Bulwark Giant MTG Card
2019-05-03 - Number 7
2019-11-07 - Number 42
2020-07-17 - Number 93
2024-01-12 - Number 11
2020-09-26 - Number WAR-7
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Giant Soldier |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 6 |
Key Takeaways
- Bulwark Giant’s entry triggers life gain, offering players crucial survivability in tight situations.
- Although high-cost, its combo potential with lifelink strategies can make it a valuable asset.
- Overcoming this giant requires timely removal or ample early aggression to mitigate its impact.
Text of card
When Bulwark Giant enters the battlefield, you gain 5 life.
"Where did she come from? More importantly, are there more like her?" —Gideon Jura
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Within the context of gameplay, Bulwark Giant offers a distinct advantage by providing a life gain upon entering the battlefield. While it doesn’t directly allow for drawing of cards, the significant boost in life can offer players more time to secure the right cards and maintain a stronghold in the game.
Resource Acceleration: Although Bulwark Giant isn’t typically associated with resource acceleration in the traditional sense of mana generation, its presence can affect the pace of the game. The life points gained can help ensure a player survives longer, which indirectly may lead to more resource accumulation over extended turns.
Instant Speed: Bulwark Giant does not operate at instant speed, which highlights the need for strategic planning when casting this creature. It requires a commitment of resources during one’s own main phase, setting up for potentially game-changing defensive plays in the later stages of a match.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While the Bulwark Giant offers a substantial life gain benefit when it enters the battlefield, it does not come with an obligatory discard requirement. Hence, this particular drawback is not applicable to the Bulwark Giant as it stands ready to assist without stripping you of your hand.
Specific Mana Cost: Casting the Bulwark Giant demands a specific mana arrangement – one white and five generic mana. This requirement pigeonholes it into decks that can produce white mana reliably, which might restrict its application to a narrower range of strategies compared to more flexible creatures.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of six mana, the Bulwark Giant carries a price tag that is undoubtedly on the higher end for its stats and effect. There are alternative creatures that can bolster your life total or provide a more imposing board presence for a similar or lower investment, potentially overshadowing the value gleaned from this giant.
Reasons to Include Bulwark Giant in Your Collection
Versatility: Bulwark Giant’s ability to provide a significant life boost upon entering the battlefield allows it to be a functional addition in decks that are geared towards stabilizing against aggressive opponents. Its stature as a creature also makes it a sturdy blocker in times of need.
Combo Potential: The life gain aspect can work well with strategies that capitalize on high life totals, such as empowering lifelink creatures or activating abilities that require a threshold of life to utilize.
Meta-Relevance: Given that many current metagame decks look to win quickly through damage, Bulwark Giant can be a pertinent counteracting force, helping you withstand early onslaughts and making it through to the later stages of the game where your strategy can fully unfold.
How to beat
Bulwark Giant presents a noteworthy obstacle in MTG games, fortified by its sizeable health gain upon entering the battlefield. This can extend the game for your opponent and serve as a formidable blocker. To overcome the Bulwark Giant, players should consider removal spells that disregard its defensive stats, such as Murder or Terminate. Utilizing exile effects, which cards like Path to Exile provide, can also be an efficient way to handle this massive creature.
Timing is also key when dealing with Bulwark Giant. Engaging in combat with creatures that possess Deathouch or employing board wipes before the Giant’s health gain can tilt the battlefield to your advantage. Moreover, having a strategy for aggressive early gameplay lessens the Giant’s impact, as it can be too late for a late-game health boost to rescue your opponent. Therefore, preparedness for sizable creatures and life gain is essential, and cards that offer versatile removal options or hasten your own victory conditions are invaluable against Bulwark Giant.
Ultimately, while the presence of Bulwark Giant in your opponent’s deck demands respect, it’s not insurmountable. With the right strategy and card choices, you can efficiently dismantle the advantage it brings to the table.
Cards like Bulwark Giant
Bulwark Giant stands as a solid defensive option within Magic: The Gathering, akin to cards like Loxodon Lifechanter in terms of providing both a significant body and life gain. Bulwark Giant, specifically, brings forth a 3/6 creature that, when it enters the battlefield, grants you a five-point life boost, bolstering your defenses in a single turn.
When exploring other creatures with similar utility, one might consider Wall of Reverence. This card offers a durable defender, though with a continuing effect that can potentially gain you life equal to the power of another creature you control at the end of each turn. While Wall of Reverence may not assure an immediate life gain like Bulwark Giant, it does have the potential for higher life gain over time.
Surveying the landscape of comparable defensive creatures in Magic: The Gathering, Bulwark Giant offers a reliable mix of substantial toughness and a one-time life gain boost, making it a useful card for stabilizing your position against aggressive strategies.
Cards similar to Bulwark Giant by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Bulwark Giant MTG card by a specific set like War of the Spark and Mystery Booster, 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 Bulwark Giant 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
Printings
The Bulwark Giant Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2019-05-03 and 2024-01-12. Illustrated by Victor Adame Minguez.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2019-05-03 | War of the Spark | WAR | 7 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Victor Adame Minguez | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 42 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Victor Adame Minguez | |
| 3 | 2020-07-17 | Jumpstart | JMP | 93 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Victor Adame Minguez | |
| 4 | The List | PLST | WAR-7 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Victor Adame Minguez | ||
| 5 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 11 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Victor Adame Minguez |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Bulwark Giant has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
