Korozda Guildmage 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
: Target creature gets +1/+1 and gains intimidate until end of turn. (It can't be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or creatures that share a color with it.)
Complete guide
Korozda Guildmage is a versatile Shaman from the Golgari Swarm that excels at both evasion and army-building. By harnessing the life and death of your creatures, this Elf Shaman ensures your threats get past blockers or leave behind a small forest of Saproling tokens.
Dual-Natured Abilities
The first ability of Korozda Guildmage costs {1}{B}{G} and grants a creature +1/+1 and intimidate. This makes the target difficult to block, as only artifact creatures or creatures that share at least one color with it can stand in its way. The second ability, costing {2}{B}{G}, requires sacrificing a nontoken creature to create 1/1 green Saproling tokens equal to the sacrificed creature's toughness.
Calculating the Sacrifice
When you activate the second ability, you must sacrifice a nontoken creature as part of the cost. The game checks the toughness of that creature as it last existed on the battlefield. If the creature had any power or toughness modifiers, such as a +1/+1 counter or an enchantment, those are included in the value of X when determining how many Saproling tokens are created.
Timing and Strategy
Common mistakes involve trying to sacrifice a token to the second ability; the text specifically requires a nontoken creature. You should use the first ability during your declare attackers step to ensure your creature becomes evasive before blockers are chosen. The second ability is often best used in response to an opponent's removal spell, allowing you to get value out of a creature that was going to die anyway.
Interaction examples
Llanowar ElvesYou target your Llanowar Elves with Korozda Guildmage's first ability. The Elves become 2/2 and gain intimidate. If your opponent only controls blue or white non-artifact creatures, they cannot block the Elves, allowing you to deal 2 damage directly.
Birds of Paradise
SaprolingIf your Birds of Paradise is targeted by a destruction spell, you can pay {2}{B}{G} and sacrifice it to the Guildmage's second ability. Since the Birds of Paradise has a toughness of 1, you will create one 1/1 green Saproling token as the ability resolves.
If you have a 1/1 Saproling token on the battlefield, you cannot sacrifice it to activate Korozda Guildmage's second ability because the ability specifies you must sacrifice a nontoken creature.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Korozda Guildmage
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Use the sacrificed creature’s toughness when it was last on the battlefield to determine the value of X.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis + Korozda Guildmage + Phyrexian Altar
- 1Activate Korozda Guildmage's second ability by paying
and sacrificing Hogaak. - 2If Hogaak is your commander, choose not to return it to the command zone from your graveyard.
- 3Resolve the Korozda Guildmage trigger, creating eight 1/1 Saproling creature tokens.
- 4Cast Hogaak from your graveyard by tapping seven Saprolings.
- 5Activate Phyrexian Altar four times by sacrificing four Saprolings, adding .
- 6Repeat.
Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis + Korozda Guildmage + Utopia Mycon
- 1Activate Korozda Guildmage's second ability by paying and sacrificing Hogaak.
- 2If Hogaak is your commander, choose not to return it to the command zone from your graveyard.
- 3Resolve the Korozda Guildmage trigger, creating eight 1/1 Saproling creature tokens.
- 4Cast Hogaak from your graveyard by tapping seven Saprolings.
- 5Activate Utopia Mycon four times by sacrificing four Saprolings, adding .
- 6Repeat.
Scourge of Nel Toth + Korozda Guildmage + Pitiless Plunderer + Ashnod's Altar
- 1Activate Korozda Guildmage's second ability by paying and sacrificing Scourge of Nel Toth.
- 2When Scourge of Nel Toth dies, Pitiless Plunderer triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 3Resolve the Korozda Guildmage ability, creating six 1/1 Saproling creature tokens.
- 4Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing a Saproling, adding
. - 5When the Saproling dies, Pitiless Plunderer triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 6Repeat from step 4 two additional times.
- 7Activate four Treasures by tapping and sacrificing them, adding .
- 8Cast Scourge of Nel Toth from your graveyard by paying and sacrificing two Saprolings.
Scourge of Nel Toth + Korozda Guildmage + Pitiless Plunderer + Viscera Seer
- 1Activate Korozda Guildmage's second ability by paying and sacrificing Scourge of Nel Toth.
- 2When Scourge of Nel Toth dies, Pitiless Plunderer triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 3Resolve the Korozda Guildmage ability, creating six 1/1 Saproling creature tokens.
- 4Activate Viscera Seer by sacrificing a Saproling.
- 5When the Saproling dies, Pitiless Plunderer triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 6Resolve the Viscera Seer ability, causing you to scry 1.
- 7Repeat from step 4 two additional times.
- 8Activate four Treasures by tapping and sacrificing them, adding .
Scourge of Nel Toth + Korozda Guildmage + Pitiless Plunderer + Altar of Dementia
- 1Activate Korozda Guildmage's second ability by paying and sacrificing Scourge of Nel Toth.
- 2When Scourge of Nel Toth dies, Pitiless Plunderer triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 3Resolve the Korozda Guildmage ability, creating six 1/1 Saproling creature tokens.
- 4Activate Altar of Dementia by sacrificing a Saproling.
- 5When the Saproling dies, Pitiless Plunderer triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 6Resolve the Altar of Dementia ability, causing target player to mill cards equal to the Saproling's power.
- 7Repeat from step 4 two additional times.
- 8Activate four Treasures by tapping and sacrificing them, adding .
Scourge of Nel Toth + Korozda Guildmage + Pitiless Plunderer + Phyrexian Altar
- 1Activate Korozda Guildmage's second ability by paying and sacrificing Scourge of Nel Toth.
- 2When Scourge of Nel Toth dies, Pitiless Plunderer triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 3Resolve the Korozda Guildmage ability, creating six 1/1 Saproling creature tokens.
- 4Activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing a Saproling, adding .
- 5When the Saproling dies, Pitiless Plunderer triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 6Repeat from step 4 one additional time.
- 7Cast Scourge of Nel Toth from your graveyard by paying and sacrificing two Saprolings.
- 8When the Saprolings die, Pitiless Plunderer triggers twice, creating two Treasure tokens.
Scourge of Nel Toth + Korozda Guildmage + Pitiless Plunderer + Yahenni, Undying Partisan
- 1Activate Korozda Guildmage's second ability by paying and sacrificing Scourge of Nel Toth.
- 2When Scourge of Nel Toth dies, Pitiless Plunderer triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 3Resolve the Korozda Guildmage ability, creating six 1/1 Saproling creature tokens.
- 4Activate Yahenni by sacrificing a Saproling.
- 5When the Saproling dies, Pitiless Plunderer triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 6Resolve the Yahenni ability.
- 7Repeat from step 4 two additional times.
- 8Activate four Treasures by tapping and sacrificing them, adding .
Brokkos, Apex of Forever + Korozda Guildmage + Pitiless Plunderer + Phyrexian Altar
- 1Activate Korozda Guildmage's second ability by paying and sacrificing Brokkos.
- 2When Brokkos dies, Pitiless Plunderer triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 3Resolve the Korozda Guildmage ability, creating six 1/1 Saproling creature tokens.
- 4Activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing a Saproling, adding
. - 5When the Saproling dies, Pitiless Plunderer triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 6Repeat from step 4 three additional times.
- 7Activate five Treasures by tapping and sacrificing them, adding
. - 8Cast Brokkos from your graveyard for its mutate ability by paying , putting it on top of a Saproling token.
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