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Gollum, Scheming Guide

Gollum, Scheming Guide

Legendary Creature — Halfling Horror

Gollum wants a deck that removes its creatures and brings them right back to reuse them. It also works in a deck built around Halflings, Horrors or Library Manipulation.

  • Mana cost1 genericblack
  • Black ()
  • Power / toughness2 / 1
  • RarityRare

Whenever Gollum attacks, look at the top two cards of your library, put them back in any order, then choose land or nonland. An opponent guesses whether the top card of your library is the chosen kind. Reveal that card. If they guessed right, remove Gollum from combat. Otherwise, you draw a card and Gollum can't be blocked this turn.

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Archetypes
Themes

Cards That Fit Gollum, Scheming Guide

Picked for what they do in Gollum's deck. When two cards do the same job, the one with the lower comes first. All of them fit Gollum's color identity.Mana ValueThe total amount of mana a card costs, all added up. A card costing two generic and one green has a mana value of three. Wizards renamed this from "converted mana cost" in 2021, so older cards and articles may still use the old name.Sol RingOpen the full glossary

plan6

The 6 Cards

plan6

The 6 Cards

Rulings for Gollum, Scheming Guide

explain how Gollum works in tricky situations. They come from Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes Magic.RulingThe official answer to how a card works in a tricky situation. Most rulings are written by Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes Magic, and a few are notes from Scryfall, the card database Magic players use. A ruling explains a card. It does not change what the card says.Open the full glossary

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

If you have no cards in your library as Gollum, Scheming Guide's ability resolves, your opponent's guess will not be right no matter what they guess. That means you'll draw a card, or more accurately, attempt to draw a card from your empty library and therefore (usually) lose the game.

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

If you only have one card in your library as Gollum, Scheming Guide's ability resolves, you'll look at that card, put it back on top of your library, and then continue with the ability as normal.

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

You reveal the card even if your opponent guessed correctly.

3 rulings, all written by Wizards of the Coast. Read the originals on Gatherer ↗

Similar Commanders

Commanders that share the most with Gollum, and what they share.

Color identityEvery color of mana symbol on a card, in its cost and in its rules text. Your commander's color identity sets the limit for your whole deck: every other card has to fit inside it. A deck led by a green and white commander cannot play a card with any blue in its color identity.Open the full glossaryBPlayers write colors as letters: B for black.Blink/FlickerBlink decks briefly remove their own creatures from play and return them at once, so every 'when this enters' ability happens again. The move is called a flicker, and it can also rescue a creature from a spell aimed at it.Open the Blink/Flicker pageCard SelectionImproves what you draw rather than how much: you look at the top few cards of your library and decide what stays on top. Ponder lets you rearrange the top three, Serum Visions lets you scry, and Consider lets you surveil. It makes your draws more reliable without giving you extra cards.Open the Card Selection pageEvasionAn ability that makes a creature hard to block, so its attacks reach the player. Flying, menace, landwalk and plain 'can't be blocked' are the common kinds.Open the Evasion pageLibrary ManipulationCards that let you look at, rearrange or play from the top of your deck, so you control what you draw next.Open the Library Manipulation pageDrawDraws you extra cards. More cards means more choices every turn, and in a 100-card deck it is the main way to find the pieces you need. Rhystic Study, SkullclampOpen the Draw page