Growth Spasm MTG Card
2010-04-23 - Number 186
2021-09-24 - Number 139
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Sorcery |
Text of card
Search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library. Put a 0/1 colorless Eldrazi Spawn creature token onto the battlefield. It has "Sacrifice this creature: Add to your mana pool."
Cards like Growth Spasm
Growth Spasm holds a unique place in the pantheon of land ramp spells in the vast world of Magic: The Gathering. It resonates with spells like Rampant Growth, as both allow a player to search their library for a basic land and put it into play, enhancing their resource pool. Yet Growth Spasm edges ahead with its ability to give you an additional 0/1 Eldrazi Spawn creature token that can be sacrificed for mana, an advantageous resource in many deck strategies.
Exploration Growth, another card in this space, doesn’t directly increase land count but does permit the play of an extra land on each of your turns. This can lead to an accelerated pace in the early stages of the game. Where Growth Spasm shines is in its instant access to an additional mana source with the Eldrazi Spawn, despite placing the land onto the battlefield tapped.
In effect, Growth Spasm not only brings a land into play but also temporarily increases your mana through the Eldrazi Spawn. This two-pronged approach to mana ramp and creature generation positions it as a versatile option, often preferred in decks that synergize with creature tokens or require a sudden boost in mana resources.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When playing Growth Spasm, it allows you to not only place a land onto the battlefield but also put a 0/1 Eldrazi Spawn creature token onto the battlefield that can be sacrificed for additional mana. This offers a clear card advantage as you’re essentially getting two resources from a single spell.
Resource Acceleration: Growth Spasm is a solid contributor to resource acceleration. By granting you an additional land, the card propels your mana availability, enabling you to cast more expensive spells earlier in the game. The Eldrazi Spawn token can further be used as an extra mana source, thus ramping up your plays even faster.
Instant Speed: While Growth Spasm itself is not an instant, the Eldrazi Spawn token it provides can be sacrificed for mana at instant speed. This flexibility allows you to react swiftly to your opponent’s actions or end-of-turn opportunities, making it easier to optimize your gameplay and keep pace with the opposition.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Growth Spasm does not ask you to discard a card, it is important for players to note that cards in a similar genre might. This can result in a decrease in hand advantage and potentially hinder your game plan if you’re already low on options.
Specific Mana Cost: Growth Spasm requires two generic and one green mana, which means it’s predominantly fitting for green-centered decks or those that can reliably produce this color. Players running multicolored decks without sufficient mana fixing might find it challenging to cast on curve.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment for Growth Spasm is moderately high given its effect. Generating an Eldrazi Spawn and a land ensures some ramp, but there are other cards available that may accelerate your mana with less investment or offer additional benefits aside from a 0/1 creature token.
Reasons to Include Growth Spasm in Your Collection
Versatility: Growth Spasm is a practical inclusion for any deck that thrives on ramping up mana. With its ability to search for a basic land card while simultaneously creating a 0/1 Eldrazi Spawn creature that can be sacrificed for colorless mana, it offers immediate and future resources, making it a flexible choice for manifold strategies.
Combo Potential: This card shines in combination with strategies that exploit creature tokens or require a surge of mana. The Eldrazi Spawn can facilitate anything from enabling convoke costs to serving as fodder for sacrifice-driven synergies, fully leveraging its combo potential.
Meta-Relevance: In game environments where establishing a robust mana base quickly can be crucial, Growth Spasm holds significant value. It ensures you keep pace with opponents or even pull ahead by laying down the groundwork for casting high-impact spells sooner in the game.
How to beat
Growth Spasm, an alluring option for ramping up mana in Magic: The Gathering, lets players lay the groundwork for casting formidable spells down the road. Comparable to cards like Rampant Growth, Growth Spasm entices players with an Eldrazi Spawn token on top of a basic land search, blending board presence with mana acceleration. Despite its appeal, overthrowing this strategy is not as daunting as it may seem.
To undermine Growth Spasm’s efficiency, countermeasures like land destruction become powerful tools, disrupting the mana base its user aims to build. Simple yet effective spells such as Stone Rain can dismantle the groundwork laid by Growth Spasm, countering its tempo and setting your opponent back. Creature removal spells also play a pivotal role, easily dealing with the resultant Spawn token and minimizing the advantage gained.
In essence, to nullify the efficacy of Growth Spasm, disrupting your opponent’s mana base and utilizing spot removal for tokens allows you to maintain control. As you effectively negate the card’s benefits, your chances to emerge victorious in the match significantly improve.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Growth Spasm MTG card by a specific set like Rise of the Eldrazi and Midnight Hunt Commander, 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 Spasm and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Growth Spasm Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2010-04-23 and 2021-09-24. Illustrated by Dan Scott.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2010-04-23 | Rise of the Eldrazi | ROE | 186 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Dan Scott | |
| 2 | 2021-09-24 | Midnight Hunt Commander | MIC | 139 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dan Scott |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Growth Spasm has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Growth Spasm card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2010-06-15 | You put an Eldrazi Spawn token onto the battlefield whether or not you put a basic land card onto the battlefield. |