Is Garruk as strong as Bolas now?
Lore forum
Posted on Aug. 5, 2014, 9:58 p.m. by SpammyV
So Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker is capable of killing Planeswalkers via his first ability. Garruk, Apex Predator is also capable of killing Planeswalkers via his first ability.
So while I'm sure the answer is "No and it wouldn't be the real Bolas anyway but some kind of duplicate so he wouldn't risk himself," is Wizards saying that Garruk is now powerful enough that he could kill Nicol Bolas if he had the first attack?
Also if someone wants to draw Garruk flying through the air swinging his axe at Bolas's head while Bolas is shooting out fire and there's a giant maelstrom of mana swirling around them... that'd be pretty rad.
angrychains says... #3
Og Garruk was a match for mindsculptor jace, but I dont think they compare to bolas
August 5, 2014 10:05 p.m.
I bet Garruk, Apex Predator would give Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker a run for his money, but Bolas would win at the last minute. Garruk is a hunter first and foremost, and Bolas is still a dragon. Dragons are hard to kill, but I bet Garruk could easily kill a dragon. But Bolas isn't any old dragon, he's arguably the strongest PW we've seen (lore wise). It'd be a very back and forth battle, but Bolas is just smart and strong enough that I bet he'd beat Garruk.
The other battles I'd like to see is Karn Liberated versus either Apex Predator Garruk or Bolas. Or maybe a 3-way battle royale?
August 5, 2014 10:11 p.m.
julianjmoss says... #5
Bolas would probably also win because garruk isn't in a great state of mind and is filled with predatory instinct. While garruk is strong, I feel like bolas would have no trouble tricking garruk or using his magic.
August 5, 2014 10:49 p.m.
angrychains says... #6
I think the very fact that garruk isnt in a correct state of mind atm would serve to his advantage should he confront nicol bolas--that being said nicol bolas is just outright a more powerful walker
August 5, 2014 11:28 p.m.
MindAblaze says... #7
No way they're even in the same league. Bolas ftw.
Lili w/ the Chain Veil though???
August 5, 2014 11:57 p.m.
CommanderOfBolas says... #8
Clearly Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker is much more powerful. He is smarter than Garruk due to his many years of experience, he is also much more adept with black magic than Garruk. Bolas, although not invincible, would likely only be defeated by a large group of powerful walkers, like the lorwyn 5.
August 5, 2014 11:58 p.m.
If you're any other planeswalker about to meet one of these guys, it's better to kneel before Bolas than to have Garruk split your head open like a watermelon.
August 6, 2014 1:13 a.m.
aeonstoremyliver says... #10
My Crystal Ball seems to be stuck between 'Maybe' and 'Ask Again.'
August 6, 2014 1:26 a.m.
KrosanTusker says... #11
Bolas would win. Bolas would beat Karn, too. Bolas would also beat Lily, even with Chain Veil. In fact, Bolas could beat all three at the same time and he's definitely not making me write these words.
August 6, 2014 7:36 p.m.
Lore-wise, Bolas is still stronger than any of the PW characters we have seen, even Garruk 5.0.
Of course, the mechanics of the cards won't reflect this 100%.
August 9, 2014 10:27 a.m.
IIRC planeswalker cards represent planeswalkers giving a minor part of themselves for players to use, but are not complete representations of that planeswalker. For example, Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker would start the game at approximately 20 life, have a library, hand, graveyard, etc. But he may also be in possession of Power 9 (Mox Jet , Ancestral Recall ), fetch lands, Eldrazi, other planeswalker cards, etc.
Garruk, Apex Predator , while is planeswalker card is on-par with Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker , would more likely have a deck with Garruk's Companion , Nature's Lore , Doom Blade , etc.
So even though their cards are equal to each other, the planeswalkers themselves are just like players. I imagine Nicol Bolas is Jon Finkel, while Garruk is that guy at your LGS who wins a lot of tournaments and has an awesome Modern collection.
August 10, 2014 3:41 a.m.
biggestmtgnerd says... #14
Garruk could easily kill Bolas if he had the first shot, and Bolas could easily kill Garruk first if he had the first shot. The difference is that Bolas is probably keeping tabs on Garruk, and when Garruk learns about Bolas, Bolas will know and won't give Garruk the first shot. Also think:
Turn six, opponent lays Garruk, makes beasts. Turn seven, you lay bolas, kill garruk
However, if the opponent saves garruk for their turn seven, they can lay garruk, activate his first ability, and kill bolas. However, knowing Bolas, he probably Peek ed at the hand, knew Garruk was there, made the opponent think he forgot about Garruk, and Garruk runs into a Force of Will .
August 10, 2014 4:43 a.m.
fadelightningmm says... #15
If Garruk was worth the title of greatest hunter in the multiverse then he would destroy bolas. Ajani once gave bolas a run for his money. The way I see it Garruk would use his hunters instinct and knowledge of prey to overcome bolas. Bolas may have tabs on Garruk but idk how he would deal with being prey
August 18, 2014 7:10 a.m.
Femme_Fatale says... #16
Ah, but Ajani had access to white and red at the time, boros colours so he could easily have aggro'd Bolas to near-death. Ajani's white also gives him access to many lock spells that just shut down control completely. Garruk, on the other hand, isn't fast enough with just green and black, and would easily be dealt off with a scheming and controlling Bolas.
August 19, 2014 2:41 a.m.
BlastercoolWeird says... #17
You have to consider Garruk's plus ability in the context that 95% of all other walkers (basically all the ones that aren't Karn and Big Bolas) are very-killable human and humanoid mortals, none of which would take a battleaxe to the skull very well without access to the skull without protective/evasive/restorative magic.
In which case yeah, Garruk's would probably be able to kill all of them if he gets a chance to. Thing is though, Garruk probably can't single-handedly take down Phyrexia or the Eldrazi, whereas Bolas likely could if they were not relevant to his long-term plans.
Garruk's Plus is him swinging at your frail walker with his big ol' axe. Bolas' plus is him annihilating something, ranging from a paltry trinket to /entire moutains/. Different scales of power outside the game's mechanics, as many things are and should be
August 19, 2014 8:15 p.m.
BlastercoolWeird says... #18
also on the basis of Wit's End we can assume Bolas still has access to his ability to break someone's mind by just touching them.
Garruk's delusional, homocidal even, but I doubt he can aim that hunk of wood and metal he loosely calls an axe if he's been rendered catatonic by a well-planned, well-timed poke.
August 19, 2014 8:20 p.m.
MindAblaze says... #19
Bolas is so strong he manipulates flavor text writers to make spelling mistakes.
August 19, 2014 9:33 p.m.
Femme_Fatale says... #20
Flavor text writers always have problems. They don't have a proper english editor I don't think. This really makes MtG lose some of its professional appeal. Using the term "peoples" in Radiant Fountain (Everyone treasures is a better choice) really irritated me, and you also don't need to use it in Pennon Blade either (just use people). People is already plural, you don't need to "plurify" a plural.
August 20, 2014 1:01 a.m.
CommanderOfBolas says... #21
I don't think saying "peoples" is technically incorrect, though. I think Epochalyptik said something about being an English major, so maybe he can let us know when he gets the chance
August 20, 2014 9:11 a.m.
MindAblaze says... #22
It implies multiple groups of differing background. It's more rich than just saying people, but yes, perhaps not completely necessary...it's flavor though.
August 20, 2014 12:20 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #23
@Femme_Fatale & CommanderOfBolas:
"People" denotes multiple individuals who constitute a single group. It's normally the choice when you're working within a more or less homogenous group or when you don't need to acknowledge differences between the individuals.
"Peoples" denotes multiple groups of people where each group has a different lineage, creed, culture, etc. It's normally the choice when you're working with multiple individuals from differing backgrounds and you want to acknowledge those backgrounds as significant to the context.
So if you were to say "the people of Zendikar," you would be grouping them all together as a single unit. If you were to say "the peoples of Zendikar," you are still referring to all of them, but you are acknowledging that the people of Bala Ged are different from the people of Kazandu and so on.
Radiant Fountain uses "peoples" because it indicates a standard that persists across cultural borders and, at times, in spite of cultural borders, so the fact that there are multiple cultures is significant.
Pennon Blade uses "peoples" because it represents the unity of multiple groups across the plane, so the fact that there are multiple groups is significant.
August 20, 2014 2:42 p.m.
I believe Bolas would smash Garruk. Literally i mean size difference is a big factor, Bolas would just lay down and roll over... end of fight. The End!!
August 22, 2014 10:51 a.m.
MousatosMounatos says... #26
I dunno guys, everyone is powerfull, but in my opinion, the best batte would be Bolas vs Yawgmoth :) There, i would bet my money on Yawgmoth ;)
August 24, 2014 11:55 a.m.
HeroInMyOwnMind says... #27
You guys forgot about what is going to be the most powerful Plansewalker ever: Isamaru, Hound of Konda
. It is going to happen.
August 24, 2014 3:23 p.m.
selesvyaloverer8 says... #28
Yaaas the second 1 mana planeswalker of all time. First Deathrite Shaman , then an isamaru walker card.
August 24, 2014 11:49 p.m.
Hickorysbane says... #29
Saying "peoples" is using it correctly, it's using the word people to refer to a group of people (like a tribe). So "peoples" is being used similar in meaning to tribes. At least that's the way I understand it
August 31, 2014 10:14 p.m.
Hickorysbane says... #30
There's a whole second page that already said what I just said...wow I feel ninja'd
Osang says... #2
It's all flavor, from what I know. He's hunting planeswalkers. Flavor-wise, his ability is great. It does not connect to the fact that Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker does something similar.
August 5, 2014 10:01 p.m.