Doomgape MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Elemental
Abilities Trample
Power 10
Toughness 10

Key Takeaways

  1. Utilizing Doomgape can result in significant card advantage, thinning decks and improving draw quality.
  2. Its ability to sacrifice creatures indirectly boosts resource acceleration, maximizing mana investment.
  3. Despite its steep mana cost and specific color requirements, Doomgape’s board impact justifies its inclusion.

Text of card

Trample At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice a creature. You gain life equal to that creature's toughness.

It eats and eats until the juiciest morsel it can find is itself.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While the Doomgape devours your own creatures, it allows you to consistently thin your deck and draw into more valuable options, ensuring that you’re not missing out on your draws each turn. A well-structured deck can capitalize on this to outpace the opponent with superior card quality.

Resource Acceleration: By sacrificing a creature each upkeep, Doomgape can serve as a form of indirect resource acceleration. Utilizing creatures that generate tokens or have enter-the-battlefield effects allows a player to maximize their mana spent by reaping additional benefits from what would otherwise be a modest board presence.

Instant Speed: Although Doomgape itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it interacts favorably with instant-speed spells and abilities. Being able to flash in creatures before your upkeep gives you fodder for Doomgape’s ability, ensuring you maintain a presence on the board while keeping your hand flush with options.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The playability hit when you reveal the Doomgape in your hand, as it requires the sacrifice of another creature during your upkeep. This steep cost can be particularly taxing when you’re playing a deck with limited creatures, forcing you to potentially sacrifice valuable board presence just to keep it on the field.

Specific Mana Cost: Doomgape comes with a specific requirement of black and green mana making it a less flexible option for decks that might not run both colors. Its casting cost of seven mana, including two black and one green, can restrict its inclusion to primarily Golgari decks or those with a heavy mana-fixing component.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Even though it boasts a powerful ability and a sizable body, Doomgape requires a substantial investment of seven mana. This positions it at the higher end of the mana curve, which can delay your game plan, particularly in faster-paced games where lower-cost creatures and spells could impact the board sooner.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Doomgape provides a robust solution for decks looking to capitalize on life gain and creature sacrifice mechanics. Its capacity to devour a creature every upkeep makes it an excellent inclusion for strategies revolving around the graveyard and recurring abilities.

Combo Potential: This creature opens up numerous combos, particularly in decks that generate tokens or creatures that want to be sacrificed, further leveraging the life gain and field control it brings to the table.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where board control is crucial, Doomgape offers continuous creature control, which can be decisive against creature-heavy decks that dominate many formats. As such, it remains a relevant choice for anyone looking to disrupt opponent strategies with a single imposing presence.


How to beat

Doomgape is a formidable creature card in Magic: The Gathering, known for its voracious appetite in devouring creatures at the beginning of your upkeep to bolster life. To successfully counter this behemoth, it is crucial to disrupt its presence on the battlefield. Removing creatures from your side of the field before Doomgape can consume them is a strategic move. Utilizing instant removal spells such as Path to Exile or Murder can effectively dispatch Doomgape before it accrues any advantage. Additionally, if Doomgape does manage to establish itself, employing exile-based removal or board wipes like Wrath of God can ensure it doesn’t become an overwhelming threat.

Another angle is to use counter magic to prevent Doomgape from ever entering the battlefield. This can be accomplished with counterspells like Cancel or Mana Leak. In formats where Doomgape thrives, having the right mix of removal and counterspells is essential for maintaining control against such a high-impact creature. Lastly, strategic use of sacrifice effects allows the player to control which creatures Doomgape can target, minimizing its life-gaining ability and potentially keeping more critical creatures on the board.


Cards like Doomgape

Doomgape stands as a monstrous force within the MTG universe, sharing traits with other formidable creature cards. Comparable to the likes of Lord of Extinction, which also leverages its power and toughness based on graveyard content, Doomgape’s strength is in its ability to devour a creature each upkeep, bolstering your life total. While Lord of Extinction does not directly affect your life, its size can become a major threat just as Doomgape’s presence does.

Another relative in this niche is Golgari Grave-Troll, known for its dredge ability and potential for massive growth each turn. Though it lacks the immediate impact of Doomgape’s lifegain, Grave-Troll’s synergy with graveyard-focused decks is undeniable. Then there’s Thragtusk, which provides life gain and leaves behind a creature upon exiting the battlefield; a more versatile but less intimidating presence compared to the all-consuming Doomgape.

Ultimately, Doomgape’s unique combination of devouring creatures for life and intimidation through size makes it a compelling choice for players seeking to dominate through sheer power and sustainability in MTG.

Lord of Extinction - MTG Card versions
Golgari Grave-Troll - MTG Card versions
Thragtusk - MTG Card versions
Lord of Extinction - Alara Reborn (ARB)
Golgari Grave-Troll - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Thragtusk - Magic 2013 (M13)

Cards similar to Doomgape by color, type and mana cost

Beledros Witherbloom - MTG Card versions
Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis - MTG Card versions
Grim Giganotosaurus - MTG Card versions
Agent Frank Horrigan - MTG Card versions
Beledros Witherbloom - Strixhaven: School of Mages Promos (PSTX)
Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis - Modern Horizons (MH1)
Grim Giganotosaurus - Jurassic World Collection (REX)
Agent Frank Horrigan - Fallout (PIP)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Doomgape MTG card by a specific set like Eventide and Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari, 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 Doomgape and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Doomgape Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2008-07-25 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Dave Allsop.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12008-07-25EventideEVE 1202003normalblackDave Allsop
22012-09-07Duel Decks: Izzet vs. GolgariDDJ 652003normalblackDave Allsop
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 15212003normalblackDave Allsop
42020-09-26The ListPLST DDJ-652003normalblackDave Allsop

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Doomgape has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2008-08-01 If you have no other creatures to sacrifice, you’ll have to sacrifice Doomgape itself. You’ll gain life equal to its toughness.

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