Blighted Gorge MTG Card
2015-10-02 - Number 231
2017-10-24 - Number 58
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
: Add to your mana pool., , Sacrifice Blighted Gorge: Blighted Gorge deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
The land is dying, but it will not go peacefully.
Cards like Blighted Gorge
Blighted Gorge carries a distinctive role in the land repertoire of Magic: The Gathering. Its closest relatives in card functionality include utility lands like Geier Reach Sanitarium, which also provides an alternative ability beyond tapping for mana. Blighted Gorge offers direct damage to creatures or players, setting the stage for strategic plays and potential game finishes.
Comparable cards such as Ramunap Ruins also offer the ability to deal damage, yet it is strictly aimed at players, not creatures. This is a notable difference when considering flexibility during matches. Similarly, Lavaclaw Reaches can become a creature and deal direct damage, but it needs to engage in combat, limiting its usage to only your turn and requiring unspent mana for defense.
In essence, the ability to deal direct damage and the versatility to target creatures or players makes Blighted Gorge an interesting choice. Although it taps for colorless mana and comes at the cost of sacrificing itself, it provides a significant tactical edge in late-game scenarios, often when mana is plentiful and direct damage can be a crucial deciding factor.
Cards similar to Blighted Gorge by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While Blighted Gorge isn’t a card-drawing powerhouse, it compensates by offering utility beyond a traditional land slot. Its ability to deal damage gives you an additional option during late-game scenarios where each card’s impact can become critical.
Resource Acceleration: As a land, Blighted Gorge inherently contributes to resource acceleration simply by tapping for mana. However, its true strength lies in its flexibility, enabling you to use its sacrifice ability without spending precious mana you might need for other crucial spells.
Instant Speed: The ability to sacrifice Blighted Gorge and deal damage operates at instant speed, providing a strategic advantage by allowing you to react to the board state on an opponent’s turn. This flexibility can dissuade enemy attacks or tip the scales during combat decisions, potentially preserving your life total or eliminating key threats.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Blighted Gorge doesn’t ask for a discard, but it requires sacrificing itself, which equates to a one-time use that could deplete your resources, especially if you need lands for other plays.
Specific Mana Cost: This land’s ability necessitates a mana investment that includes colorless and red mana. This can be restrictive and may not align with the mana curve in decks not already tuned to accommodate such costs.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The activation cost to deal damage is substantial compared to other cards with similar effects. Investing five mana for two points of damage to a creature or player may not always be the most efficient use of your resources in a fast-paced game.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Blighted Gorge offers a flexible utility land slot that can fit into red-based decks, providing both mana fixing and a form of direct damage. This serves not only as a landdrop but also as a potential game finisher or creature removal.
Combo Potential: This card has considerable synergy with decks that capitalize on landfall triggers or sacrifice mechanics. By using the damage ability, you can manipulate the board state or even trigger your own cards’ abilities that activate upon dealing damage or destroying a creature.
Meta-Relevance: In matchups where board control is essential, Blighted Gorge stands out by offering an additional answer to problematic creatures without taking up a spell slot. Its relevance continues to fluctuate with the meta, holding a place in sideboards and main decks for its uncanny ability to tip the scales in its controller’s favor.
How to beat
Blighted Gorge is a unique land card in Magic: The Gathering that offers utility beyond mana generation. It’s essentially armed with the ability to deal direct damage to creatures or players, an excellent option when seeking to remove key threats or close out a game. Unlike other damage-dealing sources, Blighted Gorge comes with flexibility since it’s a land and not a spell that could be countered or disrupted as easily.
To tackle this card effectively, focusing on land disruption strategies can be pivotal. Cards like Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin can target and destroy Blighted Gorge, eliminating the extra utility it provides. Furthermore, using instant-speed land destruction ensures you can respond to the activation of its damage-dealing ability before it resolves. Denying resources by attacking an opponent’s mana base can also mitigate the impact of Blighted Gorge, as it requires additional mana and the sacrifice of the land to use its ability. Efficient resource management and strategic land destruction are key to undermining the advantage Blighted Gorge offers to your opponent.
In essence, overcoming the challenge posed by Blighted Gorge requires both proactive and reactive plays, fundamentally turning your focus toward maintaining a steady control over the battlefield’s resources.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Blighted Gorge MTG card by a specific set like Battle for Zendikar and Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. Goblins, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.
For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.
Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.
Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Blighted Gorge and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Blighted Gorge Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2015-10-02 and 2017-10-24. Illustrated by Jung Park.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2015-10-02 | Battle for Zendikar | BFZ | 231 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jung Park | |
| 2 | 2017-10-24 | Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. Goblins | DDT | 58 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jung Park |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Blighted Gorge has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |