First-Sphere Gargantua MTG Card
2019-06-14 - Number 91
2019-11-07 - Number 662
2021-08-26 - Number 330
2023-04-21 - Number 248
2020-09-26 - Number MH1-91
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Phyrexian Horror |
| Abilities | Unearth |
| Power | 5 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Text of card
When First-Sphere Gargantua enters the battlefield, you draw a card and you lose 1 life. Unearth (: Return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield. It gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step or if it would leave the battlefield. Unearth only as a sorcery.)
Cards like First-Sphere Gargantua
First-Sphere Gargantua holds its place within the realm of powerful creatures in MTG. It stands shoulder to shoulder with other formidable six-cost creatures like Gravewaker, which also has a reanimation perk. Gargantua, with its undergrowth ability, allows for a card draw and a hefty 5/4 body on the field. Gravewaker, while lacking the immediate draw effect, provides persistent late-game threat with its flying and a somewhat similar recursive ability.
Towering above as a beacon of late-game dominance is Tomb Robber, another creature with a role in graveyard manipulation. While the Robber opts for a more active approach in exploring and discarding cards, First-Sphere Gargantua offers a straight path – it enters and you draw, no additional costs required. This simplicity could appeal to players looking for no-fuss power plays.
When eyeing the landscape of MTG creatures that blend power, card advantage, and graveyard interaction, First-Sphere Gargantua presents a straightforward yet impactful option. Its blend of size, draw, and graveyard synergy make it a card to consider in decks that can maximize its entrance from the graveyard.
Cards similar to First-Sphere Gargantua by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using First-Sphere Gargantua. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Decklist | Free form | 79#CS | |
| Rackdos Madness | Pauper | Black Burn | Tappa n. 4 - Lega Pauper Ravenna - Road to Paupergeddon Winter Edition 2024 |
| BR Madness | Pauper | Burn | Pauperissima christmas 62 Players- Lega Pauper Comense x Magic Akiba |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Upon entering the battlefield, First-Sphere Gargantua allows you to unearth it from your graveyard, bringing it back along with drawing a card. This feature provides a potential card advantage, digging deeper into your deck for more options.
Resource Acceleration: Although First-Sphere Gargantua itself does not produce mana or treasure tokens, its unearth ability can be viewed as a form of resource acceleration. For a limited investment, you’re getting a sizeable creature on the board, saving your mana for other high-impact plays.
Instant Speed: Unearthing First-Sphere Gargantua can be done at instant speed, meaning you can surprise opponents during their end step or before your turn starts. This element of surprise can be quite advantageous, affecting the flow of combat or your opponent’s strategy.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Garnering an edge in the game often hinges on balanced resource management. With First-Sphere Gargantua necessitating the discard of a card as part of its unleashing process, this could potentially put you at a resource disadvantage, particularly in scenarios where your hand size is crucial to your strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: This piece of the puzzle requires a precise blend of mana—specifically, one swamp among others to hit the battlefield. This particular demand can potentially constrict its seamless inclusion, especially in decks that thrive on a diverse mana base or those not aligned with black mana strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Commanding a total of six mana to summon, First-Sphere Gargantua stands at a cost tier that competes with other hefty game-changers. In this landscape, where efficiency often triumphs, there may be alternative creatures or spells that provide similar or greater impact for an equal or lesser investment, making this an important factor when crafting your deck.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: First-Sphere Gargantua offers flexibility across various deck types thanks to its unholy ability that provides both a sturdy body and an additional draw. This allows for better hand circulation, ideal for decks that need to maintain momentum.
Combo Potential: With its entrance into the battlefield triggering both a draw and a life loss, First-Sphere Gargantua synergizes with strategies that capitalize on graveyard play and life manipulation. This can lead to powerful interactions in decks looking to exploit such mechanics.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment rich with graveyard-based strategies, First-Sphere Gargantua becomes an asset. Its capacity to serve as both an offensive threat and a card advantage engine makes it a noteworthy inclusion in the current competitive scene.
How to beat
First-Sphere Gargantua is a formidable creature card in the vast realm of Magic: The Gathering. With its Undying ability, this six-cost black creature returns to the battlefield after being destroyed, making it particularly resilient against removal spells. For averting the consistent threat of First-Sphere Gargantua, a player’s strategy should involve exile effects or cards that deal with graveyard interaction, preventing the creature from making a looming return.
Consider employing exile cards like Path to Exile or controlling the battlefield with board wipes that inhibit creatures from returning, such as Leyline of the Void or Rest in Peace, to stop it dead in its tracks. Additionally, cards that force a player to sacrifice it, like Liliana of the Veil or Diabolic Edict, could be pivotal since the Undying mechanic won’t trigger when the creature is sacrificed instead of being destroyed.
Ultimately, by leveraging exile or graveyard management, you can anticipate and negate the impact of First-Sphere Gargantua, transforming a seemingly relentless force into a manageable challenge within the game of Magic: The Gathering.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase First-Sphere Gargantua MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons and Mystery Booster, 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 First-Sphere Gargantua and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The First-Sphere Gargantua Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2019-06-14 and 2023-04-21. Illustrated by Randy Vargas.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2019-06-14 | Modern Horizons | MH1 | 91 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Randy Vargas | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 662 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Randy Vargas | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | MH1-91 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Randy Vargas | ||
| 4 | 2021-08-26 | Jumpstart: Historic Horizons | J21 | 330 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Randy Vargas | |
| 5 | 2023-04-21 | March of the Machine Commander | MOC | 248 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Randy Vargas |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where First-Sphere Gargantua has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering First-Sphere Gargantua card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2019-06-14 | Activating a creature card's unearth ability isn't the same as casting the creature card. The unearth ability is put on the stack, but the creature card is not. Spells and abilities that interact with activated abilities (such as Stifle) will interact with unearth, but spells and abilities that interact with spells (such as Cancel) will not. |
| 2019-06-14 | If a creature returned to the battlefield by the unearth ability would leave it for any reason, it's exiled instead—unless the spell or ability that's causing the creature to leave the battlefield is actually trying to exile it. In that case, the spell or ability succeeds at exiling the creature. If the spell or ability later returns the creature card to the battlefield (as Astral Drift might, for example), the creature card will return as a new object with no relation to its previous existence. The unearth effect will no longer apply to it. |