Wicked Guardian MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Noble
Power 4
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Convert creature health into card advantage with Wicked Guardian by damaging them to draw cards.
  2. Enhance combos by pairing with creatures benefiting from being damaged or with death triggers.
  3. Though mana-specific and potentially costly, it’s versatile for meta-gameplay and maintaining card flow.

Text of card

When Wicked Guardian enters the battlefield, you may have it deal 2 damage to another creature you control. If you do, draw a card.

"Some are born to greatness. You were born to scrub greatness's floors."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Wicked Guardian offers a notable opportunity for card advantage. When it enters the battlefield, you can have it deal 2 damage to another creature you control; if you do, you draw a card. This can turn creatures with expendable health into valuable card economy, keeping your hand stocked with options.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing resource acceleration, Wicked Guardian can indirectly contribute to it. By utilizing cards that benefit from being damaged or have death triggers, you can set off a chain reaction that might lead to ramp or other accelerative benefits.

Instant Speed: Although Wicked Guardian itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it synergizes well with instant-speed spells in your deck. Damage-inducing instants can ready other creatures to survive Wicked Guardian’s trigger, maximizing the potential for card drawing without losing board presence.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Wicked Guardian necessitates the player to discard a card to utilize its full potential. This can deplete a player’s hand, particularly when the situation calls for maintaining a variety of options.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that requires both black mana and generic mana, Wicked Guardian may not seamlessly fit into all deck types, particularly those that do not run heavily on black.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its four mana cost, its ability to deal 2 damage to another creature you control in order to draw a card can be seen as costly. There are more mana-efficient cards available that might fit better in a deck designed for rapid card draw or creature-based strategies.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Wicked Guardian thrives in decks that can leverage her ability to draw a card when she deals damage to another one of your creatures. This can be particularly effective in decks with creatures that have death triggers or those that benefit from being targeted.

Combo Potential: Wicked Guardian can act as an enabler in combo decks. Pair her with creatures that have undying or persist to repeatedly draw cards or with creatures that want to be damaged for value, such as the “enrage” dinosaurs from Ixalan.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where every card drawn counts, Wicked Guardian offers an additional draw with the right board setup. For decks running plentiful cheap creatures, she can provide ongoing value and maintain card advantage in longer, grindier matches.


How to beat

Wicked Guardian stands out in MTG as a card that demands strategic handling due to its ability to deal damage and draw cards. This particular creature card allows a player to draw a card at a cost – it requires dealing 2 damage to another creature you control. Hence, the key to outmaneuvering Wicked Guardian lies in negating its ability or rendering it futile. Cards with indestructible attributes or those that can regenerate swiftly ensure that the damage from Wicked Guardian won’t be lethal. Additionally, employing instant-speed removals to take it out before its ability resolves will efficiently counteract the draw benefit it confers on your opponent. It is also worthwhile to invest in creatures with toughness greater than 2; these not only endure the damage but also nullify the downside of playing Wicked Guardian. By incorporating these strategies, players can easily counteract the benefits Wicked Guardian offers to an opponent, maintaining control over the game’s direction.


Cards like Wicked Guardian

Exploring the dynamics of creature-based card draw, Wicked Guardian offers an interesting twist in Magic: The Gathering gameplay. This creature parallels others like Elvish Visionary, which also allows card drawing upon entering the battlefield; however, the Visionary doesn’t require another creature to be harmed to reap this benefit. Wicked Guardian’s unique ability to inflict damage to another creature you control offers a strategic edge, especially in decks that capitalize on creatures thriving when damaged.

Further comparisons lead us to Dusk Legion Zealot, another creature that draws you a card when it comes into play. The Zealot, on the contrary, causes you to lose life instead of targeting another creature, allowing for a self-contained card drawing mechanic. Mentor of the Meek also shares some similarities, allowing card draw when another creature with a power of 2 or less enters the battlefield under your control, though its effect is repeatable and gives more control over the draw timing without requiring a self-inflicted wound on your creatures.

While each card offers utilities suited to different playstyles and deck compositions, Wicked Guardian’s draw potential within a damage-accepting archetype places it as an intriguing choice for players who don’t mind a little risk to fuel their in-game strategy and card advantage.

Elvish Visionary - MTG Card versions
Dusk Legion Zealot - MTG Card versions
Mentor of the Meek - MTG Card versions
Elvish Visionary - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Dusk Legion Zealot - Rivals of Ixalan (RIX)
Mentor of the Meek - Innistrad (ISD)

Cards similar to Wicked Guardian by color, type and mana cost

Hell's Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Rag Man - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Debaser - MTG Card versions
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions
Slinking Skirge - MTG Card versions
Gravedigger - MTG Card versions
Scandalmonger - MTG Card versions
Urborg Shambler - MTG Card versions
Whispering Shade - MTG Card versions
Filth - MTG Card versions
Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions
Bold Plagiarist - MTG Card versions
Toxin Sliver - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Spirit - MTG Card versions
Nim Shambler - MTG Card versions
Scourge of Numai - MTG Card versions
Deathgazer - MTG Card versions
Dirty Wererat - MTG Card versions
Faceless Butcher - MTG Card versions
Crowd of Cinders - 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)
Toxin Sliver - Legions (LGN)
Vampiric Spirit - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Nim Shambler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Scourge of Numai - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Deathgazer - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Dirty Wererat - Hachette UK (PHUK)
Faceless Butcher - Time Spiral Timeshifted (TSB)
Crowd of Cinders - Shadowmoor (SHM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wicked Guardian MTG card by a specific set like Throne of Eldraine and Jumpstart 2022, 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 Wicked Guardian and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Wicked Guardian Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-10-04 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Matt Stewart.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-10-04Throne of EldraineELD 1092015normalblackMatt Stewart
22022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 4892015normalblackMatt Stewart

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wicked Guardian has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2019-10-04 If Wicked Guardian leaves the battlefield before its triggered ability resolves, you may still have it deal 2 damage to another creature you control and draw a card.
2019-10-04 If the damage Wicked Guardian deals is prevented (perhaps because you chose for it to deal 2 damage to a creature with protection from black), you still draw a card.
2019-10-04 No player may take actions between the time you choose which creature (if any) is dealt damage and the time you draw a card if you chose one.
2019-10-04 While resolving Wicked Guardian's triggered ability, you can't have it deal 2 damage multiple times or to multiple creatures to draw more cards.

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