Dinosaurs are returning to Magic: The Gathering in the next Standard-legal set Lost Caverns of Ixalan, featuring Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant, who was spoiled at MagicCon Vegas on Sept. 22.
Wizards of the Coast began setting up a return to the plane of Ixalan through March of the Machine (MOM), featuring a transforming Etali and Ghalta paired up with Mavren the vampire. The Lost Caverns of Ixalan (LCI) Standard-legal set is scheduled to globally release on Nov. 17. The return to the MTG Multiverse plane explores new areas while giving Elder Dinosaurs like Ghalta a new casting cost and ability.
Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant Ixalan spoiler
The Ghalta and Marven MOM card never took off in the Standard format, likely because of its multicolor casting cost. Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant is expensive too, costing eight total mana, but has a Mono-Green casting cost and replaces its value should it get removed upon entering the battlefield.
- Mana cost: 5GGG
- Type: Legendary Creature—Elder Dinosaur
- Rarity: Mythic Rare
- Stats: 12/12
- Keyword: Trample
- Ability: When Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant enters the battlefield, put any number of creature cards from your hand onto the battlefield.
Ghalta is iconically known as a 12/12 dinosaur with Trample. But with removal the way it is in today’s Standard meta, paying eight mana to have your big stompy creature removed before it does anything feels awful. Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant gets around the value issue by putting any number of creature cards from hand onto the battlefield upon ETB.
When combining Green with Red, ramping up to eight mana isn’t hard between WOE cards like Bramble Familiar and Treasure token-creating creatures like Charming Scoundrel. The Elder Dinosaur can even be used as an alternative to reanimation strategies, as Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant can put cards like Atraxa, Grand Unifier, and Etali, Primal Conqueror directly onto the battlefield.
Players can test out Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant from Lost Caves of Ixalan when the MTG set is released in November.
