Very hard and risky. I'd like to see the combo players using this to see how it works :D
blackjackz
★★★☆☆ (3.1/5.0)(4 votes)
it's a shame that necropotence is banned. those two would make a sick combo. I'm currious if this will see any play in legacy. It defenetly has some potential.
Lim-Dül's Vault and Angel's Grace seem like good canditates with this card.
Vedalken_Arbiter
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(4 votes)
Wall of Blood anyone?
AngelxLegna
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
This card will see lots of play in rogue decks and casual decks alike
Amsjex
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
this needs a prevention deck built around it as any sane player red especially will let them get that low on health and then snipe them in their upkeep. can see myself having fun making a player get 3 life in their upkeep if they had this out and was on 1 life
Wyldblayde
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Use anything that allows you to pay life at instant speed, then stack 2 Angel's Grace in your hand. At the end of your opponent's turn, cast an Angle's Grace and pay all but 1 life. Use the second Angel's Grace on your turn if you need to and win at 1 life.
TreeTrunkMaster
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(6 votes)
This made Worship much cooler.
pigknight
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Blaze-like cards in a Red/White deck could help get you to exactly 1. But to risky in my opinion.
Demonic_Angel13
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Ad Nauseam could help trigger this. You have to hope you hit the right cards to not lose to much life.
"Very hard and risky. I'd like to see the combo players using this to see how it works. :P" - trowa_barton03
Actually, it's not hard at all. Enduring Ideal into Solitary Confinement. Next upkeep, find Yawgmoth's Bargain. Use Yawgmoth's Bargain to fuel Solitary Confinement. Watch the red player scream in frusration. Then get Near Death Experience to win.
You can even set up Greater Auramancy (pre- or post-Ideal) to protect enchantments. Dovescape to shut down combo decks. Plunge into Darkness to find Ideal / as alt-win. Wrath of God to pwn aggro. Angel's Grace as a sideboard against zoo.
Yes, Ideal is cheesy. It can work in reverse - yanking all the Ideals, maxing the Near-Death Experience, maindecking Angel's Grace. But seriously, Ideal just makes the deck sing. Nothing beats epic.
coyotemoon722
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Cunning Sparkmage and other pingers would be helpful with this. Seems kinda perfect for a R/W deck. Like others, I'm tempted to try it.
blindthrall
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(4 votes)
I'm amused by all the complicated combos when Worship exists and is the same color.
TheAlucinaut
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Has anyone else thought of Fortune Thief with this? You could just have a set of her in there & toss in a Whispersilk Cloak or four and red-card yourself down to 1. Shouldn't be too hard with RW. Maybe use some of the awesome ROE walls & burn spells to fend off attackers until your combo is in place.
Probably not something I'd do myself, but I think someone could pull it off.
Hm.
Nuclear_Pony
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I agree with the people mentioning Worship, this card has Worship written all over it :D
ion1000
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Biorhythm Am I the only one who thought of this???
Sir_Kaeru
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
earthwauke! =D
Sironos
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I keep getting these in eldrazi boosters, I HATE THEM, such an incredibly sad way to win, I don't like cards with win conditions, so just my luck.
XTwistedsoulX
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Yay! more instant win to further annoy my friends! They hated coalition victory, the hated my barren glory! I even got the chance encounter deck to work! Now this! My inner evil is grinning!!!
Etregan
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
The greatness of this card's flavor is inversely proportional to its usefulness.
Andon_A
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(18 votes)
The artwork on this card is just epic. Gideon Jura just raped a ton of Eldrazi.... and Emrakul is lieing dead in the background.
Youipt
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I've seen this used in a draft. EPIC!!, Brimstone Mage leveled up and the guy swung at himself!!
DragonBorn_Ranger
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Just Got Home from FNM- And WOW USING THIS CARD. EPIC
Also- U could use Worship With This. And just then Take the Damage.=Booster Drafts = Win
Ava_Adore
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I reckon it would be easy to win with this, white black, pay your life down, u just need to be able to stay alive in the moment between being on one life and activating the enchantment
benegade
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Lim-Dul's Vault. Game.
TheSwarm
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
2 forests 5 plains, channel 19 mana and use your 3 plains to lay this down, then silence and holy day on your opponents turn, praying that he doesn't have any life-draining abilities. Thats how that would go down.
xd4
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@: XTwistedsoulX
I have a coalition victory deck to lol and i know what u mean
shaolin_guard
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
ok people even better than the rest, perhaps on the same level as wall of blood....."drum rolls"..Curse of Wizardry. choose a colour you play and get working. :>) oh oh oh and Vendetta makes it extra crispy
bagilis
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(12 votes)
So the Eldrazi lost eventually. Humans always win!
luxma
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(1 vote)
it is not that difficult! Just use to yourself some lightning bolts (or something like that) at the end of your opponent's turn and reduce your life to 1 !
I agree. Sick artwork. Emrakul is a beast(CHEAP SKEETER mind you), but Gideon made him a punk. Awesome FLAV!!!
Kodanshi
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Leyline of Anticipation allows you to play this as an Instant, so you can throw it down at the end of your opponent's turn after reducing your life total to 1. Perhaps a Platinum Emperion so your life total can't change.
As others have stated, magnificent flavour and artwork. Plus the whole 1 hitpoint victory thing. Awesome.
aww this card looks like fun. Worship is perfect for it, then just throw in some way to loose life quickly. Necropotence and Yawgmoth's Bargain of course come to mind, but Shepperd of Rot would be fun too. Worship and this would also fit a cleric/zombie theme.
ajamax5
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I use it in a casual deck amongst my friends with soulgorger orgg and menacing ogre. Burn and pacifism to keep creatures from killing too early, and enlightened tutor to find experience.
El_Pared
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
nobody's thought of using an eternity vessel with 1 counter on it and an instant speed land drop? That's the lazy way, screw all that paying life, I'll stick at my lofty 20 until I want to win :p
NARFNra
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(16 votes)
Wait, wait wait
did that guy in the art kill all those Eldrazi with his FISTS?
I just found out about this card the hard way. Lost a game to this 61HP-1HP. This card is cheating.
fjdkslan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
hmm. i wonder how gideon managed to kill emrakul and the likes
Reyos
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Hatred... Ali from Cairo
iamludo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
NECROPOTENCE.
adinsx3
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@Lord_of_Tresserhorn: No player receives priority during the untap step, so you can't do anything during that step. Even if an ability triggers during that step, it doesn't go on the stack until the beginning of the upkeep. And this ability *only* triggers at the beginning of your upkeep, and *only* if you are at 1 life. So you have to put yourself down to 1 life during your opponents end step, at the latest.
Lord_of_Tresserhorn
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NICOLAS CAGE KILLED MY EMRAKUL!!!!
I thought the planeswalkers had been kind of neutered after the Time Spiral block, how are they able to kill Elder Gods???
*grumbles*
Anyway, seems there are a lot of possibilities. Stuff like Necropotence or Yawgmoth's Bargain look best. If your opponent has not removed them already, they probably can't, and that means you need not be afraid of counters.
Rules question: How "long" is this "beginning of the upkeep" phase?? As in, since NDE doesn't even trigger if you don't have 1 life, can you pay life right beforehand (untap phase?)??
Also, any possibility of using Vedalken Orrery and casting NDE just before your upkeep so that it doesn't lie around so long, presenting a juicy target??
Edit: @adinsx3: Thanks for the answer! I guess it was too good to be true.
Trying to break this in a Vintage White-black deck. Ooh the fun!
@El_Pared: How exactly do you get a 1-counter Eternity Vessel?
funkmasta1805
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Combo this with Ali from Cairo. It prevents you from going below 1 HP. And of course, while you're at it, throw in a Death's Shadow, too.
sarroth
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I'm surprised people think this card is so hard to play. Ali from Cairo, Fortune Thief, Angel's Grace, Sustaining Spirit, Worship. Then use any card that causes you to lose life or all players to lose life. A RW or BW deck shouldn't have that problem. Going multicolored might be difficult with the {W}{W}{W}, though. However, with mono-white you can have Warship and a creature out with this (and you can run enchantment tutors to ensure they're both in play), then if your opponents choose not to attack you, drop your Serra Ascendant to punish them for that choice. Life-gain decks are fun.
wxnbvq1
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
use with upcoming hex parasite and your choice of fetch lands. Be careful of decks running red
BioPrince
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Hex Parasite from New Phyrexia makes this a much easier combo
This seems like it should be black. Its like the opposite of a normal "life-matters" white card.
Cheza
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This card is quite dumb. First, I don't like unusual win conditions when I even have to pay a lot of mana for them. Second: A WHITE win condition should be impossible to reach on your own alone. And having 1 life doesn't give me the feeling of "WOW, I've won". I would have rather ecpected something cooler and more creative.
@ Art & Emrakul: >>> Lands ravaged, cities in ruins, so many lives sacrificed, and yet there was no other word for it but victory.<<< This should explain how "he" did it. It was just a "we", but he is the one who survived.
Axelle
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
It's a shame that this didn't happen in the story, otherwise Gideon would have a reputation as a big-time badass.
Arachibutyrophobia
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
works well with anything that lets you pay life, such as Wall of Blood.
btw, gideon is a beast.
Kryptnyt
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
But phyrexian mana can only be paid 2 life at a time... so how is that good for this?
Totema
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(9 votes)
There IS a different word. "Pyrrhic victory". Two words, rather.
Lief098
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
If your life total is odd, it's very easy to win by using the ability of any of the Souleaters (except Blinding Souleater). It's probably easiest if you use Immolating Souleater, though, because then you're playing red and you can use Lightning Bolt or Gut Shot on yourself if your life total is even. Leyline of Sanctity can help keep you safe if you're in a burn-heavy metagame.
Worship is fine, I guess, but you're dead if they remove the enchantment OR your creatures, so I prefer the alternative. Still, it never hurts to have more combo pieces...
Gideon Jura's abilities should have been alot better
Villainous1
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(7 votes)
"...and STAY DOWN."
Mr.Wimples
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(7 votes)
Maximum Style points for having this out, making Gideon Jura a creature, then winning by somehow reducing your life to 1 with Emrakul.
Albita
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(8 votes)
I love cards with "if xxx you win the game"! This, in particular, offers easy combinations and surprises
mattblack04
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
Emrakul may come back if he's sent to the graveyard, unfortunately against Gideon, he never made it that far.
ZestuXIII
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Wait, why play the expensive (3) and creature mandatory Worship when we have Angel's Grace for and with Split Second? Ad Nauseum is...an interesting card for this. To say as much as possible about it. I do love Free Lightning Bolts, and Death's Wish can be very good for this. Lord of the Pit makes for some good ole' fashioned fun, and Braids, Conjurer Adept/Warpworld can maybe help you get it out. Remember, the combo is sensitive, and 4-of is excellent with Twinning Glass, in case the first one got countered.
As much as I hate you Gideon, I have to respect you.
DarthParallax
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Boros Gideon rumored to be in Return to Ravnica's second set. So. Psyched.
Now that I look at this card, I think that one-third of the FAQ's of Vorthoses will likely be covered in an article about Gideon:
Q1 "Why hasn't Nicol Bolas destroyed the Multiverse yet?"
M13's answer: wait for it....
***Q2 "Why haven't the Eldrazi destroyed the Multiverse yet?"
Ravnica Gideon's answer: About those guys...I'm apparently a BAMF.
Q3 "Why hasn't New Phyrexia compleated the Multiverse yet?"
WoTC answer: Well, OK you have us there. We are returning to Time Spiral/the whole Multiverse eventually, but first we have to show you this cool place called 'Shandalar' we dug out of an old videogame we think everyone's forgotten....
At least, that's my theory :)
Halfhound
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
With this and Angel's Grace it makes you WANT to have the tar beaten out of you
Every once in awhile I play by house rules in which if a player really wants to keep playing after they are KO'd, they are allowed to "Endure" for a turn and stay at one life. Needless to say when people whip this card out on their last turn, I am very upset.
@Kamishini: Nice combo, but it probably wouldn't work exactly as you planned. Since Emrakul would deal 15 non-prevented damage to Gideon, you'd have to remove 15 Loyalty Counters from him. Unless you spent forever ticking up those counters, that'd bring him to 0. Even though he's indestructible, he's still a Planeswalker, so he'd instantly die after the fight.
Of course, if we assume such a combo involving eight or so cards and twenty-eight mana in three colours, what says that Gideon, browalker of broness, can't have 16 counters.
absreim
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Awesome flavor text.
MasterOfParadox
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is great, and the flavor is perfect, but the story is wrong. Fun fact: Gideon had no victory over the Eldrazi. In fact, ALL of them are currently still there, destroying the plane. Gideon then fled to Ravnica to find other planeswalkers to help defeat the Eldrazi, but was caught in the crossfire of the guilds. I don't know what this near death experience is. Maybe fleeing in time?
OlvynChuru
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
One thing I really like about Near-Death Experience is the fact that it gives the normally crappy Ethereal Champion a niche in the game which no other card can fill. As far as I know, no card other than Ethereal Champion can automatically set your life total to one in monowhite. Maybe some artifact can do that, but I'm not sure.
Comments (107)
Lim-Dül's Vault and Angel's Grace seem like good canditates with this card.
Wall of Blood and Blood Celebrant are candidates for the job.
Actually, it's not hard at all. Enduring Ideal into Solitary Confinement. Next upkeep, find Yawgmoth's Bargain. Use Yawgmoth's Bargain to fuel Solitary Confinement. Watch the red player scream in frusration. Then get Near Death Experience to win.
You can even set up Greater Auramancy (pre- or post-Ideal) to protect enchantments. Dovescape to shut down combo decks. Plunge into Darkness to find Ideal / as alt-win. Wrath of God to pwn aggro. Angel's Grace as a sideboard against zoo.
Yes, Ideal is cheesy. It can work in reverse - yanking all the Ideals, maxing the Near-Death Experience, maindecking Angel's Grace. But seriously, Ideal just makes the deck sing. Nothing beats epic.
Probably not something I'd do myself, but I think someone could pull it off.
Hm.
Am I the only one who thought of this???
Also- U could use Worship With This. And just then Take the Damage.=Booster Drafts = Win
I have a coalition victory deck to lol and i know what u mean
As others have stated, magnificent flavour and artwork. Plus the whole 1 hitpoint victory thing. Awesome.
did that guy in the art kill all those Eldrazi with his FISTS?
Damn that guy is badass
I thought the planeswalkers had been kind of neutered after the Time Spiral block, how are they able to kill Elder Gods???
*grumbles*
Anyway, seems there are a lot of possibilities. Stuff like Necropotence or Yawgmoth's Bargain look best. If your opponent has not removed them already, they probably can't, and that means you need not be afraid of counters.
Rules question: How "long" is this "beginning of the upkeep" phase?? As in, since NDE doesn't even trigger if you don't have 1 life, can you pay life right beforehand (untap phase?)??
Also, any possibility of using Vedalken Orrery and casting NDE just before your upkeep so that it doesn't lie around so long, presenting a juicy target??
Edit: @adinsx3: Thanks for the answer! I guess it was too good to be true.
@El_Pared: How exactly do you get a 1-counter Eternity Vessel?
@ Art & Emrakul:
>>> Lands ravaged, cities in ruins, so many lives sacrificed, and yet there was no other word for it but victory.<<<
This should explain how "he" did it. It was just a "we", but he is the one who survived.
btw, gideon is a beast.
Worship is fine, I guess, but you're dead if they remove the enchantment OR your creatures, so I prefer the alternative. Still, it never hurts to have more combo pieces...
Because why would you win by experience?
I would understand if it was
"At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have
exactly 1 life, you can't lose the game by life loss"
or something.
This, in particular, offers easy combinations and surprises
Ad Nauseum is...an interesting card for this. To say as much as possible about it. I do love Free Lightning Bolts, and Death's Wish can be very good for this. Lord of the Pit makes for some good ole' fashioned fun, and Braids, Conjurer Adept/Warpworld can maybe help you get it out.
Remember, the combo is sensitive, and 4-of is excellent with Twinning Glass, in case the first one got countered.
"Angel's Grace. *trollface*"
Seriosuly one of the best card artworks in Magic. Also the most flavorful card in recent sets, followed by War Report and Doomed Traveler.
Huh, all of which are white. Welp, I suppose if Wizards loves Blue competitively, they love White flavoriciously?
grab Counterspells from outside the game
cast this and win.
Now that I look at this card, I think that one-third of the FAQ's of Vorthoses will likely be covered in an article about Gideon:
Q1 "Why hasn't Nicol Bolas destroyed the Multiverse yet?"
M13's answer: wait for it....
***Q2 "Why haven't the Eldrazi destroyed the Multiverse yet?"
Ravnica Gideon's answer: About those guys...I'm apparently a BAMF.
Q3 "Why hasn't New Phyrexia compleated the Multiverse yet?"
WoTC answer: Well, OK you have us there. We are returning to Time Spiral/the whole Multiverse eventually, but first we have to show you this cool place called 'Shandalar' we dug out of an old videogame we think everyone's forgotten....
At least, that's my theory :)
And completely fitting.
Gonna attack?
Have you seen skinshifter?
This card is so hilariously epic. I love the art. Gideon is so manly!
5/5 for manliness, and awesomeness.
"Why did you bring a bag of nickels to the game?"
"No reason."
Challenge Accepted. White/Black/Red/Green deck. I'm going to assume you have a lot of mana, btw.
Step 1:Get life total to 16 (Burn yourself with red, or pay life with black), Leyline of Punishment, Bazaar Trader, Domri Rade and this card.
Step 2: Play Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. Give it to them with Bazaar Trader.
Step 3: Turn Gideon Jura into a creature card. Enchant him with Ragged Veins. Then play Untamed Might for 10 so Gideon is a 16/16.
Step 4: Activate Domri's -2, having Gideon and Emrakul fight each other.
Step 5: Die in explosion of flavor as you pass the turn, with Gideon at 1 toughness, and win on the upkeep of your extra turn!
Nice combo, but it probably wouldn't work exactly as you planned. Since Emrakul would deal 15 non-prevented damage to Gideon, you'd have to remove 15 Loyalty Counters from him. Unless you spent forever ticking up those counters, that'd bring him to 0. Even though he's indestructible, he's still a Planeswalker, so he'd instantly die after the fight.
Of course, if we assume such a combo involving eight or so cards and twenty-eight mana in three colours, what says that Gideon, browalker of broness, can't have 16 counters.