Taranika powers up White in Theros: Beyond Death with Gideon flavor

Gideon lives on in Magic: The Gathering, watching over all and powering up White in Theros: Beyond Death with Taranika, Akroan Veteran. 

Gideon Jura, also known as Kytheon Iora, is raised as a statue on the plane of Theros, seen behind Taranika, Akroan Veteran. The Theros: Beyond Death (THB) spoiler of Taranika lends Gideon’s power to another creature until the end of a turn while also untapping it. 

Taranika, Akroan Veteran has Vigilance and a CMC of three, two White. Whenever she attacks, Taranika untaps a target creature and turns it into a 4/4 with indestructible until the end of turn. On a basic level, Taranika has the potential to untap an attacking 1/1 token and turn it into a 4/4 with indestructible. And when her attacking trigger is placed on a creature like Swiftblade Vindicator, the damage can skyrocket quickly.

But Taranika only has a defense of three, leaving her susceptible to board wipes like Deafening Clarion or getting blocked by a larger creature like Lovestruck Beast. In a THB lifegain deck, Heliod, Sun-Crowned can beef up Taranika with a +1/+1 counter. The same is true for an enchantment based deck with Pious Wayfarer. 

Outside of the THB set, there are Adventure cards like Ardenvale Tactician and Giant Killer that can tap down a creature attempting to block Taranika, Akroan Veteran when she attacks. She isn’t an Adanto Vanguard, but if paired with Gideon Blackblade in Standard Constructed, Taranika could prove to be just as destructive.

Experiment crafting around Taranika, Akroan Veteran when Theros: Beyond Death releases digitally on Jan. 16 and via its prerelease Sealed Draft on Jan. 17 to 19.