Sanguine Indulgence MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery
Released	2020-07-03
Set symbol
Set name	Core Set 2021
Set code	M21
Number	121
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Andrey Kuzinskiy

Key Takeaways

Offers card advantage by retrieving two creatures from the graveyard to increase hand resources.
Its reduced casting cost under certain conditions enhances resource management efficiency.
Instant speed casting allows for dynamic, adaptable gameplay and strategic battlefield control.

Text of card

This spell costs less to cast if you've gained 3 or more life this turn. Return up to two target creature cards from your graveyard to your hand.

"Drink from the vein? How provincial." —Lord Duchorvin

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sanguine Indulgence helps players recoup resources by returning up to two creature cards from their graveyard to their hand, provided the requisite conditions are met. This retrieval can be a significant advantage, keeping your hand stocked and ready for the next strategic play.

Resource Acceleration: The casting cost of Sanguine Indulgence can be significantly reduced under the right circumstances. If you’ve lost enough life or crafted your gameplay to meet its requirement, the card’s alternative cost accelerates your resource management, allowing you to spend a minimal amount of mana for a beneficial effect.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Sanguine Indulgence at instant speed means you can adapt to the battlefield dynamically. Whether it’s during your opponent’s end phase or in response to an action that changes the state of the game, this agility can give you the upper hand in the duel.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Sanguine Indulgence is its need for a card in the graveyard to capitalize on its reduced cost benefit. This condition can be problematic in the early game or when your graveyard isn’t adequately stocked, making it less effective in decks that do not intentionally fill the graveyard.

Specific Mana Cost: Sanguine Indulgence requires black mana to play, which restricts its inclusion to decks that can generate that color reliably. This limitation can be particularly challenging in multicolored decks that need to manage various mana sources efficiently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Sanguine Indulgence can be a valuable card, its base casting cost is four mana, which might be costly for its effect, especially if you’re unable to meet the condition for its cost reduction. There are alternative cards in the MTG universe that could potentially offer similar or better effects at a lower or more flexible mana cost.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Sanguine Indulgence can be a smart addition across various deck builds, providing value in both aggressive and control strategies. Its conditional low mana cost makes it accessible early in the game, while its ability to return creatures ensures relevance in the later stages.

Combo Potential: For decks built around the graveyard, Sanguine Indulgence feeds into synergistic plays. It can set up powerful combos by returning key creatures or combo pieces that have been discarded or destroyed earlier on, making it a linchpin in recursive strategies.

Meta-Relevance: Should the meta favor decks with high removal rates, Sanguine Indulgence retains its importance by offering a cost-effective way to reclaim your best threats or utility creatures that have been sent to the graveyard, keeping you in line with the pace of play.

How to beat

Sanguine Indulgence is a card that offers an impressive recovery mechanism for Magic: The Gathering players, allowing for the return of creatures from the graveyard to the hand. It’s like having your own personal revival spell at a low cost, especially when your life total is 9 or less, making the spell even cheaper. However, what makes a card strong can also reveal its weakness.

To counteract Sanguine Indulgence, it’s crucial to disrupt the conditions that make it potent. Managing your attacks to keep your opponent’s life total above 9 can prevent them from gaining the cost reduction advantage. Additionally, graveyard hate cards such as Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze can exile target cards from graveyards, rendering Sanguine Indulgence ineffective. Since Sanguine Indulgence requires targets in the graveyard, removing those targets can negate the spell before it even takes effect.

Recognizing the subtle interplays and the precise timing needed to render Sanguine Indulgence less effective can turn the tide in a game. Players may seek to maintain pressure and make strategic plays that limit its value, ensuring their dominance on the battlefield.

Cards like Sanguine Indulgence

Sanguine Indulgence is an intriguing card in the MTG arena, offering a unique twist on life-based card retrieval mechanisms. Its closest comparison might be to Macabre Waltz, which permits the retrieval of two creatures from the graveyard to your hand but has the additional step of discarding a card. While both cards serve the purpose of reclaiming valuable creatures, Sanguine Indulgence’s potential reduced casting cost under certain life conditions sets it apart.

Another comparable card is Forever Young, which places any number of target creature cards from your graveyard on top of your library, allowing for a strategic setup of one’s next draws. This is markedly different from Sanguine Indulgence’s direct hand replenishment. There’s also Mortuary Mire, a land card with an ability that puts a creature card from a graveyard on top of the library as well, blending land utilization with creature recovery.

In essence, Sanguine Indulgence competes within a niche of graveyard interaction strategies in MTG. With the life condition potentially lowering its cost, it stands out for those looking to efficiently recycle their creatures and maintain momentum in the game. Its viability in play depends on the player’s ability to manage life totals and graveyard resources.

Cards similar to Sanguine Indulgence by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sanguine Indulgence MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2021, 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 Sanguine Indulgence and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sanguine Indulgence has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sanguine Indulgence card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2020-06-23	Sanguine Indulgence's first ability looks at how much life you've gained in the turn. It doesn't care if you also lost life, even if you lost more life than you gained.
2020-06-23	To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you're paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions (such as that of Sanguine Indulgence). The mana value of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was.