Gideon of the Trials Emblem MTG Card
| Type | Emblem — Gideon |
| Released | 2017-04-28 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Amonkhet |
| Set code | AKH |
| Number | 25 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Emblem |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Izzy |
Key Takeaways
- Gideon’s Emblem enforces card advantage by pressuring opponents to allocate multiple resources for its counteraction.
- Indirect resource acceleration is achieved through Gideon’s battlefield presence, safeguarding your life and board position.
- The Emblem’s continuous effect affords persistent advantage without further mana expenditure, allowing for strategic instant spell plays.
Text of card
As long as you control a Gideon planeswalker, you can't lose the game and your opponents can't win the game.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While the Gideon of the Trials Emblem doesn’t directly draw you cards, it contributes to card advantage by forcing your opponent to find an answer to its powerful effect. This often means they will have to spend multiple resources, allowing you to gain an upper hand.
Resource Acceleration: The emblem itself may not accelerate resources in the traditional sense, but Gideon of the Trials’s presence on the battlefield can indirectly lead to resource acceleration. By diverting your opponent’s attacks or disrupting their strategies, Gideon helps maintain your life total and board, protecting your investments.
Instant Speed: Although creating an emblem with Gideon of the Trials isn’t an instant-speed action, the emblem’s effect is continuous and begins the moment it’s created. It works at all times, offering a persistent advantage that does not require mana investment or specific timing, freeing up your mana and allowing you to operate efficiently at instant speed with other spells.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Crafting the emblem from Gideon of the Trials requires the planeswalker to be in play and to use its loyalty ability. Without Gideon on the battlefield, generating the emblem is impossible, potentially making the strategy vulnerable to removal spells and direct attacks on the planeswalker itself.
Specific Mana Cost: Gideon of the Trials demands a precise mana composition to be cast—1 white and 2 colorless. Decks not centered around white mana may find it challenging to consistently meet this requirement, limiting the card’s versatility in multi-colored or colorless decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an investment of three mana, Gideon of the Trials may come across as costly considering other cards at the same mana cost that potentially have an immediate impact on the game. Allocating resources towards getting the emblem could divert important turns and mana away from other pivotal plays.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Gideon of the Trials Emblem is an essential add-on for decks geared towards protection and control. Its ability to prevent you from losing the game adds a layer of defense unlike any other, fitting perfectly into various white or control-based deck archetypes.
Combo Potential: This emblem can be paired with cards that protect Gideon, ensuring its longevity while disrupting opponents’ strategies. Such combos can create situations where achieving victory against you becomes incredibly challenging.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta filled with aggressive strategies, having an emblem like the one Gideon of the Trials provides can be the key to surviving the early onslaught and stabilizing the board to make a comeback. This emblem’s presence can significantly impact gameplay and should be considered for decks that strive for resilience.
How to Beat
Gideon of the Trials is a unique planeswalker with a potent emblem ability that can be quite challenging to overcome in MTG. The emblem asserts that as long as you control a Gideon planeswalker, you can’t lose the game, and your opponents can’t win. Battling this emblem effectively requires specific strategies, primarily revolving around the removal of Gideon himself from the battlefield.
One efficient approach is to increase your deck’s array of versatile removal spells that can target planeswalkers. Cards such as Hero’s Downfall or Vraska’s Contempt offer direct answers to planeswalkers irrespective of their loyalty counters. Another strategy is to utilize board wipes which circumvent Gideon’s indestructibility; cards like Damnation or Wrath of God can clear the field, Gideon included, if he’s a creature at the time. Alternatively, leveraging abilities and spells that make opponents sacrifice planeswalkers, such as Liliana’s Triumph, bypasses indestructibility and hexproof protections.
It’s also critical to apply pressure early in the game. Aggressive creatures and strategies that escalate quickly can help you overpower Gideon before the emblem becomes a factor. In summary, while Gideon of the Trials presents a formidable challenge with his emblem, a well-constructed deck with robust answers can nullify his threat and keep you on a path to victory.
Cards like Gideon of the Trials Emblem
Gideon of the Trials Emblem shares space in MTG with other emblem creators, but stands out with distinct features. Much like Elspeth, Knight-Errant’s emblem, which equips you with an indestructible perk for all permanents, Gideon’s emblem concentrates on nullifying one opponent’s win condition by preventing them from claiming victory as long as you control a Gideon planeswalker. This specific condition is unique to Gideon of the Trials.
Another card that draws parallels is Sorin, Solemn Visitor, whose emblem provides a constant source of life-link for creatures you control. While Sorin’s emblem bolsters your life total, the protective shield Gideon offers blocks the path to your defeat, a tactical advantage in tight matches. Both these emblems don’t just affect the board state but also engender long-term strategies.
It’s critical to note that Gideon’s emblem is unmatched in its niche, providing a safeguard against loss that can be a game-changer in matches where your life total is under relentless siege. This trait sets Gideon’s emblem apart in MTG, making it a noteworthy choice for players relying on resilience and defense.
Cards similar to Gideon of the Trials Emblem by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Gideon of the Trials Emblem MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet, 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 of the Trials Emblem and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
