Guan Yu, Sainted Warrior MTG Card
1999-05-01 - Number 6
2009-09-07 - Number 12
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Human Soldier Warrior |
| Abilities | Horsemanship |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 5 |
Key Takeaways
- Guan Yu offers a card draw on combat damage, bolstering your hand and maintaining resource parity.
- Its red and white devotion aids devotion-based strategies, potentially increasing resource access.
- Opponents may be forced into unfavorable plays, thanks to Guan Yu’s combat-triggered abilities.
Text of card
Horsemanship When Guan Yu is put into your graveyard from play, you may shuffle Guan Yu into your library.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Guan Yu, Sainted Warrior brings a unique dynamic to the battlefield by allowing you to potentially draw a card each time it deals damage to an opponent. This consistent card draw engine can help to ensure that you’re never falling behind in resources, keeping your hand stocked with options.
Resource Acceleration: Although not a direct source of mana, by providing red and white devotion, Guan Yu, Sainted Warrior can indirectly contribute to the effectiveness of devotion-based cards, which can lead to an increase in available resources.
Instant Speed: Guan Yu, Sainted Warrior may not have an ability that operates at instant speed itself; however, its presence on the field can affect the pacing of the game. The threat of its combat damage-triggered card draw can force opponents to act at suboptimal times, thus giving you an advantage.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Guan Yu, Sainted Warrior requires discarding another card, making it detrimental when your hand is already scarce in options.
Specific Mana Cost: With a color identity that includes both white and green mana, this card demands a degree of deck specialization that may not fit into more flexible or color-diverse strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The requirement of five mana for an effectively-sized body might not match up favorably against other creatures or spells at a similar cost tier, potentially putting it at a disadvantage in terms of board impact within the current competitive scene.
Reasons to Include Guan Yu, Sainted Warrior in Your Collection
Versatility: Guan Yu, Sainted Warrior offers a dynamic edge in Commander decks capable of exploiting legendary creatures or cards that benefit from Horsemanship, enabling reliable damage to opponents.
Combo Potential: This card fits well in synergistic strategies that emphasize untapping creatures or taking advantage of Guan Yu’s ability to survive damage, setting up potential for infinite combat scenarios or recurring trigger effects.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where evasion is key, Guan Yu’s Horsemanship allows it to bypass crowded battlefields, positioning the card as a consistent threat against decks that lack appropriate counters.
How to beat
Guan Yu, Sainted Warrior is a card that takes formidability to the battlefield with its potential to resurrect itself in Magic: The Gathering. This property makes it a tough opponent; however, there are ways to surmount this challenge. One strategy to overcome Guan Yu is to use exile removal spells. Cards with exile effects like Path to Exile or Warping Wail target Guan Yu and remove it from the game, bypassing its regeneration ability.
Another effective approach is to deploy Graveyard hate cards that can disable Guan Yu’s comeback ability. Cards like Tormod’s Crypt or Relic of Progenitus can purge Guan Yu from the graveyard, ensuring that it doesn’t return to the field. Moreover, imposing sacrifice effects can be a game-changer. Since these don’t destroy but rather force a player to sacrifice a creature, Guan Yu’s regeneration clause is sidestepped, making something like Diabolic Edict a practical remedy.
Lastly, controlling the tempo and applying pressure can prevent your opponent from gathering the resources necessary to activate Guan Yu’s abilities. By maintaining a strong front and managing the board, you can keep this warrior from becoming a recurring threat.
Cards like Guan Yu, Sainted Warrior
Guan Yu, Sainted Warrior introduces a blend of resilience and power to the creature pool of Magic: The Gathering. It holds a mirror to other legendary creatures such as Lu Bu, Master-at-Arms. Both hail from the Portal Three Kingdoms set, steeped in the lore of the Three Kingdoms period. Lu Bu presents an immediate threat with its Haste ability, but Guan Yu’s sheer staying power comes from its capability to regenerate.
Examining the broader MTG landscape, creatures like Silverblade Paladin also share the ability to impact the board with double strike, similar to Guan Yu. But unlike Guan Yu, Silverblade Paladin offers a way to share its double-strike ability with another creature, promoting a more synergistic approach. Moreover, Paladin lacks Guan Yu’s regenerative toughness which can often turn the tide in prolonged engagements.
While each card has its niche, Guan Yu, Sainted Warrior carves out a unique position with a balance of offensive presence and defensive resilience. Dedicated MTG players recognize its value, especially in decks that are built around legendary creatures or those that capitalize on the utility of regeneration to survive longer in battle.
Cards similar to Guan Yu, Sainted Warrior by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Guan Yu, Sainted Warrior MTG card by a specific set like Portal Three Kingdoms and Masters Edition III, 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 Guan Yu, Sainted Warrior 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 Guan Yu, Sainted Warrior Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1999-05-01 and 2009-09-07. Illustrated by Qiao Dafu.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999-05-01 | Portal Three Kingdoms | PTK | 6 | 1997 | Normal | White | Qiao Dafu | |
| 2 | 2009-09-07 | Masters Edition III | ME3 | 12 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Qiao Dafu |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Guan Yu, Sainted Warrior has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Guan Yu, Sainted Warrior card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2009-10-01 | Despite the similarities between horsemanship and flying, horsemanship doesn’t interact with flying or reach. |
| 2009-10-01 | If Guan Yu, Sainted Warrior is removed from the graveyard after the ability triggers but before it resolves, it won’t get shuffled into your library. |
| 2009-10-01 | If a replacement effect has Guan Yu move to a different zone instead of being put into the graveyard, the ability won’t trigger at all. |
