Garruk, Unleashed – Core Set 2021 MTG Review

David
Fanany
Player
since
1995

I admit I almost got this version of Garruk confused with Sarkhan Unbroken and Jace, Telepath Unbound. They also need to be careful they don’t use up too many possible names for future Un-sets. In any event, this version of Garruk is a pretty core set-ish planeswalker, by which I mean that it doesn’t do anything too unusual or groundbreaking, but has abilities that will usually be useful in most games. I am intrigued by the fact that his -2 can sometimes rebound his loyalty by one, though it may not be what you want to rely on as a comeback mechanic if you’re outnumbered. It is more likely to come up in multiplayer, where someone may well be doing something that turns it on. I actually think a lot of people will win games by just putting him down and trampling with something over and over and over again – at four mana, he feels a lot like Elspeth, Knight-Errant in that mode.

Constructed: 3/5
Casual: 4/5
Limited: 4/5
Multiplayer: 3/5
Commander: 4/5 

Unleashed and back to being mono-green for the first time in a while, the newest Garruk does what every Garruk likes to do: use big creatures to smash.  His +1 is great for achieving smash, as giving most things trample (like Questing Beast) is a good way to break jammed board states, and his -2 gives you a creature with which to smash (and can even partially refund his loyalty if your opponent has a lot of friends). His ultimate is extremely fun and suitably powerful (and combos well with Doubling Season, but what doesn’t?), but that’s hardly the main attraction of this card.

Honestly, this Garruk is pretty strong. He’s simple, but an extra 3 power each turn is a great tool for ending games quickly, and he even can give you a creature to buff. With green’s strength in the current meta, he’s well positioned to get his smash on early and often.

Constructed: 3.75
Casual: 4.25
Limited: 4.5 (good from behind, great from ahead)
Multiplayer: 4 (easy to get the refund on his -2, and not conspicuous as a threat outside of his ult)
Commander: 4.25