Sadistic Augermage MTG Card

Sadistic Augermage - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)

Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
2005-10-07 - Number 103

Sadistic Augermage - Duel Decks: Jace vs. Vraska (DDM)

Duel Decks: Jace vs. Vraska (DDM)
2014-03-14 - Number 52

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number DDM-52

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Wizard
Power	3
Toughness	1

Key Takeaways

Sadistic Augermage disrupts plays with instant speed, forcing opponent discards at opportune moments.
Activation requires a controlled discard, potentially diminishing your own hand advantage.
Excellent in combo and discard-based decks, its versatility can define match outcomes.

Text of card

When Sadistic Augermage is put into a graveyard from play, each player puts a card from his or her hand on top of his or her library.

"Don't worry. I know the drill."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sadistic Augermage offers the tactical advantage of forcing discards, disrupting your opponent’s hand while setting up your own strategy.

Resource Acceleration: While it doesn’t create resources directly, its synergistic potential with graveyard mechanics can indirectly lead to resource acceleration.

Instant Speed: The activated ability functions at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to exploit the best moment during the game for maximum impact.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The mechanics of Sadistic Augermage compel players to discard a card to activate its prime ability. This can pose a challenge when your hand is limited, stripping you of further game progression possibilities and leaving you vulnerable to your opponent’s tactics.

Specific Mana Cost: Sadistic Augermage demands an exact mana composition to be played – a mix of black and other colors. This requirement makes it a bit less flexible and sometimes hard to cast on curve, particularly in multicolored decks with a demanding mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that isn’t negligible, the Sadistic Augermage’s abilities might be viewed as costly compared to other options in the same mana range. Astute players often assess the cost-efficiency of their deck and may find other creatures or spells that provide greater value or impact on the board at a lower cost commitment.

Reasons to Include Sadistic Augermage in Your Collection

Versatility: Sadistic Augermage offers strategic flexibility to a variety of black-centric or multi-colored decks. With its discard ability, it serves as a tool for disrupting opponents’ hands while also contributing to your own graveyard strategies.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with decks that capitalize on discard effects and graveyard interaction. The triggered ability when Sadistic Augermage dies can be a pivotal point to kickstart a reanimation strategy or a combo that pivots on having a stocked graveyard.

Meta-Relevance: In ecosystems where players accumulate substantial hand sizes, Sadistic Augermage comes in handy to undercut resources. Being an impactful creature in games that lean towards control or resource denial, it adjusts well to shifts in playstyles and can make a significant difference in long, drawn-out battles.

How to beat Sadistic Augermage

Sadistic Augermage serves as a noteworthy dilemma generator in many games of Magic: The Gathering. With its daunting ability to potentially wipe out an opponent’s hand upon its demise, many players must tread carefully when considering whether to destroy this creature. Unlike cards that cause discard upon entering the battlefield, Sadistic Augermage sets a trap upon its exit, forcing opponents to evaluate the worth of their own cards against the possibility of having to discard.

To circumvent this hazardous effect, savvy players often employ tactics such as exile or bounce effects, which neatly sidestep the Augermage’s last stand. Cards like Oblivion Ring or Unsummon are prime examples of solutions that prevent discards. Another strategy could be simply overpowering the board with creatures and overwhelming the opponent, leaving the Augermage irrelevant on the battlefield. Cards with hexproof can also serve as a strong countermeasure, ensuring that the force of the Augermage’s ability never reaches your valued hand.

Ultimately, understanding the tempo and knowing when to deploy key spells to incapacitate the Sadistic Augermage’s threat will maintain your hand’s integrity and keep you in control of the match.

Cards like Sadistic Augermage

The Sadistic Augermage is a unique card that reminds MTG players of dynamics often seen in sacrificial themes. Its closest relatives may be cards such as Ruthless Ripper, which also revolves around forcing the opponent to make tough choices. Sadistic Augermage stands out with its death trigger, compelling the opponent to discard a card when it perishes—a twist not present on Ruthless Ripper.

Comparing further, we can consider Undertaker, another card with discard synergy, although it offers a controlled discard mechanic for the player using the card. Similarly, there’s Brain Weevil, but it requires an activation cost and affects each opponent rather than the targeted approach used by Sadistic Augermage. Brain Weevil’s impact is wider, yet it does not provide the potential creature board presence offered by the Augermage.

While each of these cards shares the overarching theme of discard and control, the Sadistic Augermage commands a specific niche with its camouflage and forced discard upon its demise, positioning itself as a nuanced tool for players who value subtlety and tactical leverage in their MTG strategies.

Cards similar to Sadistic Augermage by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sadistic Augermage MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica: City of Guilds and Duel Decks: Jace vs. Vraska, 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 Sadistic Augermage and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sadistic Augermage Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2005-10-07 and 2014-03-14. Illustrated by Nick Percival.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2005-10-07	Ravnica: City of Guilds	RAV	103	2003	Normal	Black	Nick Percival
2	2014-03-14	Duel Decks: Jace vs. Vraska	DDM	52	2003	Normal	Black	Nick Percival
3	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST	DDM-52	2003	Normal	Black	Nick Percival