Guard Dogs MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Dog |
| Released | 2001-02-05 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Planeshift |
| Set code | PLS |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 5 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Mike Raabe |
Key Takeaways
- Guard Dogs can dictate combat outcomes, leading to beneficial trades and board control.
- The card’s instant speed activation adds surprise and strategic depth in matches.
- Its unique abilities make it a worthy contender in creature-focused metagames.
Text of card
o W, oc T: Choose a permanent you control. Prevent all combat damage target creature would deal this turn if it shares a color with that permanent.
"A good guard is alert. A great guard is also loyal." —Benalish kennelmaster
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Guard Dogs offer a unique twist to card advantage. When used correctly, the ability to dictate combat outcomes can lead to advantageous trades, preserving your valuable creatures while disrupting your opponent’s board.
Resource Acceleration: Although Guard Dogs itself may not directly provide resource acceleration, it can indirectly support it by protecting key creatures that might have such abilities, thus maintaining your board state and resource flow.
Instant Speed: The flexibility of activating Guard Dogs’ ability at instant speed offers significant tactical advantages. You can adjust the outcome of battles on the fly, taking opponents by surprise and creating openings for your own strategic maneuvers during the heat of combat.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Guard Dogs often mandates discarding another card, a steep price when you’re running short on hand options and need to maintain card advantage against your opponent.
Specific Mana Cost: The specific mana cost demands white mana and could be restrictive for diverse color decks, potentially hampering your strategy if your mana base isn’t solidly oriented around white.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Guard Dogs may not be as mana-efficient considering its abilities versus other creatures available at a similar or lower cost, which could lead players to opt for alternatives when deck building for competitive play.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Guard Dogs offers a unique blend of defensive capabilities and board control, making it a reliable addition to any deck focused on safety and stabilization.
Combo Potential: Its ability to redirect damage opens up various combo possibilities, interacting smoothly with cards designed to protect key creatures or outmaneuver direct-damage spells.
Meta-Relevance: With creature-based aggro strategies prevalent in the meta, Guard Dogs rises in value as a card that can disrupt opponents’ plans and protect your life total efficiently.
How to beat
Guard Dogs is a unique twist in the creature control mechanic within Magic: The Gathering. Recognized for its ability to control opponent’s creatures, Guard Dogs shines in a defensive strategy, giving players the power to dictate the combat phase. To gain the upper hand against Guard Dogs, consider employing removal spells that bypass its activation condition. Direct removal spells like Murder or Doom Blade can swiftly eliminate Guard Dogs without triggering its effect, removing the blockade from your path to victory.
Strategic play is also key when facing Guard Dogs. Engaging in combat smartly or waiting until the timing of its effect is less impactful can minimize the advantage it provides your opponent. Sorcery-speed removal spells, which are executed during your turn, can be more effective as they dilute the potency of Guard Dogs’ reactive abilities. Finally, counter spells also provide a level of security, ensuring that Guard Dogs never enters the battlefield, preserving your game strategy from its influence.
Ultimately, while Guard Dogs offers a unique combat challenge, it isn’t invincible. With the right strategy and careful play, you can navigate past this guard and toward victory in your MTG matches.
Cards like Guard Dogs
Guard Dogs holds a unique position in the pantheon of creature cards in MTG. When looking at creatures with a protective angle, Loyal Sentry stands out as a single-use defender that can destroy any attacker it blocks, a one-and-done guardian. Guard Dogs, conversely, offers ongoing protection by preventing some or all damage that would be dealt to your other creatures for a cost, making it a more flexible option during combat phases.
Another card to consider is Watchdog. Although Watchdog has a lower cost and can also protect others with its defensive ability, it sacrifices itself in the process, unlike Guard Dogs which can be utilized repeatedly if you have the resources. In this way, Guard Dogs provides more strategic management of the battlefield, potentially saving multiple creatures over several turns.
Assessing these comparisons, Guard Dogs showcases its merit as a reusable shield in your creature lineup. Its ability to defend numerous creatures throughout the game without the need to sacrifice itself immediately offers a strategic advantage and can influence the dynamics of the battlefield significantly.
Cards similar to Guard Dogs by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Guard Dogs MTG card by a specific set like Planeshift, 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 Guard Dogs and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Guard Dogs has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Guard Dogs card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | You choose the target on activation and choose the permanent which is compared for color on resolution. |
| 2004-10-04 | You only check colors on resolution and not later when the damage prevention actually is applied. |
