Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage MTG Card
2012-10-05 - Number 207
2019-08-23 - Number 206
2020-09-26 - Number RTR-207
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Dryad Shaman |
| Abilities | Populate |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
: Put a 3/3 green Centaur creature token onto the battlefield. : Populate. (Put a token onto the battlefield that's a copy of a creature token you control.)
"Preachers of freedom forget that conformity can be beautiful."
Understanding Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage’s Role
Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage is a versatile creature card renowned among Magic: The Gathering Aficionados for its potential to influence the battlefield. This card finds its similarities with creatures like Voice of Resurgence, another being that excels in token generation, albeit through a different mechanism. Unlike Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage, Voice of Resurgence creates token upon its demise or during an opponent’s turn, providing a reactive form of token growth.
Cards like Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage
Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage, a prominent figure in Selesnya guild decks, has a distinct kinship with cards such as Trostani, Selesnya’s Voice. Both cards thrive in an environment that benefits from the creation and bolstering of creature tokens. Trostani excels in granting life points parallel to the strength of the creatures summoned, while Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage allows for a direct and repeatable token generation and also the ability to bolster a creature’s size. Moreover, Emmara Tandris is an ally in protecting these tokens by offering them shelter from destructive effects, creating a trinity of Selesnya synergy.
Detailing the comparisons further, it’s clear that while cards like Trostani and Emmara offer passive advantages and reactionary defenses, Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage demands a more proactive stance. Its dual abilities provide both offensive growth and an ever-present threat of incremental creature support, pivotal in longer games where resources are abundant. This capacity to actively shape the game’s tempo makes Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage an engine of versatility in many token-centric strategies within the Magic: The Gathering landscape.
Cards similar to Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage has the capability to repeatedly create creature tokens, which can overwhelm opponents over time and lead to a significant advantage on the battlefield. It transforms a single card into multiple threats, thereby maximizing the value gained from it.
Resource Acceleration: The Guildmage’s second ability offers the potential to populate the field rapidly. By duplicating token creatures, especially those that produce or interact with mana, it can exponentially increase your resources and accelerate your board presence without the need to invest additional cards from your hand.
Instant Speed: Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage’s abilities can be activated at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to create tokens or populate at the end of your opponent’s turn. This not only allows you to maintain mana open for other spells and interactions but also can lead to unexpected combat advantages by amassing blockers or attackers at critical moments.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Even though Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage doesn’t require discarding as a direct cost, its ability costs can lead to depleted hands, forcing you to sacrifice card advantage for board presence.
Specific Mana Cost: This guildmage demands both green and white mana, which means it slots primarily into Selesnya decks and may not fit into more diverse mana base strategies without proper fixing.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With both of its abilities costing significant mana investments to activate, players might find the Guildmage’s services too mana-intensive compared to other options that could provide immediate impact or more efficient use of resources.
Reasons to Include Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage in Your Collection
Versatility: Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage is a proficient addition to decks that focus on token generation or Selesnya synergies. Its ability to create creature tokens can enhance both offensive and defensive strategies, suitable for a diverse range of game plans.
Combo Potential: The Guildmage has a second activated ability that scales your creatures, making it a powerhouse when combined with cards that benefit from, or facilitate, the proliferation of +1/+1 counters. It can be instrumental in executing game-ending combos or simply escalating your board presence at a steady pace.
Meta-Relevance: Given its nature of fortifying the battlefield with additional creatures, Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage holds its ground in a meta that leans towards creature-based tactics or attrition warfare. In the right deck, it offers a consistent utility tool that can adapt to the ever-evolving battlefield dynamics.
How to beat Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage
Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage can be a formidable presence on the battlefield with the ability to both create creature tokens and bolster their strength. Nevertheless, like any Magic: The Gathering card, there are strategies to outmaneuver it. Employing removal spells that can target creatures at instant speed will prevent the Guildmage from utilizing its abilities. Cards such as Murder or Path to Exile could serve well in this scenario.
Countermeasures also include using cards that restrict the activation of abilities. For instance, Pithing Needle can be quite effective by preventing the activation of the Guildmage’s abilities. Moreover, managing your opponent’s mana base through cards like Stone Rain or Field of Ruin can hinder their capability to utilize the Guildmage’s abilities, especially those that are mana-intensive. It’s critical to stay ahead by either significantly disrupting your opponent’s mana or removing the Guildmage from play before its abilities can gain traction.
Players should recognize that a preemptive approach is often the best course of action against Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage. By keeping the board clear and deploying these strategies with precision, you can neutralize the threat posed by this resilient card and maintain control of the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage MTG card by a specific set like Return to Ravnica and Commander 2019, 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 Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage 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
Printings
The Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2012-10-05 and 2019-08-23. Illustrated by Jason Chan.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2012-10-05 | Return to Ravnica | RTR | 207 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Jason Chan | |
| 2 | 2019-08-23 | Commander 2019 | C19 | 206 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jason Chan | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | RTR-207 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Jason Chan |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Vitu-Ghazi Guildmage card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-04-15 | Any “as -his creature] enters the battlefield” or “ -his creature] enters the battlefield with” abilities of the new token will work. |
| 2013-04-15 | If you choose to copy a creature token that’s a copy of another creature, the new creature token will copy the characteristics of whatever the original token is copying. |
| 2013-04-15 | If you control no creature tokens when you populate, nothing will happen. |
| 2013-04-15 | The new creature token copies the characteristics of the original token as stated by the effect that put the original token onto the battlefield. |
| 2013-04-15 | The new token doesn’t copy whether the original token is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or Auras and Equipment attached to it, or any noncopy effects that have changed its power, toughness, color, and so on. |
| 2013-04-15 | You can choose any creature token you control for populate. If a spell or ability puts a token onto the battlefield under your control and then instructs you to populate (as Coursers’ Accord does), you may choose to copy the token you just created, or you may choose to copy another creature token you control. |