Gideon's Avenger
Creature — Human Soldier
Whenever a creature an opponent controls becomes tapped, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Magic 2012
- Price
- $0.64
- EDHREC rank
- #13825
Gideon's Avenger punishes tap effects at scale — every tapped creature an opponent controls adds a +1/+1 counter, turning a tap-heavy board into a growing threat in a single attack step. Hylda of the Icy Crown is the obvious home, where every triggered tap from Hylda's ability feeds the Avenger for free.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Hylda of the Icy Crown
Hylda of the Icy Crown spends mana to tap opposing creatures and generate tokens — Gideon's Avenger converts each of those taps into a permanent size increase, so the same spell that builds your board also grows your best attacker.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Gideon's Avenger is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, though it sees virtually no play outside Commander. In Legacy and Modern, a three-mana 2/2 that requires opponent cooperation to grow doesn't compete with the format's threats, and control decks that do tap creatures have faster ways to close games. Commander is where Gideon's Avenger actually earns its slot — multiplayer tables generate far more tap effects, and the Avenger can balloon to a lethal size across a single round of the table without any additional investment.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.64 bulk tier
At $0.64, Gideon's Avenger sits firmly in bulk territory — easy to slot in without budget concern. Bulk rares with narrow synergy requirements don't tend to climb unless a new commander breaks them out, so treat it as a low-cost pickup for the right deck rather than a hold.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.