Gideon's Phalanx MTG Card
2015-07-17 - Number 14
2015-07-17 - Number 14s
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 7 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Instant |
| Abilities | Spell mastery |
Key Takeaways
- Generates a board presence with four Knight tokens, benefiting both attack and defense strategies.
- Synchronizes with decks focused on token generation and creature-based synergies.
- Offers tactical plays with instant speed, yet requires a substantial mana investment.
Guide to Vigilance card ability
In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.
Text of card
Put four 2/2 white Knight creature tokens with vigilance onto the battlefield. Spell mastery — If there are two or more instant and/or sorcery cards in your graveyard, creatures you control gain indestructible until end of turn.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Gideon’s Phalanx offers significant card advantage in the late game. Summoning four 2/2 Knight tokens with vigilance can turn the tide of a match, ideally leaving you with a strong defensive and offensive board presence.
Resource Acceleration: This card shines in decks that capitalize on token generation. Its ability to rapidly populate the board with creature tokens can synergize with effects that boost each creature’s power or offer other advantages each time a creature enters the battlefield, effectively accelerating your resource development.
Instant Speed: Its instant speed grants tactical flexibility, allowing a player to cast it at the end of an opponent’s turn or in response to an incoming threat, which can lead to advantageous blocks or surprise strategies that swing the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Gideon’s Phalanx doesn’t ask for a card discard, it demands a significant level of commitment in the form of mana, which can limit a player’s ability to respond to opponents’ moves during their turn.
Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Gideon’s Phalanx is heavy on white mana, needing four white symbols to play. This requirement can be restrictive and difficult to meet in multicolored decks or those with an unstable mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Commanding seven mana to cast puts Gideon’s Phalanx on the higher end of the mana curve. This may make it less desirable compared to other spells or creatures that can provide similar value or impact on the battlefield for less investment. Players must weigh its cost against their ability to maintain a presence in the game, especially in faster formats where efficiency is key.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Gideon’s Phalanx offers flexibility in deck building, seamlessly integrating into strategies that leverage instant-speed spells to disrupt opponents or those that focus on bolstering their own defenses. Its ability to deploy a battalion of token creatures can quickly turn the tide of a game, making it a valuable addition to any collection.
Combo Potential: With the cards that care about the number of creatures you control or those that trigger upon casting a spell with a significant mana cost, Gideon’s Phalanx can serve as a powerful enabler. It not only creates an immediate board presence but can also synergize with various abilities and enhance your deck’s overall strategy.
Meta-Relevance: As the metagame evolves, control decks and vigilant creature strategies often rise in prominence. Gideon’s Phalanx can become integral in matchups where stopping aggressive decks or creating significant blockers on demand can dictate the flow of the game, ensuring its relevance in various competitive scenarios.
How to beat
Gideon’s Phalanx is a formidably defensive spell within the realm of Magic: The Gathering. It presents a unique challenge with its ability to deploy a battalion of 2/2 Knight creature tokens with vigilance and potentially bolster your defences significantly if you have spell mastery. Yet, no card is unbeatable. Overcoming this defensive array often requires preemptive strategies. Board wipes, such as Wrath of God or Damnation, can eliminate the tokens en masse, rendering the card’s advantage void.
Counterplay can also be achieved through efficient removal spells. If you anticipate your opponent casting Gideon’s Phalanx, keeping mana reserved for an instant-speed removal like Terminate or Path to Exile can be crucial. This allows you to address the tokens swiftly before they become an overwhelming force. Moreover, the spell’s high casting cost means that disrupting your opponent’s mana base or hand with cards like Stone Rain or Thoughtseize can prevent the spell from ever being played. Utilizing such strategies can ensure that Gideon’s Phalanx does not dictate the outcome of a match.
To conclude, while Gideon’s Phalanx has the potential to turn the tides in your opponent’s favor, a well-timed response or a strategic set-up can mitigate its impact and keep you in the running for victory.
Cards like Gideon's Phalanx
Gideon’s Phalanx has carved a niche within the pantheon of defensive spells in Magic: The Gathering. It’s quite akin to the card Deploy to the Front, which also generates a number of creature tokens equal to the number of creatures you control. Gideon’s Phalanx differentiates itself with the added advantage of bolstering your forces with Indestructible until the end of the turn. Deploy to the Front lacks this powerful protection perk, focusing solely on amassing a large army.
In terms of protecting your board, Make a Stand is another spell that resembles Gideon’s Phalanx. It also grants Indestructible to your creatures, yet it does this at a significantly lower mana cost. What Make a Stand misses is the ability to produce tokens, making Gideon’s Phalanx the more versatile choice for building your battlefield presence.
To evaluate these spells’ impacts, one must consider not just the immediate board state enhancement but also the long-term strategic advantages. Gideon’s Phalanx, while mana-intensive, provides a formidable blend of offense and defense, making it a formidable option in any deck looking to hold the line with a sudden swell of Indestructible warriors.
Cards similar to Gideon's Phalanx by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Gideon's Phalanx MTG card by a specific set like Magic Origins and Magic Origins Promos, 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 Phalanx 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 Gideon's Phalanx Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2015-07-17 and 2015-07-17. Illustrated by James Ryman.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2015-07-17 | Magic Origins | ORI | 14 | 2015 | Normal | Black | James Ryman | |
| 2 | 2015-07-17 | Magic Origins Promos | PORI | 14s | 2015 | Normal | Black | James Ryman |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Gideon's Phalanx has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Gideon's Phalanx card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2015-06-22 | Check to see if there are two or more instant and/or sorcery cards in your graveyard as the spell resolves to determine whether the spell mastery ability applies. The spell itself won’t count because it’s still on the stack as you make this check. |
| 2015-06-22 | If the spell mastery ability applies, the four Knight tokens will also gain indestructible until end of turn. |
