Gerrard, Weatherlight Hero revealed in Commander 2019 spoilers

Gerrard Capashen is one of the most iconic figures in Magic: The Gathering lore. He was the hero of the Weatherlight saga and the one to slay the infamous Yawgmoth. However, his one legendary card was lackluster, so many commander players did not build a deck with him. He was a simple lifegain/voltron card that saw very little play in the format. However, this brand version of him, Gerrard, Weatherlight Hero, gives players an excellent reason to play the legendary hero himself!

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Breakdown

For 4 mana in Boros colors, Gerrard, Weatherlight Hero is a 3/3 Human Soldier with First Strike. When he dies, you can exile him and immediately get back all the artifacts and creature cards that were put there during the turn. The fact that he exiles himself is excellent: it might as well say “return him to the command zone” instead. This way it’s not a one-shot effect for the whole game. He protects your entire field from being board wiped, as with him out anything that dies just comes back. This alone makes him excellent in the 99 or as the leader of a powerful Boros army that can take a hit.

Red-White has always been one of the weakest color combinations in commander, so seeing a strong card in these colors is excellent. Gerrard, Weatherlight Hero also has some minor combo potential, letting you purposefully sacrifice your board for a benefit, then revive it entirely with his ability. In many ways, it feels like a better version of Rally the Ancestors. It’s worth noting you also get all your artifacts back. If your ramp and card draw are artifacts (like Boros Signet or Mind’s Eye), you don’t have to worry about losing them at all!

Verdict

The value on Gerrard, Weatherlight Captain is hard to beat. While he doesn’t fix the major weaknesses of Boros in commander (no card draw or ramp), he does make your board extremely resilient. Among the commanders in Red-White, I’d say he easily ranks among the top 5. It’s a fantastic card overall and does an excellent job of showcasing the hero of the Weatherlight saga.

What do you think of Gerrard, Weatherlight Captain? Do you plan on building a deck around him or putting him into your 99? Let us know down in the comments below! And stay tuned to Daily Esports for more Magic: The Gathering news and spoilers!