Gideon, Champion of Justice MTG Card
2013-02-01 - Number 13
2021-04-23 - Number 93
2022-12-02 - Number 189
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Legendary Planeswalker — Gideon |
| Loyalty | 4 |
Key Takeaways
- Gideon’s loyalty abilities directly enhance board presence, making him a resilient and escalating threat.
- While specific in mana cost, his transformative nature into an indestructible creature dictates game pace.
- Gideon’s presence demands an astute removal strategy, balancing board commitment against his strengths.
Text of card
+1: Put a loyalty counter on Gideon, Champion of Justice for each creature target opponent controls. 0: Until end of turn, Gideon, Champion of Justice becomes an indestructible Human Soldier creature with power and toughness each equal to the number of loyalty counters on him. He's still a planeswalker. Prevent all damage that would be dealt to him this turn. -15: Exile all other permanents.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Gideon, Champion of Justice excels by boosting your battlefield presence via increasing loyalty counters. This can often lead to card advantage as he becomes a relentless threat that must be dealt with by opponents, thereby saving your other cards from being targeted.
Resource Acceleration: Though not directly impacting mana resources, Gideon’s ability to potentially become a massive indestructible creature enables a different kind of resource acceleration. It allows you to divert resources elsewhere while he controls the board, effectively accelerating your game plan.
Instant Speed: While Gideon himself doesn’t operate at instant speed, his ability to become a creature during your turn before the combat phase can catch opponents off-guard, aligning with the strategic advantage of instant speed interactions. You can alter the pace of the game and force decisions at unexpected times.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Gideon Champion of Justice’s abilities do not directly require discarding cards; however, its absence of card advantage can put pressure on hand resources, especially in longer games where maintaining card count is critical.
Specific Mana Cost: This planeswalker comes with a specific mana cost demanding both white and generic mana, necessitating a commitment to white mana sources in your deck, potentially limiting deck-building flexibility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, Gideon Champion of Justice is sometimes considered high for its initial impact on the board. In metagames where efficiency is key, there may be other card options that provide immediate value or protection for a similar or lower cost.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Gideon Champion of Justice adapts to a variety of game situations. He can be a formidable defender in the early game, a promoter of board control in mid-game, and a lethal threat once he’s accumulated enough loyalty counters.
Combo Potential: With his ability to rapidly tick up his loyalty counters based on the number of creatures your opponents have, Gideon synergizes well with cards that put a lot of creature tokens onto the battlefield, turning overwhelming odds into his strength.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where creature-heavy decks are prevalent, Gideon Champion of Justice shines by thriving on crowded boards, making him an excellent choice for players looking to counter such strategies in their local or competitive play environment.
How to beat
Gideon Champion of Justice is an impactful planeswalker in MTG known for its ability to become a formidable creature with increasing power and toughness. When facing this card, timing and removal are crucial. Addressing Gideon before his loyalty counters skyrocket is ideal. Remove him through direct damage spells, destroy effects, or by ensuring that your creatures can deal lethal damage quickly.
Considering board state is another key strategy. Gideon’s +1 loyalty ability scales with the number of creatures your opponent controls, so avoid overcommitting to the board unless you’re poised to win. Matchups where control elements shine, such as counter magic or cards that can force sacrifice, can keep Gideon in check as well.
Ultimately, it’s about balance—apply pressure but don’t hand Gideon an army of loyalty counters. Regularly assess your capacity to attack Gideon directly or clear the path to him. Remember, once he transforms into a creature, creature removal spells can target him. Board wipes can be a double-edged sword, but sometimes they’re necessary to reign in Gideon’s justice.
BurnMana Recommendations
Mastering the intricacies of Gideon, Champion of Justice can be a strategic turning point in your MTG games. His ability to thrive on a crowded battlefield makes him a valuable addition to decks that face off against creature-heavy opponents. Embrace the challenge by understanding the pros and cons of including him in your deck and employing clever tactics to unveil his full potential. Delve into our in-depth discussions, deck-building guides, and expert gameplay tips to harness the power of Gideon. Embody the justice he represents and outwit your adversaries with a balanced force of strategy and strength. Explore further with us and bring your A-game every match.
Cards like Gideon, Champion of Justice
Gideon Champion of Justice adds a distinctive option for planeswalker enthusiasts in Magic: The Gathering. He mirrors other planeswalkers like Ajani Goldmane, who also shines in boosting creatures’ abilities and the player’s life total. Where Gideon diverges is in his ability to become an indestructible creature himself, growing stronger with the number of enemies you’re facing. Compared to Ajani, Gideon presents a unique tactical advantage by being a formidable presence on the battlefield.
Another analogous planeswalker is Elspeth, Knight-Errant. Elspeth’s superiority lies in generating creature tokens, providing an army for protection or offense. Yet, Gideon’s ability to metamorphose into a creature that scales with the game’s tide offers a different style of play. While Elspeth assists from the sidelines, Gideon can directly confront opponents with potential for massive power accumulation.
Summing up, Gideon Champion of Justice carves out its niche among Magic: The Gathering’s planeswalkers with its unconventional transformative ability and board impact. Aligning with different strategies, Gideon stands apart from peers like Ajani and Elspeth, offering players a bold way to lead their forces to victory.
Cards similar to Gideon, Champion of Justice by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Gideon, Champion of Justice MTG card by a specific set like Gatecrash and Commander 2021, 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, Champion of Justice 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, Champion of Justice Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2013-02-01 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by David Rapoza.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2013-02-01 | Gatecrash | GTC | 13 | 2003 | Normal | Black | David Rapoza | |
| 2 | 2021-04-23 | Commander 2021 | C21 | 93 | 2015 | Normal | Black | David Rapoza | |
| 3 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 189 | 2015 | Normal | Black | David Rapoza |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Gideon, Champion of Justice 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, Champion of Justice card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-01-24 | Gideon, Champion of Justice’s power and toughness are set to the number of loyalty counters on him when his second ability resolves. They won’t change later in the turn if the number of loyalty counters on him changes. |
| 2013-01-24 | Gideon, Champion of Justice’s second ability causes him to become a creature with the creature types Human and Soldier. He remains a planeswalker with the planeswalker type Gideon. (He also retains any other card types or subtypes he may have had.) Each subtype is correlated to the proper card type: Gideon is just a planeswalker type (not a creature type), and Human and Soldier are just creature types (not planeswalker types). |
| 2013-01-24 | If Gideon, Champion of Justice becomes a creature due to his second ability, that doesn’t count as having a creature enter the battlefield. Gideon was already on the battlefield; he only changed his types. Abilities that trigger whenever a creature enters the battlefield won’t trigger. |
| 2013-01-24 | If Gideon, Champion of Justice becomes a creature the same turn he enters the battlefield, you can’t attack with him or use any of his abilities (if he gains any). |
| 2013-01-24 | If the first ability doesn’t resolve (perhaps because the target opponent is an illegal target when the ability tries to resolve), you won’t put any additional loyalty counters on Gideon, although the loyalty counter you put on him to activate the ability will remain. |
| 2013-01-24 | Say you activate Gideon, Champion of Justice’s second ability, and then an opponent gains control of him before combat. You may have any of your creatures attack Gideon, Champion of Justice (since he’s still a planeswalker). Then Gideon, Champion of Justice may block (since he’s a creature). He may block any eligible attacking creature, including one that’s attacking him! During combat, he behaves as an attacked planeswalker and/or a blocking creature, as appropriate. For example, he deals combat damage to any creatures he’s blocking, but he doesn’t deal combat damage to any unblocked creatures that are attacking him. |
| 2013-01-24 | You put a loyalty counter on Gideon, Champion of Justice as part of the cost of activating the first ability. When that ability resolves, you count the number of creatures controlled by the target opponent and put that many additional loyalty counters on Gideon. |
| 2013-07-01 | If damage that can’t be prevented is dealt to Gideon, Champion of Justice after his second ability has resolved, that damage will have all applicable results: specifically, the damage is marked on Gideon (since he’s a creature) and that damage causes that many loyalty counters to be removed from him (since he’s a planeswalker). Even though he has indestructible, if Gideon, Champion of Justice has no loyalty counters on him, he’s put into his owner’s graveyard as a state-based action. |
