that offers card advantage and versatile gameplay. Whether as part of a control setup or entwined in combo-centric decks, its value should not be underestimated. Embrace the possibility to outmaneuver your opponents by utilizing their own weapons against them. To further refine your decks and gain insight on how to incorporate Gonti effectively or combat its elegance, join our community. Dive into our comprehensive guides, discussions, and tips that can transform your gameplay into a luxurious victory.


Cards like Gonti, Lord of Luxury

Gonti, Lord of Luxury carves out a unique spot in the world of MTG as a creature with a distinctive ability to play with an opponent’s deck. Its prowess can be somewhat matched to that of Praetor’s Grasp, which also snatches a card from another player’s library. Yet, Gonti allows for more flexibility, letting you cast the card with any color of mana and keeps it a secret.

In the realm of thievery, cards like Nightveil Specter and Thief of Sanity offer similar mechanics, allowing players to exile cards from the opponent’s library and play them. Nonetheless, Gonti differs in its one-time use with a hint of elegance, bringing the thrill of the unknown with each ETB (Enter The Battlefield) effect. Whereas Nightveil Specter and Thief of Sanity require combat to trigger their abilities, Gonti does not.

Comparing these cards highlights how Gonti, Lord of Luxury shines with a proprietary blend of control, mystery, and mana adaptability. In the MTG ecosystem, Gonti not only disrupts the consistency of the opponent’s deck but also provides strategic advantages that can turn the tide of the game.

Praetor's Grasp - MTG Card versions
Nightveil Specter - MTG Card versions
Thief of Sanity - MTG Card versions
Praetor's Grasp - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Nightveil Specter - Gatecrash Promos (PGTC)
Thief of Sanity - Guilds of Ravnica Promos (PGRN)

Cards similar to Gonti, Lord of Luxury by color, type and mana cost

Hell's Caretaker - MTG Card versions
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Phyrexian Debaser - MTG Card versions
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Scourge of Numai - MTG Card versions
Deathgazer - MTG Card versions
Dirty Wererat - MTG Card versions
Hell's Caretaker - Chronicles (CHR)
Rag Man - Seventh Edition (7ED)
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)
Dirge Bat - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Toxin Sliver - Legions (LGN)
Vampiric Spirit - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Nim Shambler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Bad Ass - Unhinged (UNH)
Scourge of Numai - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Deathgazer - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Dirty Wererat - Hachette UK (PHUK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gonti, Lord of Luxury MTG card by a specific set like Kaladesh Promos and Kaladesh, 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 Gonti, Lord of Luxury and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Gonti, Lord of Luxury Magic the Gathering card was released in 10 different sets between 2016-09-30 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by Daarken.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-09-30Kaladesh PromosPKLD 84s2015normalblackDaarken
22016-09-30KaladeshKLD 842015normalblackDaarken
32016-09-30Kaladesh PromosPKLD 84p2015normalblackDaarken
42019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 6712015normalblackDaarken
52020-07-17JumpstartJMP 2402015normalblackDaarken
62020-09-25Zendikar Rising CommanderZNC 442015normalblackDaarken
72020-09-26The ListPLST KLD-842015normalblackDaarken
82020-11-12Kaladesh RemasteredKLR 932015normalblackDaarken
92021-07-23Forgotten Realms CommanderAFC 1002015normalblackDaarken
102022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 7532015normalblackDaarken
112023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 1622015normalblackDaarken

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gonti, Lord of Luxury has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Gonti, Lord of Luxury card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2016-09-20 An effect that instructs you to “cast” a card doesn't allow you to play lands.
2016-09-20 Casting the card causes it to leave exile. You can't cast it multiple times.
2016-09-20 Gonti doesn't change when you can cast the exiled card. For example, if you exile a creature card without flash, you can cast it only during your main phase when the stack is empty.
2016-09-20 If you leave the game, the card remains exiled face down indefinitely. No player may look at it.
2016-09-20 You may look at and cast that card (and spend mana as though it were mana of any type to do so) even if Gonti leaves the battlefield. If another player gains control of Gonti, that player can't look at or cast the card, and you still can.
2016-09-20 You pay the costs for the exiled card if you cast it. You may pay alternative costs such as emerge rather than the card's mana cost.

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