Gaea's CourserHow it works & interactions with other cards

Stocking the Graveyard

Gaea's Courser features an intervening 'if' clause in its triggered ability. This means the game checks the number of creature cards in your graveyard at two specific moments: when you declare Gaea's Courser as an attacking creature, and again when the ability attempts to resolve. If you have fewer than three creature cards in your graveyard at the moment of attack, the ability will not trigger at all. If the condition is met at the start but your graveyard is reduced below three creatures before the ability resolves, you will not draw a card.

Step-by-Step Resolution

First, you enter the declare attackers step and choose Gaea's Courser to attack. Second, the game checks your graveyard; if it contains three or more creature cards, the ability is placed on the stack. Third, players have the chance to respond with spells or abilities. Finally, as the ability resolves, the game checks the graveyard again. If the count is still three or more, you draw a card.

Strategic Considerations

Because the ability triggers on attacking, you do not need the Courser to survive combat to draw the card. Even if your opponent uses a removal spell or blocks and destroys it, the ability remains on the stack. However, be wary of 'exile graveyard' effects that could remove creature cards in response to the trigger, as this will prevent the draw from occurring.

Interaction examples

Double the Knowledge

Roaming Throne

If you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield with 'Centaur' or 'Soldier' chosen, Gaea's Courser's ability will trigger an additional time. As long as you have three creature cards in your graveyard when each trigger resolves, you will draw a total of two cards.

Death and Growth

Solemn Simulacrum

If you have two creature cards in your graveyard and a Solemn Simulacrum on the battlefield, you cannot trigger Gaea's Courser simply by attacking. The Solemn Simulacrum must already be in the graveyard before you declare the attack for the Courser to see three creature cards and trigger its ability.