Savra, Queen of the Golgari MTG Card
Card sets | Released in 7 setsSee all |
Mana cost | |
Converted mana cost | 4 |
Rarity | Rare |
Type | Legendary Creature — Elf Shaman |
Power | 2 |
Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
Whenever you sacrifice a black creature, you may pay 2 life. If you do, each other player sacrifices a creature. Whenever you sacrifice a green creature, you may gain 2 life.
"Nature's most raw beauty is the circle: perfect in its continuance, with no break between death and life."
Cards like Savra, Queen of the Golgari
Delving into the depths of Golgari synergy within Magic: The Gathering, Savra, Queen of the Golgari stands out among legends. Resembling the functionality of her, we find cards like Teysa, Orzhov Scion, who also leverages sacrificing creatures to control the board but operates within the Orzhov color pair. Savra’s ability to reward you for sacrificing green creatures, granting life, contrasts with Teysa’s focus on white creature death triggers for exile effects.
Another card mirroring Savra’s thirst for sacrifice is Dictate of Erebos. This enchantment forces opponents to sacrifice creatures whenever you do, intensifying the game’s attrition strategy. While Savra herself only targets opponents’ creatures when black creatures are sacrificed, Dictate covers all creatures, yet lacks the life-gain upside. Meren of Clan Nel Toth also explores sacrifice themes, accumulating value over time by returning creatures from your graveyard to the battlefield or your hand.
Each of these cards carves its niche within the graveyard-heavy playstyle that Golgari is renowned for. Savra, however, combines aspects of life-gain and creature control in a distinctive duality that can anchor a strategic depth, setting her apart within the Magic: The Gathering meta.
Cards similar to Savra, Queen of the Golgari by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Savra, Queen of the Golgari, presents a potent advantage by allowing you to capitalize on creature sacrifice. Each sacrifice can potentially translate into card advantage as you systematically dismantle your opponents’ board presence while keeping your hand replenished.
Resource Acceleration: Essential to the Golgari strategy, Savra aids in resource acceleration by helping you control the flow of the game. Utilizing her ability can expedite the growth of your own resources while constraining your adversaries, ensuring that you stay ahead in mana and creature resources.
Instant Speed: While Savra herself doesn’t function at instant speed, her triggered abilities can be leveraged during any part of the game—including opponents’ turns—provided you can sacrifice a creature. This enables you to respond to threats or orchestrate complex plays even when it’s not your turn, keeping your opponents constantly on edge.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Savra Queen of the Golgari necessitates the sacrifice of creatures to trigger her abilities. This can put players at a disadvantage by depleting their board presence, particularly in games where maintaining creature control is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: Her casting cost, two black and two green mana, demands commitment to both colors. This can be restrictive for deck building, especially for those looking to include her in a multicolored deck that spans beyond the Golgari guild.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a converted mana cost of four, Savra requires a significant investment early in the game. Given her abilities are reliant on other creatures being sacrificed, the setup to reap her full benefits can be cumbersome compared to other commanders or creatures in the four-mana slot that provide more immediate impact.
Reasons to Include Savra, Queen of the Golgari in Your Collection
Versatility: Savra, Queen of the Golgari offers flexible game strategies with her ability to control the battlefield. As a card that interacts well with both creature sacrifice mechanics and graveyard play, she can be a key component in a variety of deck builds that focus on incremental advantage and attrition.
Combo Potential: Savra’s abilities synergize with numerous cards and strategies, creating opportunities for powerful combos. She can easily become the linchpin in a deck that utilizes sacrifice for profit, such as triggering death triggers or recurring creatures for additional value.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based decks are prevalent, Savra can give you the upper hand. Her life-draining and board control aspects make her a valuable asset against aggro matchups, allowing you to stabilize the game and dominate the late game.
How to beat
Savra, Queen of the Golgari, commands attention in Magic: The Gathering with her ability to dictate the flow of the battlefield. Her power lies in the sacrifice engine, utilizing creatures for control and advantage. Facing Savra requires a strategic approach to dismantle her reign.
To effectively challenge Savra’s might, focusing on graveyard disruption can be key. Cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void prevent her from gaining value from creature deaths. Exiling creatures rather than destroying them also bypasses her ability, with spells like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares offering clean solutions. Alternatively, targeted removal for Savra before her ability activates preserves your board state, so spells like Doom Blade or Murder are invaluable here.
Detecting the optimum timing to disrupt her synergy is as important as the chosen method. By playing instant speed removal in response to her triggered ability, you can mitigate the loss and keep the pressure on. Consequently, when faced with the Queen of the Golgari, a combination of strategic exile, graveyard manipulation, and timing can ensure your victory on the MTG battlefield.
BurnMana Recommendations
Savra, Queen of the Golgari, isn’t just another MTG card to add to your collection; she’s a game-changer in the right environment. With her knack for controlling the flow of the game through creature sacrifice, Savra can be your commander leading to a decisive victory. Appreciating her strengths and mitigating her drawbacks are both critical to maximizing her potential. If you’re intrigued by the strategic depth she brings and the different combos at your disposal, delve deeper into the Verdant world of Golgari with us. Enhance your deck’s capabilities and discover the countless synergies waiting to be explored. Learn more about optimally employing Savra in your lineup and conquering the battlefield.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Savra, Queen of the Golgari MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica: City of Guilds and GRN Guild Kit, 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 Savra, Queen of the Golgari and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Savra, Queen of the Golgari Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2005-10-07 and 2024-01-12. Illustrated by 4 different artists.
# | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2005-10-07 | Ravnica: City of Guilds | RAV | 225 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Scott M. Fischer | |
2 | 2018-11-02 | GRN Guild Kit | GK1 | 69 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Scott M. Fischer | |
3 | Secret Lair Drop | SLD | 500 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Peter Diamond | ||
4 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 381z | 2015 | Normal | Black | Aurore Folny | |
5 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 218 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Aurore Folny | |
6 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 440 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Daisuke Tatsuma | |
7 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 381 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Aurore Folny |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Savra, Queen of the Golgari has restrictions
Format | Legality |
---|---|
Commander | Legal |
Legacy | Legal |
Modern | Legal |
Oathbreaker | Legal |
Vintage | Legal |
Duel | Legal |
Predh | Legal |
Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Savra, Queen of the Golgari card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
Date | Text |
---|---|
2005-10-01 | Sacrificing a creature that’s both black and green will make both abilities trigger. You may put them on the stack in whichever order you want. |
2005-10-01 | Savra itself doesn’t let you sacrifice creatures, and you can’t sacrifice them spontaneously. You must have another spell or ability that lets you sacrifice creatures. |
2005-10-01 | These abilities trigger specifically when you “sacrifice” a creature. They won’t trigger when a creature is put into your graveyard for any other reason. |