Oona's Gatewarden MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Faerie Soldier
Abilities	Defender,Flying,Wither
Released	2008-05-02
Set symbol
Set name	Shadowmoor
Set code	SHM
Power	2
Toughness	1
Number	173
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Mike Dringenberg

Key Takeaways

Oona’s Gatewarden grants tribal benefits and performs well in faerie-themed decks, strengthening synergies.
Its wither ability can permanently weaken attackers, making it a strategic surprise blocker.
Despite some limitations, the card’s versatility and meta relevance justify its inclusion in collections.

Text of card

Flying, defender Wither (This deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters.)

"So now you've seen Glen Elendra. Take a good look. It will be the last thing you'll ever see."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With its faerie subtype, Oona’s Gatewarden synergizes with other cards that benefit from having faeries on the battlefield, providing subtle card advantage through tribal interactions.

Resource Acceleration: While Oona’s Gatewarden itself does not directly accelerate resources, its low casting cost enables a quicker defense setup, allowing you to allocate mana to other spells sooner.

Instant Speed: Thanks to wither, a keyword that means it deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters, Oona’s Gatewarden can be a surprise blocker that permanently weakens attackers, leveraged at instant speed during the combat phase.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Oona’s Gatewarden demands specific cards to be discarded to activate its full potential. This can be a major setback when your hand is filled with crucial spells for upcoming turns.

Specific Mana Cost: Being a mono-blue creature, Oona’s Gatewarden requires blue mana for its casting. This can limit deck-building options as it necessitates a mana base tailored to blue or a deck that can reliably produce the required mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that may seem steep for its base stats, Oona’s Gatewarden’s overall impact on the game might not be as cost-effective as other cards with similar or lower mana demands.

Reasons to Include Oona’s Gatewarden in Your Collection

Versatility: Oona’s Gatewarden does an excellent job serving multiple roles within a deck. As a defender with flying, it’s a solid blocker against a variety of threats and can fit into decks focusing on defense or those capitalizing on creature types like Faerie.

Combo Potential: With wither, this card ensures that creatures it blocks or is blocked by end up permanently weakened. This ability has synergy with strategies that revolve around -1/-1 counters, offering potential combo plays with other cards that benefit from or exploit counters on creatures.

Meta-Relevance: Its capacity to handle creatures with undying or persist mechanics by negating their comeback capabilities makes Oona’s Gatewarden relevant in metas where such mechanics are prevalent. Moreover, as a low-cost creature, it’s easily deployable early in the game to establish board presence.

How to Beat Oona’s Gatewarden

Oona’s Gatewarden is a card that, at first glance, appears somewhat innocuous with its meager 0/4 stats. However, its flying ability and wither effect, a characteristic which allows it to assign damage in the form of -1/-1 counters, make it a defensive asset in Magic: The Gathering. Notably, its ability to force creatures to block ensures that you can leverage its wither effect strategically.

When facing Oona’s Gatewarden, removal spells are the easiest way to remove this gatekeeper from the battlefield. Direct damage spells or those that can give -X/-X until end of turn will bypass the wither effect neatly. Another effective strategy is using spells or abilities that grant evasion to your creatures, such as trample or protection from colors, to avoid being forced into an unfavorable block. Lastly, employing creatures that benefit from receiving counters or creatures too large for Oona’s Gatewarden to handle in combat are also solid approaches when bypassing its defensive capabilities.

In essence, while Oona’s Gatewarden can be a thorn in the side of many aggressive decks, there are numerous tools within Magic: The Gathering to efficiently overcome this unassuming faerie’s defenses. Being prepared with the right spells and tactics in your deck is key to claiming victory over the gatewarden’s challenge.

Cards like Oona's Gatewarden

Oona’s Gatewarden is a unique inclusion in the realm of defender creatures within Magic: The Gathering. While sharing the defender trait with cards like Wall of Roots, Oona’s Gatewarden offers the distinct attribute of wither, ensuring that any damage it deals to creatures also diminishes their toughness permanently. Wall of Roots, on the other hand, can serve as a mana source but lacks any offensive ability.

Another comparable card is Drift of Phantasms. Both have the defender status, but Drift of Phantasms boasts a higher toughness and the transmute ability allowing for versatility in fetching combo pieces or key cards. Oona’s Gatewarden’s advantage lies in its flying trait and lower casting cost, giving it a more active role in the early aerial defense game. Thalakos Dreamsower is also often compared, sharing the same converted mana cost and flying ability. Though it does not possess defender or wither, it introduces an element of hand disruption that can be vital in specific matchups.

In sum, Oona’s Gatewarden’s blend of low cost, flying and wither modes creates a strong niche among defender creatures that can impact creature-based strategies effectively within Magic: The Gathering.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Oona's Gatewarden MTG card by a specific set like Shadowmoor, 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 Oona's Gatewarden and other MTG cards: