Savage Gorger MTG Card

Efficient card advantage achievable through Savage Gorger’s size increase with noncreature spell casts. Instant speed interaction allows growth and threat adaptation during any phase of the game. High mana cost and specific mana requirements may limit deck-building flexibility.

Core Set 2020 (M20)
2019-07-12 - Number 291

Savage Gorger - Arena Beginner Set (ANB)

Arena Beginner Set (ANB)
2020-08-13 - Number 58

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Vampire
Abilities	Flying
Power	1
Toughness	1

Text of card

Flying At the beginning of your end step, if an opponent lost life this turn, put a +1/+1 counter on Savage Gorger. (Damage causes loss of life.)

"I have no patience for sipping blood from crystal goblets. I want to bite and tear."

Cards like Savage Gorger

Diving into the vast card pool of Magic: The Gathering, Savage Gorger finds its niche among transformative creatures that grow with the game. It can be compared to the likes of Bloodthirsty Aerialist, a card that also flourishes by accumulating counters, in this case, based on gaining life. While Savage Gorger requires the player to tap into their darker side, playing with their graveyard as a resource, Bloodthirsty Aerialist offers a more wholesome approach to gaining strength.

Looking at Scavenging Ooze, another creature with the ability to increase its might, we see a different form of progression. The Ooze exiles cards from graveyards to get stronger, offering a tactical advantage by disrupting opponent strategies and buffing itself intermittently. Savage Gorger, on the contrary, embraces consistency in its growth, asking for a specific scenario each turn for it to evolve.

Ultimately, Savage Gorger presents itself as a formidable force in games that stretch over multiple turns, rewarding players for successfully maneuvering around death triggers. This incremental power boost sets it apart from the immediate but situational strength that similar cards might offer, marking its own territory in the Magic: The Gathering landscape.

Bloodthirsty Aerialist - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Savage Gorger provides an efficient way to gain an edge over your opponent by offering the potential for card advantage. Every time you cast a noncreature spell, it gets bigger, opening opportunities to pressure your opponent and outscale opposing creatures.

Resource Acceleration: As this card powers up through spellcasting, it may reduce the need for further creature investments. This allows for resource reallocation to more impactful spells, thereby accelerating your game plan and resource utilization.

Instant Speed: With Savage Gorger’s abilities being passive, it interacts favorably with instant-speed spells you cast, becoming an increasingly formidable threat without waiting for sorcery speed. This instant interaction ensures you’re always one step ahead, able to adapt and grow your board presence on the fly.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Savage Gorger demands that you discard a card to activate its key ability. This could strain your hand, especially if you’re already struggling to maintain card advantage against your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Savage Gorger is quite restrictive—it requires not just any mana, but a specific combination to be played. This limits the card’s flexibility and can make it awkward in multicolored decks that might struggle with mana consistency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost that’s on the higher end for its effects, Savage Gorger might lag behind when you compare it to other creatures in the same mana range. It could be seen as a less efficient choice when deck building, considering other creatures that offer more impact immediately upon entering the battlefield.

Reasons to Include Savage Gorger in Your Collection

Versatility: As a creature that grows with each instance of gaining life, Savage Gorger can be a dynamic addition to decks that focus on life gain strategies. Its adaptability makes it useful in various match-ups, always ready to become a threat on the board.

Combo Potential: When paired with other cards that trigger life gain, this creature can quickly escalate in power and toughness, making it synergistic with a wide array of combos. Its capacity to evolve makes it a key piece in decks that aim to snowball their advantage.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where games tend to stretch longer, Savage Gorger’s potential to scale up means it can dominate the battlefield if left unchecked. Particularly in a meta with a healthy amount of aggro decks, having a creature that benefits from each life-gaining occurrence can provide an edge.

How to beat

Savage Gorger presents a unique challenge on the battlefield of Magic: The Gathering. This creature thrives in situations where it is left unchecked, growing stronger with each turn it remains active. To effectively counter Savage Gorger, players must focus on removal strategies that can deal with it directly. This could mean leveraging spells that destroy or exile creatures before the Gorger has an opportunity to bulk up through its ability to amass +1/+1 counters.

Another tactic is to disrupt the opponent’s game plan that involves life gain, which is essential for Savage Gorger’s growth. Utilizing cards that limit life gain or employing aggressive strategies that diminish an opponent’s life total before the Gorger becomes a threat can be effective. Timing is crucial when facing a card like Savage Gorger, and swift action is often required to ensure it doesn’t spiral out of control and dominate the game.

Seasoned MTG players recognize the importance of understanding not only their deck’s capabilities but also the intricacies of their opponents’ strategies. Those who adapt quickly and employ their knowledge to counter growing threats like Savage Gorger can maintain the upper hand and steer the match towards a favorable outcome.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Savage Gorger MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2020 and Arena Beginner Set, 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 Savage Gorger and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Savage Gorger Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-07-12 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Antonio José Manzanedo.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2019-07-12	Core Set 2020	M20		291	2015	Normal	Black	Antonio José Manzanedo
2	2020-08-13	Arena Beginner Set	ANB		58	2015	Normal	Black	Antonio José Manzanedo

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Savage Gorger has restrictions

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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Savage Gorger 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	A player loses life if they pay life.
2019-07-12	It doesn’t matter whether an opponent has less life than they started the turn with. If a player lost 4 life but also gained 6 life, that player still lost 4 life.
2019-07-12	Savage Gorger looks at your entire turn to determine whether an opponent lost any life. It doesn’t matter how many opponents lost life or how much life they lost, only whether any of them did. It also doesn’t matter whether Savage Gorger was on the battlefield when they lost life.