Xathrid Gorgon
Creature — Gorgon
Deathtouch (Any amount of damage this deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.)
, 
: Put a petrification counter on target creature. It gains defender and becomes a colorless artifact in addition to its other types. Its activated abilities can't be activated. (A creature with defender can't attack.)
- CMC
- 6
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Magic 2013
- Price
- $0.35
- EDHREC rank
- #16760
Xathrid Gorgon locks down creatures by turning them to stone — each activation permanently removes a blocker or attacker from the equation until the Gorgon leaves the battlefield. The seven-mana price tag is steep, but in the right shell, particularly alongside Aphelia, Viper Whisperer, the repeatable tap-to-petrify effect outpaces most point removal by accumulating incapacitated threats rather than destroying them.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Aphelia, Viper Whisperer
Aphelia, Viper Whisperer's snake-tribal and deathtouch synergies make Xathrid Gorgon a natural fit — the Gorgon's petrify ability neutralizes problem creatures without sending them to the graveyard, keeping the board locked down while Aphelia's engine continues to develop.
Damia, Sage of Stone
Damia, Sage of Stone decks often run value-oriented Sultai packages that can afford the seven-mana investment, and Xathrid Gorgon's ability to indefinitely strand an opponent's best creature pairs cleanly with Damia's hand-refill keeping you resourced enough to activate it repeatedly.
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 |
Xathrid Gorgon is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but the only format where it sees any real play is Commander. In competitive Legacy and Modern, seven mana for a conditional tap-down effect doesn't come close to clearing the bar — those formats end games before the Gorgon ever resolves. Commander is the natural home: the longer game gives you time to land and protect a seven-drop, and the multiplayer table means locking down a single high-value threat can shift a game's entire dynamic.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.35 bulk tier
At $0.35, Xathrid Gorgon is firmly bulk — low demand outside of Aphelia builds keeps the price anchored there. Don't expect movement; this is a card you pick up in a trade binder for pennies and don't think twice about.
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Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.