Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Whenever Gilgamesh enters or attacks, look at the top six cards of your library. You may put any number of Equipment cards from among them onto the battlefield. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order. When you put one or more Equipment onto the battlefield this way, you may attach one of them to a Samurai you control.
Complete guide
Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms is a powerful legendary Samurai that rewards players for filling their deck with legendary artifacts. With the ability to put multiple Equipment cards directly onto the battlefield for free, he can turn a single combat step into an overwhelming board state.
Strategic Armory Search
When Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms enters the battlefield or attacks, you look at the top six cards of your library. From those cards, you can select any number of Equipment cards and put them directly onto the battlefield. This is not a 'cast' effect, so the items cannot be countered by standard spell-negation, and you do not pay their mana costs. Any cards you do not choose to put onto the battlefield are placed on the bottom of your library in a random order.
The Reflexive Trigger
Gilgamesh features a reflexive triggered ability: 'When you put one or more Equipment onto the battlefield this way, you may attach one of them to a Samurai you control.' This trigger goes on the stack after the Equipment enter the battlefield. You do not choose which Samurai or which Equipment until this secondary ability resolves. This allows you to bypass expensive equip costs for one of your new tools immediately.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A common error is trying to attach an Equipment to a creature that cannot legally hold it, such as a creature with Protection from Artifacts or Shroud. Additionally, note that Gilgamesh's ability only allows you to attach one of the newly entered Equipment cards. Even if you put five Equipment onto the battlefield at once, you only get to attach one of them for free via this ability.
Optimal Timing
Because Gilgamesh triggers both on entering and attacking, haste is his best friend. Getting his effect twice in a single turn can dig twelve cards deep into your library. It is often best to play him when you already have another Samurai on the field, ensuring that even if Gilgamesh is removed in response to his entrance, you still have a valid target to receive the free Equipment attachment.
Interaction examples
When Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms enters the battlefield, you look at the top six cards of your library. If you find two Equipment cards, you put both onto the battlefield. The reflexive ability then triggers, and you choose to attach one of those two Equipment to Gilgamesh himself, as he is a Samurai.
Etali, Primal StormIf you attack with both creatures, you can order the triggers so that Etali, Primal Storm resolves first, potentially casting spells from your opponent's deck. Then, Gilgamesh's ability resolves, allowing you to find Equipment from your own library to buff your Samurai before blockers are even declared.
Goldspan DragonBy using Goldspan Dragon to generate extra mana from Treasures, you can cast Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms earlier than turn six. Once Gilgamesh enters, his ability triggers, letting you cheat the mana system twice: first with the Treasure acceleration, and second by putting high-cost Equipment directly into play without paying their costs.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
You can't use the reflexive triggered ability to try to attach an Equipment to a creature if that Equipment can't legally be attached to that creature.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If you put an Equipment with job select onto the battlefield with Gilgamesh's ability, the job select ability and the reflexive triggered ability will both trigger, and you'll choose the order in which those abilities go on the stack. For example, if you put the reflexive triggered ability on the top of the stack with the job select ability below it, the reflexive triggered ability will resolve first and allow you to attach the Equipment to a Samurai you control. After that, regardless of whether or not you chose to attach the Equipment to a Samurai you control, the job select ability will create a Hero token and attach the Equipment to the Hero token.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms
