Gnawing Crescendo MTG Card

Gnawing Crescendo - Wilds of Eldraine (WOE)

Wilds of Eldraine (WOE)
2023-09-08 - Number 131

Gnawing Crescendo // Gnawing Crescendo - Wilds of Eldraine Art Series (AWOE)

Wilds of Eldraine Art Series (AWOE)
2023-09-08 - Number 17

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant

Key Takeaways

Offers both card advantage and opponent hand disruption, transforming game dynamics in your favor.
Enables faster play of powerful spells through extra mana from sacrifice synergies.
Instant speed allows disruptive play at the most strategic moment, without derailing your plans.

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Gnawing Crescendo. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

Name	Format	Archetype	Event
Rakdos Tokens	Standard	Rakdos Sacrifice	WHITE - SAT - 12PM - Chicago Standard Cup
Decklist	Free form		84#CS
Boros Control	Free form		Standard Pauper Tournament Feb 2024

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gnawing Crescendo // Gnawing Crescendo MTG card by a specific set like Wilds of Eldraine Art Series and Wilds of Eldraine, 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 Gnawing Crescendo // Gnawing Crescendo and other MTG cards:

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Text of card

Creatures you control get +2/+0 until end of turn. Whenever a nontoken creature you control dies this turn, create a 1/1 black Rat creature token with "This creature can't block."

Totentanz's song had no lyrics, but the rats understood it nonetheless. "You own this land," it said. "You deserve to feast."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gnawing Crescendo excels at providing card advantage by not just drawing you into more resources but also by potentially discarding cards from your opponent’s hand, reshaping the balance of power on the board.

Resource Acceleration: This card can act as a catalyst for resource acceleration by paving the way for your stronger spells to take the stage earlier, thanks to the additional mana you get from any sacrifice synergies you might have in play.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of instant speed cannot be overstated. Gnawing Crescendo can be a strategic silver bullet, allowing you to wait until the most opportune moment to disrupt your opponent’s plans without sacrificing the development of your own game state.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Gnawing Crescendo card forces players to discard another card, which can be a setback when hand size is crucial for maintaining game presence.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires not just a black mana but also a green and two others to cast, making it less flexible and harder to play outside of dedicated Golgari decks or those with a robust mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of four mana, Gnawing Crescendo competes with numerous other impactful four mana spells. Its effectiveness is up for debate when compared to other options that may not require discarding a card or that provide more immediate board presence or card advantage.

Reasons to Include Gnawing Crescendo in Your Collection

Versatility: Gnawing Crescendo proves to be a versatile tool in decks that prioritize enchantments or demand alternative win conditions. Its ability to affect each opponent enriches its utility in multiplayer formats as well.

Combo Potential: This card opens up opportunities for synergy with strategies that feed off of life loss or graveyard mechanics, amplifying its impact beyond its initial function.

Meta-Relevance: Gnawing Crescendo aligns well with a meta that swings towards longer games or where players often have hefty hands, turning potential game stalls into strategic advantages.

How to Beat

Gnawing Crescendo is a complex card in the Magic: The Gathering landscape, offering a blend of versatile effects that can pose a significant challenge for any opponent. To successfully navigate against this card, players need to adopt strategies that mitigate its potential impact. A proactive approach involves focusing on card removal options to swiftly eliminate Gnawing Crescendo from play before its abilities can cascade into a problematic scenario.

Additionally, it’s crucial to manage one’s own graveyard effectively. Since Gnawing Crescendo draws power from graveyard interactions, keeping your graveyard thin minimizes the benefits your opponent can reap from the card. Counter spells also offer an effective shield, preventing the card’s activation altogether, thus neutralizing its threat. You could also use graveyard hate cards, which are specifically designed to disrupt graveyard-based strategies, offering a resilient counter to Gnawing Crescendo’s influence.

In essence, overcoming Gnawing Crescendo requires a blend of timely removal, strategic graveyard management, and the potential employment of counterspells. By staying one step ahead, you can ensure that the crescendo never reaches its peak, maintaining the upper hand in your Magic: The Gathering duels.

Cards like Gnawing Crescendo

Gnawing Crescendo is an intriguing card within the landscape of Magic the Gathering’s ecosystem of enchantments. It’s akin to cards that cause gradual damage or board state advantage, such as Sulfuric Vortex. Though not identical, both serve to impose an ongoing threat or condition that opponents must contend with. Where Gnawing Crescendo differs is in its particular brand of accumulating growth, promising an exponential threat if left unchecked.

Another card worth comparing is Manabarbs, a perennial favourite for players who enjoy punishing spells. While Manabarbs deals damage in relation to land usage, Gnawing Crescendo escalates its power at the heartbeat of each turn. In this way, it turns time itself into a weapon against your adversaries. This incremental effect can quickly snowball, much like how The Rack, another comparable card, targets opponents’ hand sizes to inflict consistent damage.

In summarizing and contrasting these cards, it becomes apparent that Gnawing Crescendo holds a unique position. It embodies a potential for unassuming menace that, if nurtured, could crescendo into an unstoppable force, making it a formidable tool in the hands of an adept Magic the Gathering player.

Cards similar to Gnawing Crescendo by color, type and mana cost

Merchant of the Vale // Haggle - MTG Card versions

Path of Anger's Flame - MTG Card versions

Printings

The Gnawing Crescendo // Gnawing Crescendo Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2023-09-08 and 2023-09-08. Illustrated by Alexey Kruglov.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	~~2023-09-08~~	Wilds of Eldraine Art Series	AWOE		17	2015	Art series	Borderless	Alexey Kruglov
2	2023-09-08	Wilds of Eldraine	WOE		131	2015	Normal	Black	Alexey Kruglov

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gnawing Crescendo has restrictions

Format	Legality
Standard	Legal
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Future	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2023-09-01	Only creatures you control when Gnawing Crescendo resolves will get +2/+0. However, if a nontoken creature enters the battlefield after Gnawing Crescendo resolves and then dies while under your control later that turn, you'll create a Rat token.