Wayfaring Giant MTG Card


Wayfaring Giant’s board presence can filter deck quality and rebalance resources, impacting opponents’ plays. Despite resource advantages, the required discard and specific mana costs might obstruct optimal play strategies. Versatile and meta-relevant, Wayfaring Giant fits in various decks, but judicious play is needed to overcome its cons.
Wayfaring Giant - Invasion
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Giant
Abilities Domain
Released2000-10-02
Set symbol
Set nameInvasion
Set codeINV
Power 1
Toughness 3
Number44
Frame1997
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byChristopher Moeller

Text of card

Wayfaring Giant gets +1/+1 for each basic land type among lands you control.

Its stature and stride increase with each step it takes.


Cards like Wayfaring Giant

When evaluating the intriguing dynamics of Magic: The Gathering’s Wayfaring Giant, a comparison with other creatures is essential for players aiming to enhance their decks. Wayfaring Giant stands out with its powerful plainswalking ability, making it unblockable as long as the opponent controls any plains. This ability closely mirrors the design of cards like “Prized Unicorn,” which forces all creatures to block it if able, freeing the path for other attackers.

Another card worth mentioning is the “Lone Wolf” which, like Wayfaring Giant, allows damage to be unpreventable if it attacks alone. Though Lone Wolf has a lower cost and power level, it offers a similar strategic benefit. Then there is “Duskdale Wurm,” whose intimidating feature renders it unblockable by smaller creatures, paralleling the evasion tactic of Wayfaring Giant but in a different vein. However, the Wurm comes with higher power and toughness, impacting the battlefield presence significantly.

Thus, in a game that values strategic creature placement and attack vectors, Wayfaring Giant emerges as a noteworthy option, particularly in scenarios where plains are in play. This ability to bypass potential blockers places Wayfaring Giant in a valued position amongst creatures with evasion abilities.

Prized Unicorn - MTG Card versions
Lone Wolf - MTG Card versions
Duskdale Wurm - MTG Card versions
Prized Unicorn - MTG Card versions
Lone Wolf - MTG Card versions
Duskdale Wurm - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Wayfaring Giant by color, type and mana cost

Personal Incarnation - MTG Card versions
Pearl Dragon - MTG Card versions
Alabaster Dragon - MTG Card versions
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Kjeldoran Gargoyle - MTG Card versions
Duskrider Peregrine - MTG Card versions
Crovax, Ascendant Hero - MTG Card versions
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Spirit of the Hearth - MTG Card versions
Sun Titan - MTG Card versions
Auriok Survivors - MTG Card versions
Aegis Angel - MTG Card versions
Personal Incarnation - MTG Card versions
Pearl Dragon - MTG Card versions
Alabaster Dragon - MTG Card versions
Cho-Arrim Bruiser - MTG Card versions
Radiant Solar - MTG Card versions
Guardian Archon - MTG Card versions
Archon of Coronation - MTG Card versions
Shieldmage Elder - MTG Card versions
Gempalm Avenger - MTG Card versions
Noble Templar - MTG Card versions
Silverstorm Samurai - MTG Card versions
Oathsworn Giant - MTG Card versions
Kjeldoran Gargoyle - MTG Card versions
Duskrider Peregrine - MTG Card versions
Crovax, Ascendant Hero - MTG Card versions
Lairwatch Giant - MTG Card versions
Spirit of the Hearth - MTG Card versions
Sun Titan - MTG Card versions
Auriok Survivors - MTG Card versions
Aegis Angel - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Wayfaring Giant brings a unique opportunity to players looking to beef up their board presence. Upon casting this creature, its inherent ability to possibly filter through the deck can offer a subtle boost in card quality if land cards are revealed, though it doesn’t directly increase card quantity in hand.

Resource Acceleration: Dominating the battlefield often hinges on a swift crescendo of resources. While the Wayfaring Giant itself does not provide traditional ramp, its sheer size for its mana cost can act as a deterrent, forcing opponents to spend resources on answers, thereby indirectly influencing the resource balance in your favor.

Instant Speed: While the Wayfaring Giant operates at sorcery speed, its impact on the game state compels opponents to react quickly, potentially at instant speed. This can indirectly pressurize them to use up instant-speed removal or combat tricks prematurely, thus shaping the pace of the match to your advantage.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Wayfaring Giant necessitates discarding a card upon entering the battle, presenting a hurdle when your hand is already depleted or if you’re clinging to key cards for strategic plays later in the game. This self-imposed card disadvantage could put you behind your opponent in terms of resources.

Specific Mana Cost: To cast Wayfaring Giant, a distinct combination of mana is required, including at least two white mana symbols. This can be restrictive, particularly for multicolored decks which may struggle with color consistency, potentially leaving the giant stranded in your hand when you need it on the field.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Among creatures and spells in its class, Wayfaring Giant carries a relatively steep mana cost. This could dampen your tempo, especially if you’re trying to establish board presence or if there are more efficient creatures available that could be played sooner and contribute to your strategy more effectively.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Wayfaring Giant slots into a variety of deck builds, particularly those that leverage the power of high-toughness creatures. With its impressive stats, the Giant can act as a formidable blocker or finisher in games.

Combo Potential: This creature’s ability to potentially gain vigilance or trample, depending on land types, allows for innovative combos. Combining it with land type manipulation spells elevates its potential, seamlessly fitting into land-centric synergies.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where ground stalls are common, Wayfaring Giant’s conditional keywords make it a worthy option. It navigates the board in a meta that favors flexibility, ensuring your strategies remain robust against varied opponents.


Understanding the Strengths of Wayfaring Giant

Wayfaring Giant is a unique creature in Magic: The Gathering with notable characteristics that bring both a challenge and opportunity to players. This powerful Giant resonates with those who appreciate efficient mana use, also bringing to mind the strategies engaged with similar high-impact creatures.

How to beat

Overpowering Wayfaring Giant requires strategic finesse. Controlling its presence on the battlefield can be as straightforward as utilizing removal spells adept at taking down sizable creatures. Cards like Path to Exile or Murder are effective tools for promptly removing the Giant from play. Additionally, forcing the opponent to sacrifice creatures can circumvent Wayfaring Giant’s influence, leveraging the power of edict effects—spells like Diabolic Edict or Liliana’s Triumph can prove vital in this context.

Another approach is constraining mana, impeding your opponent’s ability to summon Wayfaring Giant in the first place. Land destruction or counter spell strategies can restrain the Giant’s deployment. One must also consider size-comparable creatures or those that can exile it upon entry, like cards with the Flash mechanic, helping to maintain board control against such threats. By understanding your deck’s inherent strengths and weaknesses, you can tailor a game plan to continually diminish the impact of Wayfaring Giant on the field of battle.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wayfaring Giant MTG card by a specific set like Invasion, 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 Wayfaring Giant and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wayfaring Giant has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2009-02-01 A number of nonbasic lands have basic land types. Domain abilities don’t count the number of lands you control — they count the number of basic land types among lands you control, even if that means checking the same land twice. For example, if you control a Tundra, an Overgrown Tomb, and a Madblind Mountain, you’ll have a Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest among the lands you control. Your domain abilities will be maxed out.
2009-02-01 How many lands you control of a particular basic land type is irrelevant to a domain ability, as long as that number is greater than zero. As far as domain is concerned, ten Forests is the same as one Forest.
2009-02-01 To determine the number of basic land types among lands you control, look at the lands you have on the battlefield and ask yourself whether the subtypes Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest appear within that group. The number of times you say yes (topping out at five) tells you how powerful your domain abilities will be.