Gideon Jura

Gideon WotS Trivia

I've completed my thirty-second rotation around the sun today! One month (and one day) from now will be the five-year anniversary of War of the Spark's release. May I get some trivia about my favorite character, Gideon Jura, in relation to the WotS set?

***SPOILERS***We knew this was Gideons last card, and he plays a major role in the story, so we wanted him to have an exciting card. War of the Spark was the first set where we could (regularly) use static abilities on planeswalkers, so we liked that that was how he become a creature. On your turn, as we wanted him to be more offensive than defensive.Happy Birthday!

Birthday Creatures Gideon Jura Planeswalkers Spoilers Story / Lore War of the Spark War of the Spark

Character Discounts

For Vorthos, if you named Gideon Jura as your character but had cards that referenced Kytheon Iora, would they get the discount too, being that they're the same character going by a different name?

Yes, same character.

Gideon Jura Vorthos

Planeswalker Identity

Re: the earlier question about a Planeswalker living under a new identity where you said they would keep their subtype, does that mean, for example, if Gideon Jura were to change his name to say, Mark Rosewater, his card would be named "Mark Rosewater" but his type would be "Legendary Planeswalker - Gideon" ?

Correct.

Gideon Jura Mark Rosewater Planeswalkers Subtype

Gideon Jura Trivia

Hello Mark! I would like to request some birthday trivia on my favorite walker: Gideon Jura. Or if you can't think of anything for Gideon, could I have some trivia on the Boros Legion (my favorite guild).

Gideon is one of the few planeswalkers that we know the home plane of and we’ve visited that plane yet has never appeared in a set on their home plane.
Happy Birthday!

Birthday Boros (R/W) Gideon Jura Planeswalkers Two Color

Character Sneak

Yesterday I discovered that Kytheon was named on Desperate Stand from Journey into Nyx. You sneaky, sneaky Creative team.

dougbeyermtg:
SNEAKY?! I don’t know WHAT you’re talking about, other than the fact that I totally do.
“At the Akroan gates, hoplites revived the tactics of Kytheon Iora’s infamous irregulars.”
To all those who suspiciously narrowed their eyes at us when this card came out, citing an eerie similarity to the name “Gideon Jura” and a gnawing sense that we were up to something: I officially applaud you AND your general paranoia. :)By the way, for those who have asked: Kytheon Iora is pronounced “KITH-ee-un ee-OR-uh.” “Kytheon” uses the same vowel sounds and first-syllable-stress as “Gideon.”
Next Wednesday: Gideon’s origin story, where we’ll get to learn more about Gideon when he was young Kytheon of the polis of Akros!
Because a bunch of you asked about this.

Blogatog / Tumblr Desperate Stand Eye Gates Gates Gideon Jura Journey into Nyx Nyx Story / Lore

Monowhite Planeswalkers

Hasn't it been quite a while since we got a new monowhite planeswalker character? I believe the last one was Gideon Jura, in Rise of the Eldrazi (!). I was expecting a new one in KTK, so seeing the new Sorin has let me down - it's not monocolored, but it dampens the chance of another white walker all the same. :/

Monowhite has more high profile planeswalkers than any other color.

Colors Eldrazi Gideon Jura Monocolor Planeswalkers Rise of the Eldrazi White

Sarkhan's Popularity

Sarkhan as a near Red Gideon Jura with flying and a sweet chaotic ultimate?!?! Maro, in the words of the great Hall and Oates, you make my dreams come true.

The new Sarkhan Vol went over very well tonight. The tweet where I showed it was the leading tweet that got the #mtgktk hashtag to trend on US Twitter.

Flying Gideon Jura Mark Rosewater Red Sarkhan Vol

Gideon Jura Art Origin

What card is the Gideon Jura elevator art from?

It was from the key art for Gatecrash. It was used in ads on on one of the boxes.

Art Gatecrash Gates Gideon Jura

Planeswalkers As Superheroes

I think planeswalkers' popularity benefits from the recent superhero hype. It's fun to imagine Ral Zarek teaming up with Gideon Jura, Kiora and Sorin in a mismatched battle in an Avengers-esque fashion. Do you have a dream team of planeswalkers?

I’ve said for a while that I believe our planeswalkers are superhero archetypes. I’d say my dream team-up but I fear they’d all get hit by an asteroid or something. Me liking planeswalkers is dangerous for the planeswalkers.

Battles Fear Gideon Jura Planeswalkers Ral Zarek

Planeswalker Reprints

Given the low design space on planeswalkers, do you think we're more likely to see a reprint of a planeswalker opposed to a new version of them, compared to regular cards? Personally I would love to look forward to having Gideon Jura and/or Tamiyo in standard again much more than I look forward to seeing new versions of them.

A fine time to ask all of you how you feel about us reprinting planeswalkers in expert expansions?

Card Printing Design Space Gideon Jura Planeswalkers Reprints Standard

Gideon Jura Trivia

Hi, Maro! So it's my birthday, and I was wondering if you could give me a piece of trivia about my favorite planeswalker., Gideon Jura. :)

We like the schtick that he’s the planeswalker that always jumps in to fray during a duel. I know a lot of other cool things about Gideon but most of them aren’t public yet.

Birthday Gideon Jura Mark Rosewater Planeswalkers

Character Trivia

Yes! Finally! I can call upon the divine powers of the birthday to ask MaRo a question! Could I get some trivia on either Gideon Jura or Odric? Or both? They are my favorite characters in the game.

Originally Odric’s ability was exactly battalion. I tried to have him changed as he was just one card and the mechanic was Boros’ thing in Gatecrash. In the end, the compromise was to change his ability to trigger on three creatures rather than two. Happy Birthday!

Battalion Birthday Boros (R/W) Creatures Gatecrash Gates Gideon Jura Mark Rosewater Mechanics

Reprinting Planeswalkers

Would you ever consider going backwards a bit and reprinting original versions of planeswalkers in say M15 or M16 or down the line such as Garruk Wildspeaker, Liliana Vess, Gideon Jura?

A fine question which I’ll turn to all of you. How would you feel about reprinting old planeswalker cards?

Card Printing Garruk Wildspeaker Gideon Jura Liliana Vess Planeswalkers Reprints

Color-Pie Attack Forcing

Barring Gideon Jura, is it still within White's slice of color-pie to force creatures to attack? Or is it just Blue and Red these days?

It’s blue and red.

Blue Colors Creatures Gideon Jura Red White

Gideon's Inspiration

Is it a coincidence that the new Gideon Jura looks like Val Kilmer from Willow?

Yes. Unless somehow that’s cool then I don’t deny cool things.

Gideon Jura