Decree of Savagery MTG Card
2003-05-26 - Number 115
2021-07-23 - Number 156
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 9 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Instant |
| Abilities | Cycling |
Key Takeaways
- Decree of Savagery offers an immediate power spike, potentially overwhelming adversaries with massive creature enhancement.
- Mana cost and cycling trade-offs are essential considerations when integrating this card into your deck strategy.
- Despite its power, tactical foresight and specific counters can mitigate Decree of Savagery’s game-changing impact.
Text of card
Put four +1/+1 counters on each creature you control. Cycling When you cycle Decree of Savagery, you may put four +1/+1 counters on target creature.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: With Decree of Savagery, there’s a potential to massively bolster your creatures by placing four +1/+1 counters on each creature you control. This not only solidifies your board position but often leaves opponents scrambling to match your new power level, providing you with a significant card advantage.
Resource Acceleration: This magic card can act as a powerful resource accelerator. By beefing up your creatures, you increase the likelihood of keeping them around longer to attack, block, and control the game’s flow. Larger creatures mean more pressure and can translate into faster victories.
Instant Speed: The ability to play Decree of Savagery at instant speed gives you the element of surprise. Deploy it during the end step of your opponent’s turn for a game-changing board state or use it defensively in response to a board wipe, ensuring your creatures come out ahead.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Though Decree of Savagery doesn’t have a direct discard requirement, it does have a cycling feature that allows you to discard it for another effect. This can be seen as a con since you might have to give up the spell for another drawing, potentially losing a powerful card in your hand.
Specific Mana Cost: Decree of Savagery requires four green mana as part of its cost. This can be difficult to manage in multicolored decks that may have a limited supply of green mana, thus reducing its versatility in a non-monogreen deck.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an eight mana cost to play from your hand, Decree of Savagery can be quite a gamble. It’s a potentially game-changing card, but the substantial mana investment means it may come into play too late or hinder your ability to cast other spells on the same turn.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Decree of Savagery isn’t constrained by a single deck archetype. It serves as a surprise boon, adding +1/+1 counters to creatures, instantly turning the tide of battle. Easily included in green ramp or counter-strategy builds, its versatility shines through.
Combo Potential: When it comes to synergy, this spell works wonders with creatures that have abilities triggered by counters. It can exponentially increase the power of your board, preparing for a devastating strike or bolstering your defenses.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where combat math and creature size can dictate the outcome, Decree of Savagery remains an asset. It can catch opponents off-guard, particularly in environments where large creatures dictate the pace of play.
How to beat
Decree of Savagery, while imposing with its ability to instantly bolster a player’s creatures, is not without its vulnerabilities. Overcoming this Magic: The Gathering card involves strategic foresight. Consider employing instant speed removals or counter spells before the Decree resolves. Cards like Negate or Disallow can prove invaluable, halting the Decree’s effect before it even begins. Board wipes such as Wrath of God or Damnation also serve as powerful resets, clearing the field of any buffed creatures regardless of their newfound power.
For those who seek a more proactive approach, combat tricks can turn the tide mid-battle. Utilize spells that reduce opposing creature’s power or put them in a disadvantageous combat scenario, such as Chump blocking with a deathtouch creature. Moreover, implementing preemptive strategies like hand disruption, with Thoughtseize or Duress, can help you remove the Decree from play before it can impact the board. Cards with hexproof or shroud provide another layer of protection, effectively shielding your key creatures from being outmatched by the Decree’s buff.
Strategizing against Decree of Savagery means preparing for those pivotal moments, choosing the right moment to strike, and disrupting the opponent’s plan. By doing so, you diminish the impact and maintain control, regardless of the power swing the Decree promises.
Cards like Decree of Savagery
Decree of Savagary stands as a powerhouse in the world of MTG combat tricks, imbuing creatures with a substantial power boost. It’s quite akin to Overrun, which also gratifies players by providing their creatures a sizeable buff. Yet, Decree of Savagery edges ahead with its ability to bolster creatures by a whopping four +1/+1 counters, a feature Overrun doesn’t offer.
In a similar bracket is Strength of the Tajuru, which flexes its muscles in the realm of versatility, allowing the player to choose how to distribute counters among creatures. While Decree of Savagary offers more counters, it lacks the precision of allocation that Strength of the Tajuru brings. Another card worth mentioning is Increasing Savagery, a doppelganger with a recurrence effect, giving creatures a second wave of counters. The initial impact might be less than Decree’s instant boost, but the potential for a second surge provides a strategic advantage.
To cap it off, Decree of Savagery does indeed soar in the category of instant creature enhancement in MTG. Its immediate, significant impact makes it a formidable card, especially for those looking to abruptly change the tides of combat in their favor.
Cards similar to Decree of Savagery by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Decree of Savagery MTG card by a specific set like Scourge and Forgotten Realms 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 Decree of Savagery and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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 Decree of Savagery Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2003-05-26 and 2021-07-23. Illustrated by Alex Horley-Orlandelli.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2003-05-26 | Scourge | SCG | 115 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Alex Horley-Orlandelli | |
| 2 | 2021-07-23 | Forgotten Realms Commander | AFC | 156 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alex Horley-Orlandelli |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Decree of Savagery has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Decree of Savagery card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-10-01 | Cycling is an activated ability. Effects that interact with activated abilities (such as Stifle or Rings of Brighthearth) will interact with cycling. Effects that interact with spells (such as Remove Soul or Faerie Tauntings) will not. |
| 2008-10-01 | The cycling ability and the triggered ability are separate. If the triggered ability doesn't resolve (due to being countered with Stifle, for example, or if all its targets have become illegal), the cycling ability will still resolve and you'll draw a card. |
| 2008-10-01 | When you cycle this card, first the cycling ability goes on the stack, then the triggered ability goes on the stack on top of it. The triggered ability will resolve before you draw a card from the cycling ability. |
| 2008-10-01 | You can cycle this card even if there are no targets for the triggered ability. That's because the cycling ability itself has no targets. |
