Growth Cycle MTG Card

Enhances creature power, offering tactical advantages in both offense and defense scenarios. Instant-speed play allows for surprise maneuvers and flexibility during combat exchanges. Requires several copies in graveyard for optimal effect, emphasizing graveyard management.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2019-07-12
Set symbol
Set name	Core Set 2020
Set code	M20
Number	175
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Svetlin Velinov

Text of card

Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn. It gets an additional +2/+2 until end of turn for each card named Growth Cycle in your graveyard.

"Shed your faded husk! Emerge sleeker and stronger!" —Tyris, fauna shaman

Cards like Growth Cycle

Growth Cycle stands out among the myriad of creature buffing spells in Magic: The Gathering. This card reminds experienced players of the classic Giant Growth, which also offers a temporary increase in a creature’s power and toughness. However, Growth Cycle takes it up a notch by having the potential to provide a more significant boost if additional copies are in your graveyard. This accumulative effect is something Giant Growth lacks.

Comparing it further to other spells, we have the likes of Blossoming Defense, which not only gives a minor power boost but also serves to protect with hexproof. While it doesn’t offer escalating power like Growth Cycle, the added protection is often vital. Invigorating Surge is another spell in the same category, which doubles the number of +1/+1 counters on a creature and increases its power and toughness until the end of the turn. Different from Growth Cycle, Invigorating Surge depends on pre-existing counters to be effective.

By analyzing the advantages and unique interactions, Growth Cycle earns its place in decks that aim to capitalize on synergetic graveyard play. It’s this capability to snowball into a large threat that makes it distinctive in its category.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Growth Cycle is a solid pick when it comes to bolstering your hand’s capabilities within the game. Thanks to its potential to augment the power of your creatures, it puts you in a favorable position to sway the board state in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: This card excels at fueling your momentum on the battlefield. It propels your strategy further by potentially being more powerful with each iteration, particularly beneficial in decks that recycle or have multiple instances of the same spell.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Growth Cycle at instant speed offers you the tactical advantage of waiting until the most opportune moment to unleash its effect. This unpredictability can throw off an opponent’s calculations, possibly saving your creature during combat or amplifying its damage output for a surprise strike.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Growth Cycle doesn’t require a discard, but it does demand specific circumstances where it’s beneficial – having multiple copies in your graveyard for the best effect. This means you’ll need to manage your graveyard resources carefully, which could be a strategic disadvantage.

Specific Mana Cost: The card’s mana cost includes green, making it exclusive to green decks or those that can accommodate green mana. This can limit the card’s flexibility and keep it out of the rotation in color-specific formats or those with stringent mana bases.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the initial cost might seem low, the true value of Growth Cycle comes from having multiple copies in the graveyard, meaning a significant mana investment over time. This opportunity cost might overshadow the advantages, especially considering other cards could offer similar or greater boosts without the requisite setup.

Reasons to Include Growth Cycle in Your Collection

Versatility: Growth Cycle is a flexible card that can be used in various green-based decks. Its ability to boost a creature’s power and toughness makes it suitable for aggressive and defensive strategies alike.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks that focus on creature synergies. It can increase the impact of +1/+1 counter strategies, or work in tandem with cards that benefit from creatures getting stronger.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where combat tricks can turn the tide of battle, Growth Cycle’s instant-speed buff could enhance its relevance, potentially saving a key creature or securing a surprise victory.

How to beat

Growth Cycle is a versatile card known for its ability to boost a creature’s strength significantly, especially in a deck packed with similar spells. This common green instant, often found in the hands of players looking to amplify their creature’s power for a decisive turn, can be a real game-changer in MTG due to its stackable nature. The card’s effectiveness increases with each copy present in the graveyard, making it a potential powerhouse.

Confronting the threat of Growth Cycle requires strategic planning. Consider using removal spells that can disrupt the play before the Growth Cycle has a chance to resolve. Counterspells such as “Negate” or “Essence Scatter” can be particularly effective against it. Moreover, keeping your opponent’s graveyard in check with cards that exile or shuffle it back into the library can drastically reduce Growth Cycle’s impact. Finally, instant-speed removal that can target the boosted creature after the Growth Cycle has been played but before it can deal damage is a sound countermeasure. Understanding when to disrupt this cycle is critical in maintaining the upper hand.

Being prepared for Growth Cycle is about timing and the right counter-strategies, which will help ensure that this growth spurt doesn’t turn into a full-scale overrun.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Growth Cycle MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2020, 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 Growth Cycle and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Growth Cycle 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
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2019-07-12	Because Growth Cycle is still on the stack as you perform its instructions, it isn’t in your graveyard and won’t add to the bonus the creature gets.
2019-07-12	The size of the bonus is determined as Growth Cycle begins to resolve; it won’t change later in the turn if the number of Growth Cycles in your graveyard changes.