Triumph of Gerrard MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment — Saga |
| Abilities | First strike |
| Released | 2018-04-27 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Dominaria |
| Set code | DOM |
| Number | 38 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Saga |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Daniel Ljunggren |
Text of card
(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter. Sacrifice after III.) I, II — Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control with the greatest power. III — Target creature you control with the greatest power gains flying, first strike, and lifelink until end of turn.
Cards like Triumph of Gerrard
Triumph of Gerrard is an intriguing card within the world of Magic: The Gathering, belonging to a collection of cards that increment a creature’s capability turn by turn. It’s akin to cards like Call for Unity, which also bolsters creatures but requires a Revolt trigger for the boost. In contrast, Triumph of Gerrard builds momentum directly, enhancing a creature upon the prelude of your upkeep over several turns.
Another parallel can be drawn with History of Benalia, a saga that escalates your board presence with knight tokens before a final crescendo in the creature’s power. While History of Benalia impacts the board immediately with creature tokens, Triumph of Gerrard focuses on empowering a single creature, potentially crafting a more formidable threat over time. Then comes Ethereal Armor, rewarding players right away for each enchantment under their control, potentially offering a more rapid surge in power compared to the gradual escalation Triumph of Gerrard provides.
Ultimately, Triumph of Gerrard holds its ground among enhancement sagas and auras in Magic: The Gathering. Its progressive enhancement of a single creature can set the stage for a powerful offensive, though it does entail a setup that unfolds over turns rather than bestowing an immediate boon.
Cards similar to Triumph of Gerrard by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Triumph of Gerrard’s saga structure provides a built-in series of effects granting incremental advantage. While it doesn’t draw cards directly, each lore counter brings you a step closer to a significant power boost, potentially turning the tide of the game in your favor.
Resource Acceleration: By emboldening your creatures quickly, it effectively ramps your board presence. The final chapter of this saga gives a creature you control a +1/+1 counter, vigilance, lifelink, and indestructible until end of turn, which can result in a crucial tempo swing and pave the way for a more exhaustive use of resources, particularly in aggressive strategies.
Instant Speed: Although Triumph of Gerrard does not operate at instant speed itself, the final lore counter’s buffs last until your next turn, allowing for defensive and offensive flexibility. This sequence mimics the reactionary nature of instant-speed interactions, providing a safety net during your opponent’s turn—a pivotal aspect in the timing-sensitive play of Magic.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Triumph of Gerrard doesn’t have a discard requirement, it’s important to note that enchantments with such costs demand a strategic hand management. Any card with a discard requirement means you’re trading immediate card advantage for potential board impact, an exchange not always favorable.
Specific Mana Cost: Triumph of Gerrard necessitates both white mana and generic mana to cast. This specific mana cost can make it less versatile for multicolored decks that might struggle with mana fixing or prefer to allocate resources to other spells within their mana curve.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: As a 2-mana enchantment, Triumph of Gerrard is competitively priced within its category. However, the four-turn duration before achieving its ultimate effect could be considered high-investment compared to other cards that could provide instant or more immediate benefits, especially in fast-paced games where each turn is crucial.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Triumph of Gerrard offers a unique approach to buffing up your creatures. It’s particularly useful in decks that aim to build up a single, unstoppable threat. As it’s an enchantment that gets more powerful over time, it can seamlessly fit into strategies that play for the long game, such as control or midrange decks.
Combo Potential: This enchantment synergizes well with cards that benefit from getting +1/+1 counters or becoming legendary. Use it to create unexpected and game-winning interactions in decks that thrive on such combos, or pair it with proliferate mechanics to escalate its impact further.
Meta-Relevance: Given its power to turn even the most unassuming creature into a significant threat, Triumph of Gerrard can be particularly effective in a meta that doesn’t heavily favor instant-speed removal. It’s capable of tipping the scales in creature-heavy environments where board presence and creature buffs are keys to victory.
How to beat
Triumph of Gerrard is a unique Aura card in Magic: The Gathering that bolsters a creature’s power through its saga abilities. Understanding its mechanics is key to effectively countering it. The card, as it progresses through its three lore counters, gives a creature +1/+1 counters and eventually provides a powerful flying and first strike enhancement. It is important to have removal spells handy like Fatal Push or Path to Exile which can disrupt this sequence by targeting the enchanted creature. Timing is everything, as removing the creature at the right saga phase can significantly minimize the impact of Triumph of Gerrard’s built-in buffs.
Another strategy is to use enchantment removal such as Disenchant or Naturalizer to directly remove Triumph of Gerrard from the battlefield before its final lore counter takes effect. By prioritizing the removal of either the enchanted creature or the Aura itself, a player can neutralize the escalating threat. Additionally, keeping control of the board by limiting the opponent’s creature count can undermine the value of Triumph of Gerrard, as it relies on a worthy creature target to maximize its potent buffs.
Being proactive and strategic about resource utilization ensures that powerful cards like Triumph of Gerrard don’t determine the game’s outcome.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Triumph of Gerrard MTG card by a specific set like Dominaria, 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 Triumph of Gerrard and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- eBay
- 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 Triumph of Gerrard has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Triumph of Gerrard card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-04-27 | A chapter ability doesn’t trigger if a lore counter is put on a Saga that already had a number of lore counters greater than or equal to that chapter’s number. For example, the third lore counter put on a Saga causes the III chapter ability to trigger, but I and II won’t trigger again. |
| 2018-04-27 | As a Saga enters the battlefield, its controller puts a lore counter on it. As your precombat main phase begins (immediately after your draw step), you put another lore counter on each Saga you control. Putting a lore counter on a Saga in either of these ways doesn’t use the stack. |
| 2018-04-27 | Each symbol on the left of a Saga’s text box represents a chapter ability. A chapter ability is a triggered ability that triggers when a lore counter that is put on the Saga causes the number of lore counters on the Saga to become equal to or greater than the ability’s chapter number. Chapter abilities are put onto the stack and may be responded to. |
| 2018-04-27 | If counters are removed from a Saga, the appropriate chapter abilities will trigger again when the Saga receives lore counters. Removing lore counters won’t cause a previous chapter ability to trigger. |
| 2018-04-27 | If multiple chapter abilities trigger at the same time, their controller puts them on the stack in any order. If any of them require targets, those targets are chosen as you put the abilities on the stack, before any of those abilities resolve. |
| 2018-04-27 | Once a chapter ability has triggered, the ability on the stack won’t be affected if the Saga gains or loses counters, or if it leaves the battlefield. |
| 2018-04-27 | Once the number of lore counters on a Saga is greater than or equal to the greatest number among its chapter abilities—in the Dominaria set, this is always three—the Saga’s controller sacrifices it as soon as its chapter ability has left the stack, most likely by resolving or being countered. This state-based action doesn’t use the stack. |
| 2018-04-27 | Triumph of Gerrard’s chapter abilities each target any creature you control with the greatest power among creatures you control. If the power of another creature you control becomes greater before that ability resolves, the target is illegal. |