Ogre Savant MTG Card
2006-02-03 - Number 70
2011-09-02 - Number 55
2012-09-07 - Number 9
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Ogre Wizard |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
When Ogre Savant comes into play, if was spent to play Ogre Savant, return target creature to its owner's hand.
He's an oxymoron.
Cards like Ogre Savant
Ogre Savant joins the family of bounce creatures in Magic: The Gathering, with abilities that resonate with seasoned players who appreciate board control. A prime comparison would be Man-o’-War, a classic creature known for its similar bounce effect upon entering the battlefield. While Ogre Savant requires one additional red mana and is a tad slower, it offers a beefier body, thereby posing a more substantial threat on the board. Man-o’-War, despite its lower mana cost and purity to blue mana, brings less power to the table.
Avalanche Riders, another entrant in this space, albeit with land destruction as its forte, provides a different strategic advantage with haste, allowing for immediate impact. However, it comes with echo cost, adding an upkeep price for its presence. Contrarily, Ogre Savant’s straightforward casting cost and effect can be more manageable for players looking to disrupt opponent strategies without additional costs.
In the vast landscape of creatures with enter-the-battlefield abilities, Ogre Savant maintains its grounds. Its combination of immediate board influence and substantial power makes it a competitive choice and secures its place within Magic: The Gathering’s creature framework.
Cards similar to Ogre Savant by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When Ogre Savant enters the battlefield, it offers a unique advantage by enabling you to bounce an opponent’s creature to their hand. This not only disrupts their board presence but can also result in a card advantage as they have to spend another turn replaying that creature.
Resource Acceleration: While Ogre Savant itself does not directly accelerate your resources, it indirectly helps maintain your tempo by setting back your opponent’s development. By returning a key creature to your opponent’s hand, you can potentially delay their strategy and gain the upper hand in deploying your own threats.
Instant Speed: Despite Ogre Savant being a creature, it has synergy with instant speed spells. Playing this card at the right moment after an opponent has cast their creature can act like an instant speed interruption, making it a strategic play during the course of a game, especially when you have untapped mana and options available.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Ogre Savant requires returning a blue or red creature you control to your hand when it enters the battlefield. This can sometimes act as a hindrance, especially when you need to maintain a strong board presence.
Specific Mana Cost: Ogre Savant demands a precise combination of one blue and one red mana to cast, which could be restrictive in multicolor decks not focused on these colors.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its ability, casting Ogre Savant might seem inefficient when comparing its five total mana cost to other creatures or spells that disrupt the opponent’s board with less investment or additional benefits.
Reasons to Include Ogre Savant in Your Collection
Versatility: Ogre Savant provides flexibility in gameplay, fitting seamlessly into spell-focused or creature-based strategies. Its dual nature allows for an impactful play whether you’re bouncing opponent’s threats or establishing board presence.
Combo Potential: This card can be a key piece in combos, exploiting its enter-the-battlefield effect. Integrating it with cards that manipulate or maximize casting times turns Ogre Savant into a repeatable source of disruption.
Meta-Relevance: Ogre Savant shines in environments rife with creatures. As decks looking to maintain board control or tempo strategies gain prevalence, this unassuming creature can serve as an effective tool to swing matches in your favor.
How to beat
Ogre Savant can be a tricky obstacle for players in the MTG realm. This card, when played correctly, can force key opposing creatures to go back to their owner’s hand, disrupting their board presence and planned strategies. It also boasts a respectable body that can affect the board state just by being in play. To effectively counter Ogre Savant, a savvy player should prioritize removal spells that can deal with it directly, such as Path to Exile or Fatal Push.
Furthermore, utilizing counter spells like Counterspell or Mana Leak when Ogre Savant is cast will prevent its enter-the-battlefield ability from triggering altogether. Planning one’s own creature plays around Ogre Savant’s ability by waiting for it to enter before presenting more valuable targets also ensures minimal disruption. Additionally, choosing creatures with beneficial enter-the-battlefield abilities of their own can counteract the tempo loss from Ogre Savant’s effect.
Overall, while Ogre Savant can present a formidable challenge, adapting your playstyle to anticipate and respond to its abilities will significantly diminish its impact, keeping your strategy on a steady path to victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ogre Savant MTG card by a specific set like Guildpact and Duel Decks: Ajani vs. Nicol Bolas, 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 Ogre Savant 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Ogre Savant Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2006-02-03 and 2012-09-07. Illustrated by Paolo Parente.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2006-02-03 | Guildpact | GPT | 70 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Paolo Parente | |
| 2 | 2011-09-02 | Duel Decks: Ajani vs. Nicol Bolas | DDH | 55 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Paolo Parente | |
| 3 | 2012-09-07 | Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari | DDJ | 9 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Paolo Parente |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ogre Savant has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ogre Savant card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2006-02-01 | If was spent to cast Ogre Savant and no other creatures are on the battlefield, the Ogre will have to return itself. |
| 2006-02-01 | The ability is not optional. |