Loxodon Gatekeeper MTG Card


Disrupts opponents by making their artifacts, creatures, and lands enter tapped, creating card advantage. Enhances your instant-speed plays, offering consistent battlefield influence once in play. While restrictive in deck-building, it’s a formidable control card when used effectively.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Elephant Soldier
Power 2
Toughness 3

Text of card

Artifacts, creatures, and lands your opponents control come into play tapped.

The gatekeepers are so fastidious that even the winds must wait to pass.


Cards like Loxodon Gatekeeper

Loxodon Gatekeeper is a compelling card that influences the flow of battle within Magic: The Gathering. It bears similarities to cards like Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, which also raises the cost of spells for opponents. However, Loxodon Gatekeeper has a broader impact by increasing the cost of not just spells but also the artifacts, creatures, and lands your rivals play. This effect can be crucial in slowing down an opponent’s game, giving you a strategic edge.

In the same circle of influence is the card Blind Obedience. While Blind Obedience doesn’t increase the cost of spells, it enforces a tap-down effect on your opponent’s creatures and artifacts, effectively delaying their usage and keeping tempo in your favor. Additionally, Loxodon Gatekeeper’s 2/3 body makes it formidable on the board, able to withstand more combat than the enchantment Blind Obedience.

To summarize, Loxodon Gatekeeper’s ability to restrict opponents’ plays with its versatile taxing effect positions it as a powerful tool within creature control decks in Magic: The Gathering, offering a unique advantage for players aiming to control the pace of the game.

Thalia, Guardian of Thraben - MTG Card versions
Blind Obedience - MTG Card versions
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben - MTG Card versions
Blind Obedience - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Loxodon Gatekeeper by color, type and mana cost

Northern Paladin - MTG Card versions
Moorish Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Witch Hunter - MTG Card versions
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Akroma's Devoted - MTG Card versions
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Blinking Spirit - MTG Card versions
Seht's Tiger - MTG Card versions
Valor - MTG Card versions
Guardian Seraph - MTG Card versions
Lightkeeper of Emeria - MTG Card versions
Cho-Manno, Revolutionary - MTG Card versions
Hero of Bladehold - MTG Card versions
Mausoleum Guard - MTG Card versions
Northern Paladin - MTG Card versions
Moorish Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Witch Hunter - MTG Card versions
Carrier Pigeons - MTG Card versions
Tormented Angel - MTG Card versions
Seasoned Marshal - MTG Card versions
Coalition Honor Guard - MTG Card versions
Mangara, the Diplomat - MTG Card versions
Akroma's Devoted - MTG Card versions
Leonin Abunas - MTG Card versions
Kami of Old Stone - MTG Card versions
Aven Cloudchaser - MTG Card versions
Blinking Spirit - MTG Card versions
Seht's Tiger - MTG Card versions
Valor - MTG Card versions
Guardian Seraph - MTG Card versions
Lightkeeper of Emeria - MTG Card versions
Cho-Manno, Revolutionary - MTG Card versions
Hero of Bladehold - MTG Card versions
Mausoleum Guard - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Loxodon Gatekeeper’s ability to disrupt the opponent’s board presence can indirectly contribute to card advantage. By delaying their plays or locking down crucial lands or artifacts, it forces opponents to use more resources to achieve what they would normally do with less, potentially leading to a situation where you have more active cards in play or in hand.

Resource Acceleration: Although the Loxodon Gatekeeper doesn’t directly accelerate your resources, it significantly slows down your opponent’s resource development. This comparative resource acceleration can provide a virtual advantage, as your own lands and artifacts remain unaffected, allowing you to deploy threats and answers at your regular pace while the opponent struggles.

Instant Speed: While Loxodon Gatekeeper itself is not an instant, its ability affects the game at all times once on the battlefield. This constant effect means that any subsequent instant-speed plays you make are more potent, as your opponent’s ability to respond on their turn is hindered, ensuring that your instants and flash spells have a greater impact when timing is essential.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Loxodon Gatekeeper doesn’t force a discard directly, its four-mana casting cost can pressure your hand if you’re trying to maintain board presence, potentially leading to difficult decisions about what to keep versus what to cast.

Specific Mana Cost: Loxodon Gatekeeper requires a blend of generic and white mana, which can be restrictive in multicolor decks that might struggle to ensure the right mana availability, thus potentially limiting its inclusion to mainly mono-white or two-color decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a cost of four mana, Loxodon Gatekeeper’s ability to affect the tempo of opponents’ land use can be impactful, but when considering the scale of options available, there are cards that might offer similar disruption for a lower cost, providing faster or additional benefits.


Reasons to Include Loxodon Gatekeeper in Your Collection

Versatility: The Loxodon Gatekeeper is a robust card suitable for decks that aim to control the pace of the game. Its ability to make all opponent’s artifacts, creatures, and lands enter the battlefield tapped gives you a significant strategic advantage in delaying enemy threats.

Combo Potential: This elephant soldier shines when combined with other cards that capitalize on opponents’ artifacts and creatures entering the field tapped. For instance, it can be paired with cards that punish tapped creatures or create lock-down scenarios, hindering your opponent’s board development.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta dominated by fast-paced aggro or combo decks, Loxodon Gatekeeper can slow down the onslaught, buying you crucial turns to stabilize and set up your win conditions. Its relevance grows in environments where tempo plays a critical role.


How to beat

Loxodon Gatekeeper is a card that can seriously disrupt your opponent’s strategy in MTG. This sturdy creature enforces higher costs for artifacts, creatures, and lands to play, potentially slowing down the pace of your adversary. When facing a deck that incorporates this formidable card, the focus should shift toward exploiting its weaknesses. Bypassing the high cost can be done with cards that allow you to put creatures onto the battlefield without casting them, like those with the Sneak Attack ability. Efficient removal spells that can target the Loxodon Gatekeeper, such as Doom Blade or Path to Exile, can also be used to eliminate it from the battlefield.

Another tactic to outmaneuver a Loxodon Gatekeeper is to capitalize on noncreature strategies, specifically instant and sorcery spells that won’t be affected by its taxing presence. Employing enchantments that control or pacify creatures can effectively neutralize the Gatekeeper without the need to invest heavily in mana. Prioritizing mana acceleration to overcome the barriers set by the Loxodon Gatekeeper can also turn the tides in your favor, paving the way for a swift deployment of your own threats.


BurnMana Recommendations

Insightful MTG players, if you’re looking to tip the scales in your favor, consider adding Loxodon Gatekeeper to your arsenal. This card is a formidable asset for controlling the game’s tempo, disrupting opponent tactics and gaining strategic advantage. Its ability to dictate the pace makes it a valuable inclusion in decks focusing on maintaining the upper hand. Diving deeper into the nuances of Magic the Gathering can significantly boost your gameplay experience. Unlock the full potential of your deck with Loxodon Gatekeeper and explore the multitude of strategies that can be built around it. For a deeper look into crafting a winning strategy and discovering other gems that synergize well with the Gatekeeper, join us in exploring all the ways to optimize your deck’s performance.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Loxodon Gatekeeper MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica: City of Guilds and The List, 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 Loxodon Gatekeeper and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Loxodon Gatekeeper Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2005-10-07 and 2005-10-07. Illustrated by Carl Critchlow.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12005-10-07Ravnica: City of GuildsRAV 252003NormalBlackCarl Critchlow
22020-09-26The ListPLST RAV-252003NormalBlackCarl Critchlow

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Loxodon Gatekeeper has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal