Garruk, Apex Predator MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Planeswalker — Garruk
Loyalty 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Garruk provides card advantage, ramping resources, and poses an immediate threat, challenging opponent strategies.
  2. Its high mana cost demands a strong mana base, potentially restricting deck-building options.
  3. Despite costs, its versatility and meta relevance make Garruk a forceful addition to any collection.

Text of card


+1: Destroy another target planeswalker.
+1: Create a 3/3 black Beast creature token with deathtouch.
-3: Destroy target creature. You gain life equal to its toughness.
-8: Target opponent gets an emblem with "Whenever a creature attacks you, it gets +5/+5 and gains trample until end of turn."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: As a formidable planeswalker, Garruk Apex Predator offers significant card advantage. With the ability to destroy another planeswalker and create Beast tokens, he helps you secure a leading position on the board. The potential to draw out key pieces of your deck enhances your strategic options turn after turn.

Resource Acceleration: Garruk’s abilities enable resource acceleration by generating tokens that can be used as blockers or to apply pressure, effectively serving as an army in a card. His ultimate ability can be a game ender, propelling you towards victory with an abundance of emblem-empowered creatures.

Instant Speed: Although Garruk Apex Predator does not operate at instant speed himself, his presence forces opponents to play as though he could. The threat of his loyalty abilities upends your opponent’s strategy, making them reconsider plays in fear of his devastating effects. Moreover, Garruk’s resilience and lethal capabilities allow you to dictate the pace of the game, a key component in controlling the battlefield.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the challenges faced when wielding Garruk Apex Predator is that it can compel a player to discard cards to maintain board presence. This scenario can be particularly detrimental during late-game situations where each card in hand counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Garruk Apex Predator comes with a very specific mana requirement—seven mana including both green and black. This can be restrictive as it necessitates a dedicated mana base, potentially limiting the variety of decks it can be played in.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a seven-mana cost, Garruk sits on the higher end of the mana curve. While it provides a powerful presence on the battlefield, its high cost means you’ll need to wait longer to play it, as compared to other planeswalkers or creatures that can impact the board sooner.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Garruk Apex Predator offers a dynamic suite of abilities, adapting to various game states. This planeswalker can directly eliminate creatures, providing control decks with a reliable removal option, while also creating beast tokens for building board presence.

Combo Potential: With Garruk’s ultimate ability to overrun the opponent with a horde of beasts, he combines well with cards that capitalize on creature counts or those that benefit from tokens, giving rise to numerous strategic plays.

Meta-Relevance: Garruk Apex Predator remains impactful against planeswalker-focused strategies in the meta, as he can destroy other planeswalkers and assert dominance on the board, making him a compelling choice for decks in diverse competitive environments.


How to beat

Garruk Apex Predator is a force to be reckoned with in MTG, bringing to the table not only creature destruction but also the ability to generate wolves and weaken your life total. One might observe parallels with other planeswalker cards that can control the board and create creature tokens. However, Garruk sets himself apart with his ability to destroy other planeswalkers—a rarity among such cards.

Overcoming this predatory planeswalker requires strategic planning. Swift responses are key; using direct damage spells like Lightning Bolt to reduce his loyalty or counter spells to prevent his arrival altogether can hinder his influence. Consider leveraging exile effects or sacrifice mechanics to bypass his protections. In the likeness of Elspeth, Sun’s Nemesis, one can also build an overwhelming board presence that Garruk cannot easily contain. Whichever route you choose, prioritizing Garruk as a threat is essential to prevailing against him.

Ultimately, the card’s high mana value does allow for a window of opportunity to establish control or develop a strategy to neutralize him before he can take over the game. It is during this crucial buildup that one must act to secure victory against Garruk Apex Predator.


BurnMana Recommendations

Garruk Apex Predator stands as a towering figure among MTG cards, crafting opportunities for card advantage and board dominance. Wielding him means running a deck that can support his mana demands while reaping the strategic benefits of his token generation and relentless removal abilities. As you contemplate incorporating this apex planeswalker into your collection, explore strategies to maximize his game-ending potential. Savor the challenge of building around his strengths and learn to navigate his mana requirements with finesse. Embrace the journey into MTG’s endless possibilities and discover how Garruk can bring out the predator in you. Deepen your understanding and enhance your arsenal by exploring more with us.


Cards like Garruk, Apex Predator

Garruk Apex Predator stands tall among planeswalkers in MTG, offering a rich suite of abilities. When eyeing parallels, Vraska Relic Seeker emerges as a kin, also boasting a creature destruction ability along with a token generation skill. Yet, while Vraska creates pirate tokens, Garruk Apex Predator forges beast tokens and grants you an increment in life, setting a unique stage for dominance.

Another formidable peer is Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, which brings a sweeping effect to the game, capable of resetting the board. What marks Garruk Apex Predator’s distinction is the targeted creature kill ability and direct damage to opposing planeswalkers, providing a more focused and strategic control.

Elspeth, Sun’s Champion also shares the creature generation theme but diversifies in warfare by mass removal of large creatures. However, Garruk’s direct assassination method can be more unconditional and his ultimate – creating a wave of loyalty-driven emblem – seals his status as a predator above his counterparts.

Assessing Garruk Apex Predator within the realm of MTG planeswalkers, it’s undeniable that his varied and aggressive abilities not only empower the player but also intimidate the opposition, securing his apex position in the predator hierarchy.

Ugin, the Spirit Dragon - MTG Card versions
Elspeth, Sun's Champion - MTG Card versions
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon - Ugin's Fate (UGIN)
Elspeth, Sun's Champion - Theros (THS)

Cards similar to Garruk, Apex Predator by color, type and mana cost

Vraska, Regal Gorgon - MTG Card versions
Vraska, Regal Gorgon - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Garruk, Apex Predator MTG card by a specific set like San Diego Comic-Con 2014 and Magic 2015, 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 Garruk, Apex Predator and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Garruk, Apex Predator Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2014-07-08 and 2018-10-05. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12014-07-08San Diego Comic-Con 2014PS14 2102015normalblackJae Lee
22014-07-18Magic 2015M15 2102015normalblackTyler Jacobson
32018-10-05Mythic EditionMED WS52015normalborderlessVictor Adame Minguez

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Garruk, Apex Predator has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2014-07-18 If you activate the third ability, and the target creature is an illegal target when the ability tries to resolve, it won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen. You won’t gain any life.
2014-07-18 The emblem is owned and controlled by the target of the ability that created it. In a multiplayer game, if Garruk’s owner leaves the game, the emblem does not.
2014-07-18 The emblem’s ability won’t trigger if a creature attacks a planeswalker.
2014-07-18 The first ability can target and destroy a Garruk planeswalker controlled by another player.

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