Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Artist Spotlight: Gorion, Wise Mentor
Gorion, Wise Mentor isn’t just another three-color legendary creature—it's a gateway into how artistry and game design can fuse together to create a memorable, multi-faceted MTG moment 🧙♂️. From the moment you lay eyes on its three-color aura—green for growth, white for order and protection, blue for cunning and knowledge—the card signals a player-first philosophy that Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate (CLB) leans into with gusto. Jason Kang’s illustration, rich with candlelit details and a scholar’s calm, invites players to imagine Candlekeep’s hallowed halls as a battlefield where wisdom itself becomes a strategic resource 🔥💎.
Released on 2022-06-10, Gorion appears in the CLB set as a rare legend that embodies the Commander format’s three-color identity: green, white, and blue. Its mana cost of {G}{W}{U} isn’t just a line on a card; it’s a design gate that nudges players toward ramping into a well-rounded midrange board state rather than chasing a single-color explosiveness. With a sturdy 3/4 body and vigilance, Gorion can anchor your board while you lean into its most explosive strength: an Adventure-spell copying engine that plays nicely with the broader ecosystem of spells with two halves, now a staple of Baldur’s Gate’s multi-faceted strategy 🧙♂️⚔️.
What Gorion Actually Does
At first glance Gorion’s stats read like a solid, dependable beater, but the real spark lies in its triggered ability: “Whenever you cast an Adventure spell, you may copy it. You may choose new targets for the copy.” In practical terms, this turns any Adventure into a two-step, potentially double-dipped plan. You cast the Adventure half, copy it, and then either replicate a beneficial effect again or reallocate the copy to a different target—think removal turned into duplication, or a buff spell rebounding to a new recipient. That nuanced power curve makes Gorion a natural fit for decks built around Adventures, goldfishing through a big **play pattern** that rewards planning and tempo 🎲🎨.
- Mana environment: Three colors demand careful mana management, but Gorion’s flexibility helps smooth over multi-color mana bases in EDH, allowing you to weave protection, card draw, and value through a single Legend—three colors, one thoughtful strategy.
- Vigilance synergy: With vigilance, Gorion disengages from tapped-out commitments and can continue contributing to both offense and defense across turns, a hallmark of reliable three-color commanders 🛡️.
- Adventure engine: The copyability of Adventure spells is the heart of its spice. It rewards sequencing—cast the adventure on a value spell, copy it, and then choose if you want an extra copy, a different target, or both. In a deck that leans into flicker, tutors, and value engines, Gorion becomes a centerpiece that amplifies every adventure-based play
- Rarity and collector appeal: As a rare from CLB, Gorion sits at a comfortable ceiling for Commander players who love splashy, design-forward cards that reward thoughtful drafting and deck-building.
“You are safest in Candlekeep, Abdel, but I cannot keep you from the world forever.”
That flavor text isn’t just flavor; it frames Gorion as a mentor figure who equips you to face the wider multiverse. It’s a nod to D&D’s lore—Candlekeep being a bastion of knowledge—and it translates beautifully into MTG’s world where knowledge and counterplay often decide the game long before a decisive swing. The art by Jason Kang captures this moment of quiet determination—the scholar’s gaze, the arcane glimmer in Gorion’s staff, the sense that every decision might echo across a battlefield of planeswalkers 💫.
Design, Lore, and the Artistry Behind Gorion
Jason Kang’s work on Gorion stands out for its balanced composition and narrative texture. In a three-color frame, Gorion’s attire and the surrounding magical glyphs feel intentionally layered—like you’re peering into a moment of strategic planning just before a crucial decision. The “legendary” frame effect underscores Gorion’s role as a central figure within a deck, while the creature’s class—Human Wizard—signals a blend of intellect and spellcraft that mirrors the CLB set’s broader thematic ties to Baldur’s Gate and the Forgotten Realms. The art leans into bold contrasts and intricate line work, a choice that aligns with fans’ appetite for a card that rewards close inspection during long polish sessions between rounds 🧙♂️🎨.
Design-wise, Gorion’s Adventure-copy feature is a modern homage to the dual-nature spell design that has become a hallmark of AFR-era sets, continued in CLB and beyond. It’s not just about fielding a strong body; it’s about triggering a layered engine that requires players to plan around “when to copy” and “which targets to reassign.” This creates a virtuous loop of play decisions that’s both accessible on the surface and deeply satisfying for veteran players who love timing and pointer-perfect sequencing ⚔️.
Playstyle and Deckbuilding Suggestions
For commanders aiming to exploit Gorion’s copy capability, a few archetypes sing in unison:
- Adventure tribal: Lean into cards whose Adventure halves create immediate value, then leverage Gorion’s copy to double down on effects—think card draw, protection, or incremental removal that scales with copies.
- Control where possible, but with payoff: A control shell that uses Adventures to generate card advantage or tempo can turn Gorion into a stabilizing engine that eventually crescendos into a punchy final flow.
- Protection and flicker: Including flicker effects and protective auras can help you re-use Adventure spells while keeping Gorion on the battlefield, maximizing time-walking value and stalling opponents’ plans 🧙♂️🔥.
As a color trio, Gorion is compatible with several iconic archetypes, from Bant (stability and ramp) to Temur-adjacent tempo builds, and even delve into a more devout Esper-ish control plan that capitalizes on copied Adventures for repeated effects. The key is to design around timing—when to copy, when to recast, and how to protect the mentor’s presence at the table. If you’re drafting in a group that loves the lore and the thrill of discovery, Gorion delivers both flavor and function in equal measure 💎.
Collectibility and Community Vibe
In terms of collectibility, Gorion has earned a steady, modest footprint in the market. Its EDHREC rank sits in the mid-range among three-color legends, which reflects both its deck-building value and its allure as a lore-forward card. For price-aware collectors, you’ll notice foil versions typically commanding a premium relative to non-foil prints, though the card’s baseline value remains friendly for casual and kitchen-table commanders. The three-color identity and standout artwork contribute to its enduring appeal among players who collect by theme, color identity, and story—elements that often matter more in Commander than slide-win efficiency 🔥🎲.
As you explore Gorion’s place in your collection, you’ll also feel the sense of shared discovery that CLB fosters. The set’s collaborative ethos, with its Baldur’s Gate flavor and a nod to the wider Forgotten Realms, invites players to remix their favorite moments from both MTG and D&D lore. It’s a celebration of cross-pollination—the kind of crossover that keeps the hobby growing and gleefully nerdy, in a way that only true fans can appreciate 🧙♂️⚔️.
And if you're looking to extend your MTG hobby beyond the battlefield, consider how this article pairs with a little real-world accessory shopping. The product link below offers a practical, everyday connection to fan culture—just a small reminder that the MTG universe isn’t only about cards on a table, but the vibrant community that surrounds them. Whether you’re a seasoned commander enthusiast or a nostalgia-driven collector, Gorion’s story reminds us that mentorship, risk-taking, and savvy planning are as magical as any spell you’ll draw this week 🔮🎨.