Gallows at Willow Hill MTG Card


Gallows at Willow Hill - Avacyn Restored
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeArtifact
Released2012-05-04
Set symbol
Set nameAvacyn Restored
Set codeAVR
Number215
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byJohn Avon

Key Takeaways

  1. This artifact offers a distinct edge by enabling creature removal at crucial moments, reshaping the battlefield dynamics.
  2. Flexibility in deck integration and potential for combo setups make it a valuable addition to any collection.
  3. Despite its power, counters and strategic play can overcome the challenges posed by Gallows at Willow Hill.

Text of card

, , Tap three untapped Humans you control: Destroy target creature. Its controller puts a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying onto the battlefield.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gallows at Willow Hill offers a unique form of card advantage by allowing you to remove key creatures from your opponent’s board. Instead of drawing cards, it helps you diminish the opponent’s resources while potentially maintaining your own board presence, pivoting the balance of power in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: Although Gallows at Willow Hill doesn’t directly produce mana or tokens, it accelerates your game plan by selectively removing blockers or threats. This can indirectly lead to resource acceleration by making it easier for your creatures to connect with the opponent, ultimately leading to more damage or in-game advantages.

Instant Speed: The power of Gallows at Willow Hill comes into play when you can activate it at the end of your opponent’s turn, making it a surprise tactic that can disrupt their strategy. Although it’s not an instant card itself, its activation during your opponent’s turn can catch them off-guard, much like an instant-speed interaction would, thus holding a resemblance to the flexibility and surprise element of instant speed spells.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Gallows at Willow Hill involves sacrificing a creature you control to activate its ability, which can set you back especially if your board presence is crucial to your game strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: This artifact card requires a unique mana combination that includes one of each; white, black and green. This specificity can complicate its incorporation into decks that don’t support these colors simultaneously.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its activation cost combined with three mana of different colors, the total cost of using Gallows at Willow Hill’s ability can become burdensome when compared to other removal options that are less taxing on the mana pool and can be executed faster.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Gallows at Willow Hill offers a unique form of repeatable creature removal that can be integrated into a wide array of deck strategies. Its ability doesn’t rely on a specific color, making it a flexible choice for multicolored decks looking for creature control options.

Combo Potential: This artifact thrives in decks that can reliably produce a high number of creatures, particularly Human creature types. It sets the stage for potential combos with cards that care about sacrificing creatures, such as triggering morbid abilities or empowering sacrifice-driven strategies.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where indestructible or hexproof creatures are prevalent, the Gallows at Willow Hill bypasses conventional removal, providing a strategic edge. As players adapt their collections to handle a variety of threats, having access to this type of targeted removal can prove indispensable.


How to beat

Gallows at Willow Hill is an artifact that has the potential to be a thorn in the side of many players, creating tension among creature-based strategies. This card lets you tap three untapped Humans you control to destroy a creature, effectively altering the battlefield. Dealing with this artifact requires a blend of preemptive and reactive strategies.

Counterspells are a reliable method – stopping Gallows at Willow Hill from ever hitting the board is a clean solution. But if the artifact has resolved, you can rely on artifact removal spells such as Abrade or Disenchant to eliminate it. Versatile permanents removal like Assassin’s Trophy can be useful as they handle any troublesome cards.

Another strategy involves limiting the opponent’s capacity to use the Gallows. Using board wipes to clear human creatures or employing removals like Doom Blade on key Human creatures can disrupt your opponent’s synergy. Also, consider graveyard control strategies, which can prevent the return of crucial Human creatures with various recursion abilities. Outpacing the artifacts’ activation cost is another approach; if you keep your non-Human creatures’ power high, it becomes tougher for opponents to find viable targets for the Gallows.

In sum, maintaining control over the state of the board and the key pieces in your opponent’s strategy is vital to countering the effectiveness of Gallows at Willow Hill. Efficiently managing your resources and keeping removals in hand can help ensure this artifact doesn’t dictate the flow of the game.


Cards like Gallows at Willow Hill

Gallows at Willow Hill may not be the first artifact to tap into the potential of creature control, but it has characteristics that make it a card worthy of discussion among MTG enthusiasts. It’s akin to cards such as “Descent into Madness,” in terms of building a narrative around sacrificing creatures. However, Gallows at Willow Hill requires a more selective setup, demanding three untapped humans to perform its function, drawing a clear distinction from the broader requirement present in Descent into Madness.

Looking at another peer, “High Market,” offers a sacrificial outlet as well, albeit in a land card form. Unlike the Gallows, High Market provides an immediate life gain benefit and doesn’t restrict the player to a creature type, showing greater flexibility. Then there’s “Phyrexian Altar,” an artifact that offers direct mana acceleration in exchange for sacrifice, standing out with its capacity to fuel powerful mana combos.

When considering cards that manipulate the battlefield through sacrifice and control, Gallows at Willow Hill stands out due to its unique synergy with human-type cards, reflecting its flavor and strategic niche in MTG. Each of these cards, while sharing thematic elements, caters to different playstyles and strategic preferences, highlighting the depth and variety of MTG’s card pool.

Descent into Madness - MTG Card versions
High Market - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Altar - MTG Card versions
Descent into Madness - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
High Market - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Phyrexian Altar - Invasion (INV)

Cards similar to Gallows at Willow Hill by color, type and mana cost

Celestial Prism - MTG Card versions
Sunglasses of Urza - MTG Card versions
Ebony Horse - MTG Card versions
Runed Arch - MTG Card versions
Arena of the Ancients - MTG Card versions
Bösium Strip - MTG Card versions
Clay Pigeon - MTG Card versions
Ashnod's Altar - MTG Card versions
Jalum Tome - MTG Card versions
Static Orb - MTG Card versions
Patchwork Gnomes - MTG Card versions
The Stasis Coffin - MTG Card versions
Captain's Hook - MTG Card versions
Wall of Spears - MTG Card versions
Spellweaver Helix - MTG Card versions
Scale of Chiss-Goria - MTG Card versions
Lightning Coils - MTG Card versions
Vedalken Shackles - MTG Card versions
Oblivion Stone - MTG Card versions
Gem of Becoming - MTG Card versions
Celestial Prism - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Sunglasses of Urza - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Ebony Horse - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Runed Arch - Ice Age (ICE)
Arena of the Ancients - Chronicles (CHR)
Bösium Strip - Weatherlight (WTH)
Clay Pigeon - Unglued (UGL)
Ashnod's Altar - The Brothers' War Retro Artifacts (BRR)
Jalum Tome - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Static Orb - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Patchwork Gnomes - Odyssey (ODY)
The Stasis Coffin - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Captain's Hook - Rivals of Ixalan Promos (PRIX)
Wall of Spears - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Spellweaver Helix - Mirrodin (MRD)
Scale of Chiss-Goria - Mirrodin (MRD)
Lightning Coils - Mirrodin (MRD)
Vedalken Shackles - Kaladesh Inventions (MPS)
Oblivion Stone - Commander 2011 (CMD)
Gem of Becoming - Magic 2013 (M13)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gallows at Willow Hill MTG card by a specific set like Avacyn Restored, 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 Gallows at Willow Hill and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gallows at Willow Hill has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2012-05-01 If the targeted creature is an illegal target when the ability tries to resolve, the ability won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen. The creature’s controller won’t put a Spirit token onto the battlefield.
2012-05-01 You can tap any three untapped Humans you control, including ones you haven’t controlled continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn, to pay the cost of the activated ability.

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