His first ability can draw fire away from you
and make it difficult for your foe to leave
blockers open, giving you the time and opening
you need to win the damage race. His second
ability is repeatable creature removal, provided
you have enough loyalty counters (and Gideon's
only loyalty-increasing ability causes creatures
to attack him). His third ability, unlike most
planeswalker ultimates, costs zero loyalty and
instead gives you a 6/6 creature that can't be
killed by damage. Since it costs no loyalty to
use, and in creature form all damage that would
otherwise lower Gideon's loyalty is prevented,
there's no downside to simply making Gideon a
6/6 every turn, swinging without fear of combat
damage or burn killing him, and then having him
turn back into a planeswalker on your opponent's
turn to dodge sorcery-speed removal. Gideon's
first and second abilities are practically
gravy, which is a major statement when you
realize that ANY ONE of Gideon's abilities can
swing the tide of a game all by itself. The fact
that he has all three makes him a powerhouse
among planeswalkers.
The Zendikar block had a subtheme that was often
overlooked: planeswalkers who operate in
different ways than the standard +x, +y, -some
huge number. Most planeswalkers attract attacks
from the opponent, but Gideon is the only one
designed specifically for that purpose. He
hasn't been seen too much in Standard since
Alara rotated, but before that he showed up now
and then in Mythic Bant and white control decks.
I wouldn't be surprised to see him make a
comeback as more of the Scars of Mirrodin block
is released, since he isn't affected
additionally by poison.
Today's number five of 2010 is Gideon Jura
which is unique for having a zero cost
"ultimate" ability. Becoming a 6/6 that
can't be damaged is quite impressive, but
unfortunately can not be used defensively where
it would really shine. The -2 is a nice
Royal Assassin effect which may be more
associated with Black, but is also present on
several White cards including the hybrid
Deathbringer Liege. The +2 forces opponent
creatures to attack Gideon if able which can of
course lead to favorable blocking scenarios or
any number of White instants that react to
attacks. This also combines quite well
with the -2 to force an attack then destroy a
specific target or to follow up with an alpha
strike including the 6/6. Overall a very
flexible Planeswalker that will see play in
several formats for quite some time.
In Limited this is a card to build a deck around
and should probably never be passed in Booster
barring truly extenuating circumstances.
For Sealed and Booster you want to keep an eye
out for Harmless Assault, Hyena Umbra, Kor
Line-Slinger, and the rare Lightmine Field as
they all combine extremely well with Gideon's
abilities to either handle attackers or destroy
tapped creatures.
Jura. Gideon Jura.
Planeswalker. He may not be a James Bond, but
this guy can do just as much damage if your
caught unprepared as Bond’s enemies often were.
Three generic and two white mana gets this
planeswalker on the table. But keeping him there
may require much more work. While this guy gets
a lot of attention in white/blue control decks,
he may best be served shaken, not stirred in a
mono-white deck.
In limited and standard, this guy tears it up in white/blue
control decks, forcing your opponents attacks
away from you, and then leaving an opening for
an attack. The ability to destroy tapped
creatures is useless to me, as there are ways of
pulling it off in white in a grander scale. The
standard possibilities are very strong, and I am
surprised that this guy is under utilized in
that format. In constructed formats, it would be
pretty simple to design a deck through drafting
using this guy. A Palace Guard or Safe Passage
can protect you and Gideon from his first
ability where your opening would be gained.
Then, drop a Sunblast Angel, destroying all
creatures that were lured in with Gideon. And
then, use his final to get in for an easy six
damage. If there were other obstructions,
Journey to Nowhere’s are another way to get
things out of your way.
And then there is vintage, casual, and multiplayer. In
multiplayer, this guy could spell doom for one
unlucky player. Use Gideon’s ability of forced
attack and then it is game on for every opponent
to get some damage in on one unlucky player.
Definitely opens the flood gates. Of course in
vintage, Holy Day is far cheaper than a Safe
Passage. And of course, Double Cleave is a way
of giving Gideon Double Strike to cement the hit
if it gets through.
All in all, a decent card, even if it is just for him to take a hit
instead of you, while opening up an opportunity
for you to get a shot in.
