Gideon's Defeat MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant
Released	2017-07-14
Set symbol
Set name	Hour of Devastation
Set code	HOU
Number	13
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Kieran Yanner

Key Takeaways

Gideon’s Defeat excels against decks that rely on Gideon planeswalkers, offering strategic exiling capabilities.
Its single white mana cost is resource-efficient, allowing players to maintain pace in their gameplay.
Limited by specificity, it may be less applicable across various decks, calling for thoughtful sideboard inclusion.

Text of card

Exile target white creature that's attacking or blocking. If it was a Gideon planeswalker, you gain 5 life.

"Gideon, how easy it must be to play the protector when you think yourself untouchable. How wrong you are." —Nicol Bolas

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gideon’s Defeat can be a key component in swinging the momentum of a match. When you’re up against Gideon planeswalkers, this spell not only removes a potentially game-changing threat from the battlefield, but also offers the chance to exile any number of target Gideon planeswalkers, effectively reducing your opponent’s options and improving your relative hand and board position.

Resource Acceleration: Although Gideon’s Defeat doesn’t directly generate mana or tokens, the efficient cost of just one white mana means that you can manage your resources effectively. It leaves you more mana available to deploy other spells in your turn, accelerating your gameplay without being a significant drain on your mana pool.

Instant Speed: Gideon’s Defeat benefits from being an instant. This quality allows you to react swiftly to the threats posed by Gideon planeswalkers, keeping the element of surprise on your side. You can maneuver around your opponent’s moves and decide the most opportune moment to cast it, making it a versatile inclusion in any deck’s defense strategy.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Gideon’s Defeat requires you to have a Gideon planeswalker on the battlefield or in your opponent’s hand to cast, which can feel like a discard if conditions are not met, as it becomes a dead card in your hand.

Specific Mana Cost: This spell demands white mana, meaning it can only be played in white or multicolored decks, potentially limiting its versatility across the diverse color schemes of MTG.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although costing just one white mana, in terms of opportunity cost, Gideon’s Defeat might not be as preferable compared to other sideboard options given its highly situational nature, essentially using up a slot that could be allocated to a card with broader utility.

Reasons to Include Gideon’s Defeat in Your Collection

Versatility: Gideon’s Defeat is a targeted sideboard option for decks contending with white planeswalkers. Its ability to exile any Gideon planeswalker for a single white mana provides an efficient answer to one of the most iconic characters in MTG.

Combo Potential: In addition to removing a threat, Gideon’s Defeat allows you to check an opponent’s hand and exile all copies of the card named Gideon, disrupting their future plays and providing you with crucial hand information.

Meta-Relevance: In a metagame where Gideon planeswalkers are prevalent or if a particular Gideon variant becomes a staple in competitive play, this card can serve as a silver bullet, offering high impact for a minimal cost and securing your position against key opponents’ strategies.

How to beat

Gideon’s Defeat is a specialized sideboard option for white decks in Magic: The Gathering, offering a potent response to white creatures, which can be a hurdle in certain matchups. This instant allows you to exile a white creature that’s attacking or blocking you, provided it’s Gideon. More than just removal, it prevents that creature’s damage and strips away any planeswalker abilities from Gideon during that turn.

To effectively play around Gideon’s Defeat, consider diversifying your threats beyond just white creatures or Gideon planeswalkers. Employing a mix of colored creatures can render Gideon’s Defeat less impactful. Smart deck construction and anticipation of cards that target specific colors are key. Moreover, keeping mana open for counterspells or playing creatures with hexproof can circumvent the effects of Gideon’s Defeat, ensuring your key pieces remain unaffected by such pinpoint removal.

Overall, understanding the landscape of sideboard choices and adapting your strategy accordingly can significantly diminish the impact of cards like Gideon’s Defeat, leaving you better prepared to navigate the varied meta of Magic: The Gathering.

Cards like Gideon's Defeat

Gideon’s Defeat joins the ranks of targeted removal spells within Magic: The Gathering with a narrow but potent focus. Similar to Gideon’s Defeat is Redeem the Lost, which also provides a protection effect against a specific threat, namely target attacking or blocking creature. However, it lacks the conditional destruction that Gideon’s Defeat offers against multicolored creatures that pose a threat predominantly in a specific metagame.

There is also Revoke Existence, which serves a similar purpose in the sense that it is a potent answer to certain cards. It exiles artifacts or enchantments, thus permanently dealing with threats from those categories at a low mana cost. Despite this, it doesn’t have the flavorful victory condition focused on a singular planeswalker like Gideon’s Defeat does.

When evaluating utility spells that target certain card types or specific metagame threats, Gideon’s Defeat stands out due to its ability to not only remove a creature but to punish decks that lean heavily on Gideon planeswalkers. This contextual effectiveness can be a game-changer, making it a strategic choice for sideboards in Magic: The Gathering.

Cards similar to Gideon's Defeat by color, type and mana cost

Swords to Plowshares - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gideon's Defeat MTG card by a specific set like Hour of Devastation, 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 Defeat and other MTG cards: