Gideon's Sacrifice MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides strategic advantage by redirecting damage, ensuring board presence and resource conservation.
  2. Its instant speed offers flexibility to counteract unexpected moves during any player’s turn.
  3. Careful mana base planning is essential to optimize playability in multicolored decks.

Text of card

Choose a creature or planeswalker you control. All damage that would be dealt this turn to you and permanents you control is dealt to the chosen permanent instead (if it's still on the battlefield).

To Liliana's surprise, the cost of betraying Bolas did not fall on her.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gideon’s Sacrifice can be a significant role player in gaining tactical advantage during key turns. By redirecting damage from multiple sources to a single one, you effectively conserve the integrity of your board presence, maintaining the number of threats at your disposal.

Resource Acceleration: This card doesn’t directly contribute to resource acceleration in the typical sense of ramping or producing mana, but it does allow you to maintain your existing resources. By saving critical permanents or your own life total, Gideon’s Sacrifice ensures you can continue executing your strategy without setback.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Gideon’s Sacrifice at instant speed enhances its defensive capabilities. It enables you to navigate through complex combat scenarios or circumvent effects that would otherwise catch you off-guard, securing your position or even turning the tables in your favor during your opponent’s turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Gideon’s Sacrifice doesn’t have a discard requirement itself, but it’s crucial to remember that its inclusion in your deck could compete with other spells that do. This can lead to potentially discarding valuable cards just to accommodate its specific strategy, especially if hand management isn’t carefully considered.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s mana requirement is exclusively white, which might not pose a problem in mono-white or dual-colored decks. However, in multicolored or colorless decks, having a mana base that can consistently provide the white mana needed for Gideon’s Sacrifice can be challenging, potentially hindering its playability.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Gideon’s Sacrifice is a one-white-mana instant, its strategic value could be weighed against other one-mana staples. In fast-paced games, the opportunity cost of holding mana for a reactive card like this can be substantial, and decks may prefer spells that proactively develop their board state.


Reasons to Include Gideon’s Sacrifice in Your Collection

Versatility: Gideon’s Sacrifice is a card that can be included in a variety of decks, particularly those that need a fail-safe against overwhelming attacks. Its ability to redirect damage can be a game-changer in both casual and competitive play.

Combo Potential: This card pairs well with indestructible creatures or effects that prevent damage to a single target. It can also be used in strategic plays to protect key pieces on the board, setting up potential game-winning combos.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames dominated by aggressive strategies, Gideon’s Sacrifice provides an unexpected line of defense. This card can help turn the tide in your favor, disrupting opponents’ plans who might not anticipate this level of board protection.


How to beat

Gideon’s Sacrifice is a unique card in MTG that can turn the tide of a game by redirecting damage from multiple sources to a single target. To effectively counter this spell, it’s essential to be unpredictable with your attacks. Diversifying your damage across different turns and not overcommitting to the board can minimize the impact of Gideon’s Sacrifice. By applying pressure consistently but cautiously, you ensure that even if your opponent uses Gideon’s Sacrifice, it won’t be a game-ending move.

Another strategy is to hold back removal spells or abilities until after Gideon’s Sacrifice has been played. This allows you to deal with the chosen target without wasting your efforts. Also, watch out for cards that can duplicate or recur instants, as these can provide opponents with additional opportunities to use Gideon’s Sacrifice. Always try to have a backup plan for dealing damage or eliminating threats so that this one card doesn’t neutralize your path to victory.

Keep in mind, timing is key. Being aware of when to commit to an all-out attack or to proceed with a more measured approach can make all the difference in overcoming the obstacle posed by Gideon’s Sacrifice.


BurnMana Recommendations

Delving deeper into MTG is an ever-evolving challenge, filled with strategic twists and turns. Gideon’s Sacrifice offers a layer of intrigue to your gameplay, becoming an essential tool in your arsenal. If your deck strategy aligns with the protective qualities of this card, mastering its use could be pivotal for your next victory. Keep your collection varied and your strategies flexible to adapt to the shifting tides of gameplay. We invite you to join our community for insightful discussions on optimizing your deck, understanding meta shifts, and honing your skills. With Gideon’s Sacrifice in your repertoire, your next match could showcase your true strategic prowess. Learn more and craft your path to triumph.


Cards like Gideon's Sacrifice

Gideon’s Sacrifice is a unique card in MTG, allowing players to redirect all damage from one turn to any target creature or planeswalker they control. Its closest counterpart may be the spell Martyr’s Cause, which also enables players to redirect damage by sacrificing a creature. However, it does not constrain the redirect to a single turn, allowing for a broader defensive strategy over multiple rounds.

Beneath the surface of direct damage redirection spells lies the card Mirror Strike. While it reflects damage back at the opponent’s creatures, it doesn’t allow redirection to your own creatures or planeswalkers for defensive maneuvers. Gideon’s Sacrifice offers a calculated risk in the right situation, protecting a crucial asset on the board or even turning a game around completely.

Through this lens, Gideon’s Sacrifice stands out for its one-turn, high-impact defensive capability, providing a significant degree of control over the battlefield. It shines in situations where a crucial play can be protected or lethal damage thwarted, highlighting its strategic value among MTG redirection spells.

Martyr's Cause - MTG Card versions
Mirror Strike - MTG Card versions
Martyr's Cause - MTG Card versions
Mirror Strike - MTG Card versions

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Glyph of Life - MTG Card versions
Warning - MTG Card versions
Heal - MTG Card versions
Anoint - MTG Card versions
Reaping the Rewards - MTG Card versions
Rally the Troops - MTG Card versions
Enlightened Tutor - MTG Card versions
Orim's Touch - MTG Card versions
Pollen Remedy - MTG Card versions
Sacred Rites - MTG Card versions
Pay No Heed - MTG Card versions
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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gideon's Sacrifice MTG card by a specific set like War of the Spark and Murders at Karlov Manor Commander, 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 Gideon's Sacrifice and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Gideon's Sacrifice Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-05-03 and 2024-02-09. Illustrated by Chris Rallis.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-05-03War of the SparkWAR 142015NormalBlackChris Rallis
22024-02-09Murders at Karlov Manor CommanderMKC 682015NormalBlackChris Rallis

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gideon's Sacrifice has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2019-05-03 Gideon’s Sacrifice doesn’t change the source of the damage or whether the damage is combat damage.
2019-05-03 Gideon’s Sacrifice has no effect on damage already dealt earlier in the turn.
2019-05-03 If the chosen creature or planeswalker isn’t on the battlefield or isn’t a creature or planeswalker at the time damage would be dealt, the damage won’t be redirected.
2019-05-03 If you cast more than one Gideon’s Sacrifice in one turn, all damage that would be dealt at once to you and/or permanents you control is dealt to one of the chosen permanents of your choice. It’s not dealt to all of them, and you can’t split the damage between them. The next time damage would be dealt to you, you may choose a different one of those permanents to be dealt that damage.
2019-05-03 If you control no creatures or planeswalkers as Gideon’s Sacrifice resolves, nothing happens. The damage redirection effect won’t be able to be applied to any damage events.
2019-05-03 More damage can be redirected to the chosen creature than it has toughness or to the chosen planeswalker than it has loyalty, as long as that damage is all dealt at once (like combat damage is) or is all dealt while a single spell or ability is resolving.

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