Gilded Goose MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Bird
Abilities Flying,Food
Power 0
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Gilded Goose provides consistent card advantage through Food token generation upon entry and during gameplay.
  2. The ability to tap for mana of any color makes the Goose an enabler for quick and diverse spellcasting.
  3. Instant speed actions grant players the versatility to adapt and respond to opponents’ moves effectively.

Text of card

Flying When Gilded Goose enters the battlefield, create a Food token. (It's an artifact with ", , Sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life.") , : Create a Food token. , Sacrifice a Food: Add one mana of any color.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gilded Goose creates a Food token upon entry, providing you with an incremental asset. This can be later leveraged for additional effects or simply life gain, offering a subtle yet consistent card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: The noble bird excels in propelling your game plan forward. By tapping and sacrificing a Food token, you gain access to one mana of any color, paving the way for early plays of more potent spells or setting up your board faster than your opponent.

Instant Speed: Gilded Goose’s ability to tap for mana or create Food tokens can be utilized at instant speed, making it a versatile component in your strategy. This allows you to adapt on-the-fly, whether it’s generating mana in response to an opponent’s move or eking out that extra bit of life to stay ahead.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Gilded Goose’s activated ability to create a Food token is not without its cost. Players must sacrifice another Food token, which means you need to either wait for turns to accumulate these tokens or have other ways to generate them. This requirement can be cumbersome when you’re trying to maintain board presence and manage resources effectively.

Specific Mana Cost: Although Gilded Goose can theoretically fit in any deck due to its minimal mana cost which includes a single green mana, it naturally synergizes more with decks that capitalize on the Food mechanic or require a heavy green mana base. This specificity may deter its inclusion in decks that are not optimized for its abilities.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When considering the activation cost for its ability to add one mana of any color, Gilded Goose demands a Food token, which functionally ups the cost. While producing a green mana and a creature token upon entering the battlefield is efficient, the ongoing cost can be steep compared to other mana dorks. For example, Birds of Paradise offers mana of any color without the added expense of a Food token, potentially outclassing Gilded Goose in terms of pure mana generation.


Reasons to Include Gilded Goose in Your Collection

Versatility: Gilded Goose serves multiple roles within a deck. Its ability to generate food tokens provides a life cushion, while also offering mana acceleration. This makes it a great inclusion in decks that emphasize adaptability and resilience.

Combo Potential: As a creature with the ability to produce mana of any color, Gilded Goose can be a linchpin in various combo setups. Its synergies with sacrifice mechanics and food-related cards enhance numerous strategies, aligning perfectly with decks built around engine cards.

Meta-Relevance: The ongoing metagame often sees decks that demand fast mana and consistent life gain. Gilded Goose fits well into such an environment, countering aggressive strategies and enabling quicker deployment of high-impact cards, thus remaining a relevant addition to many types of decks.


How to beat

Gilded Goose has flapped its way into many MTG players’ decks, offering a combination of mana acceleration and resource creation that aligns it closely with Birds of Paradise, albeit with a modern twist. The Goose stands out by generating Food tokens, which can be used for life gain or fueling other synergies within the game. This capacity for mana fixing and incremental advantage makes it a card worth addressing on the battlefield.

When it comes to shutting down the versatility of Gilded Goose, there are several strategies that could tilt the game in your favor. Removal spells that can target creatures at a low cost, such as Fatal Push or Lightning Bolt, are quite effective against the Goose before it starts to lay golden eggs for your opponent. Alternatively, taxing effects from cards like Thalia, Guardian of Thraben can disrupt the cost-efficiency of Gilded Goose’s abilities, while cards like Grafdigger’s Cage can stop the flow of output by preventing creatures from being played from graveyards or libraries, which indirectly diminishes the Goose’s impact.

Overall, while Gilded Goose presents a unique set of challenges, understanding its mechanics and having a counter strategy can significantly weaken its presence and turn the tide of the game in your favor.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the art of MTG gameplay is akin to a grand puzzle, with pieces like Gilded Goose adding strategic layers to your deck. As you contemplate your MTG journey, this card’s asset creation and versatility in resource acceleration are factors to harness. Whether you’re aiming to stabilize your footing with life gain or speed up your spell casting, Gilded Goose presents a fascinating option. Keep an eye on your resource management and explore the synergies Gilded Goose offers. For insights on optimizing your playstyle and fully utilizing cards like Gilded Goose in your collection, continue this conversation with us. Your quest for MTG mastery is just a tap away.


Cards like Gilded Goose

Gilded Goose is a standout card in Magic the Gathering, often likened to other mana dorks such as Llanowar Elves. Both creatures are valued for their ability to ramp mana, but Gilded Goose brings additional versatility to the table. With its ability to create a Food token upon entering the battlefield, the Goose can effectively be harnessed for life gain or converted into mana at a later stage, offering strategic depth and resilience in various game situations.

Another card that echoes its capabilities is Birds of Paradise, which also ramps mana but offers a broader spectrum of colors to choose from. Unlike Gilded Goose, Birds of Paradise lacks the Food token utility, but its capacity to tap for any color mana without an additional cost makes it a staple for multicolor decks. Elvish Mystic is also a similar one-mana creature, providing straightforward green mana ramp without the intricacies woven into the Gilded Goose’s design.

Each of these cards carries its own set of pros and cons. While Gilded Goose offers a unique blend of resourcefulness beyond its mana ability, its counterparts showcase their strength in simplicity and color fixing. Recognizing the right fit for your deck is key, making Gilded Goose a distinctively valuable asset in Magic the Gathering’s rich tapestry of mana-producing creatures.

Llanowar Elves - MTG Card versions
Birds of Paradise - MTG Card versions
Elvish Mystic - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Elves - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Birds of Paradise - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Elvish Mystic - Magic 2014 (M14)

Cards similar to Gilded Goose by color, type and mana cost

Scryb Sprites - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Elves - MTG Card versions
Ghazbán Ogre - MTG Card versions
Shanodin Dryads - MTG Card versions
Wall of Wood - MTG Card versions
Village Elder - MTG Card versions
Spike Drone - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Elite - MTG Card versions
Elvish Berserker - MTG Card versions
Tree Monkey - MTG Card versions
Wild Dogs - MTG Card versions
Elvish Herder - MTG Card versions
Pouncing Jaguar - MTG Card versions
Scavenger Folk - MTG Card versions
Willow Geist - MTG Card versions
Nimble Mongoose - MTG Card versions
Elvish Lyrist - MTG Card versions
Elvish Pioneer - MTG Card versions
Hana Kami - MTG Card versions
Norwood Ranger - MTG Card versions
Scryb Sprites - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Llanowar Elves - Dominaria (DOM)
Ghazbán Ogre - Masters Edition (ME1)
Shanodin Dryads - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Wall of Wood - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Village Elder - Mirage (MIR)
Spike Drone - Tempest (TMP)
Skyshroud Elite - Exodus (EXO)
Elvish Berserker - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Tree Monkey - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Wild Dogs - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Elvish Herder - Urza's Saga (USG)
Pouncing Jaguar - Urza's Saga (USG)
Scavenger Folk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Willow Geist - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Nimble Mongoose - The List (PLST)
Elvish Lyrist - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Elvish Pioneer - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Hana Kami - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Norwood Ranger - Ninth Edition (9ED)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gilded Goose MTG card by a specific set like Throne of Eldraine and Throne of Eldraine, 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 Gilded Goose and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Gilded Goose Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2019-10-04 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-10-04Throne of EldraineELD 3692015normalblackLindsey Look
22019-10-04Throne of EldraineELD 1602015normalblackLindsey Look
32019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 932015normalblackAllen Douglas
42023-04-21March of the Machine CommanderMOC 2992015normalblackLindsey Look
52023-06-23Tales of Middle-earth CommanderLTC 2462015normalblackValera Lutfullina

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gilded Goose has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2019-10-04 Food is an artifact type. Even though it appears on some creatures (such as Gingerbrute), it's never a creature type.
2019-10-04 If an effect refers to a Food, it means any Food artifact, not just a Food artifact token. For example, you can sacrifice Gingerbrute to activate the last ability of Tempting Witch.
2019-10-04 Whatever you do, don't eat the delicious cards.
2019-10-04 You can't sacrifice a Food token to pay multiple costs. For example, you can't sacrifice a Food token to activate its own ability and also to activate the ability of Tempting Witch.

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