Garenbrig Paladin MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Giant Knight
Abilities	Adamant
Released	2019-10-04
Set symbol
Set name	Throne of Eldraine
Set code	ELD
Power	4
Toughness	4
Number	157
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Nicholas Gregory

Key Takeaways

Garenbrig Paladin offers card advantage and ramp potential, crucial for dominating the board.
Mana cost and adamant condition of Garenbrig Paladin might limit its flexibility in some decks.
Strong in green-centric decks, the Paladin enhances strategies relying on creature size and board presence.

Text of card

Adamant — If at least three green mana was spent to cast this spell, Garenbrig Paladin enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it. Garenbrig Paladin can't be blocked by creatures with power 2 or less.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Garenbrig Paladin offers potential card advantage with its ability to be bigger than other creatures on the board. This can deter opponents from trading creatures, keeping your hand full while they might be forced to deplete theirs.

Resource Acceleration: This sturdy creature can be a beneficial asset for ramp strategies. It slots into decks that utilize Green’s capability for resource acceleration, helping to cast high-cost spells by providing a substantial presence that can simultaneously attack and defend your resources.

Instant Speed: Although Garenbrig Paladin doesn’t operate at instant speed, its synergy with instant-speed spells is notable. It can benefit from various combat tricks and buffs that Green provides, allowing for a dynamic playstyle where you can adapt to the board state and surprise your opponents during battles.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Garenbrig Paladin requires you to pay attention to the number of cards in your hand due to its adamant mechanic. Although it doesn’t force you to discard, not meeting the adamant condition makes it a less efficient card.

Specific Mana Cost: To leverage the adamant ability of Garenbrig Paladin, you need to invest three green mana. This specific mana requirement can be restrictive, making it less flexible in multicolored decks that can’t always ensure the needed green mana is available.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The Paladin steps onto the battlefield for five mana. While it does come with an upside if the adamant condition is met, there are other creatures at this cost threshold that offer immediate impact without additional conditions, potentially making the Paladin a less attractive option in some situations.

Reasons to Include Garenbrig Paladin in Your Collection

Versatility: Garenbrig Paladin offers flexibility in deck building, particularly in green-centric or midrange decks. Its adaptability as a standalone threat or a component in larger creature strategies adds substantial value to your collection.

Combo Potential: With its ability to gain counters and become bigger with Adamant, this card can synergize with mechanics that benefit from sizeable creatures. It’s a solid addition to strategies focusing on +1/+1 counters or leveraging the strength of your creatures for various effects.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where board presence is crucial, Garenbrig Paladin’s inherent ability to avoid being chump blocked by smaller creatures makes it a relevant choice. The card’s scaling with later game mana resources can also be a deciding factor in matches where curving out a stable board state is key.

How to Beat

Garenbrig Paladin is a formidable force in the MTG landscape, demanding a strategy to outpace its adamant ability and power boost. Understanding the patterns of gameplay where Garenbrig Paladin shines can provide an edge in mitigating its impact. For starters, cards that can remove creatures from the battlefield before they become too large are key. Look for removal spells that can target creatures regardless of their size or spells that can bypass the paladin’s potential hexproof ability under adamant.

It’s also worth remembering the value of efficient counterplay. Counter spells that can prevent the paladin from hitting the board altogether could save you from dealing with it later on. Board wipes, are an essential inclusion since they can clear out multiple threats at once, including the beefy paladin once it’s in play. These strategic elements can turn the tide of battle against a Garenbrig Paladin, integrating control within your grasp and keeping the heavy hitters at bay in your MTG matches.

Thus, while Garenbrig Paladin carries the potential to swing games, knowledge, and a well-curated deck can ensure this card becomes more of a stepping stone than a stumbling block in your pathway to victory.

Cards like Garenbrig Paladin

Garenbrig Paladin shines in the realm of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering, offering substantial presence on the battlefield. Comparable in some ways to Loxodon Lifechanter, both creatures can serve as substantial powerhouses in a green deck. Garenbrig Paladin benefits from having Adamant, potentially entering the battle as a stronger force with a +1/+1 counter if you spent three green mana to cast it, whereas Loxodon Lifechanter’s strength lies in its ability to boost your life total based on the number of creatures you control.

Moving our comparison to Siege Wurm, which also has a green identity and the convoke mechanic, it allows players to tap creatures to help cover the mana cost. Garenbrig Paladin lacks convoke but makes up for it with the potential to be unblockable by creatures with power 2 or less thanks to its inherent ability when it comes with the +1/+1 counter.

Another point of comparison is with Outland Colossus, which shares the trait of becoming unblockable by smaller creatures once renowned. Although Garenbrig Paladin doesn’t have renown, it’s more flexible, capable of being unblockable more consistently. These are important nuances, as such abilities can complement different strategies within the MTG creature-focused decks.

Cards similar to Garenbrig Paladin by color, type and mana cost

Tel-Jilad Lifebreather - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Garenbrig Paladin MTG card by a specific set like Throne of Eldraine, 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 Garenbrig Paladin and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Garenbrig Paladin has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2019-10-04	Adamant effects check what mana was actually spent to cast a spell. If an effect allows you to spend mana “as though it were mana” of any color or type, that allows you to spend mana you couldn't otherwise spend, but it doesn't change what mana you spent to cast the spell.
2019-10-04	If an effect allows you to cast a spell without paying its mana cost, you can't choose to cast it and pay unless another rule or effect allows you to cast that spell for a cost. Similarly, you can't waive a cost reduction unless that effect says you may.
2019-10-04	If you copy a spell that has an adamant ability, no mana was spent to cast the copy at all, so that ability won't apply.
2019-10-04	Once a creature with power 3 or greater has blocked this creature, changing the power of the blocking creature won't cause this creature to become unblocked.