Sangrophage MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Zombie
Power 3
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Sangrophage can disrupt opponents and strengthen your game with its life-draining abilities.
  2. Its versatility and aggressive stats bolster early gameplay, fitting into life-loss strategies.
  3. Despite its strengths, Sangrophage requires careful deck integration due to its specific cons.

Text of card

At the beginning of your upkeep, tap Sangrophage unless you pay 2 life.

The living is all it eats.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sangrophage offers players a tactical edge by providing consistent life-draining abilities. This mechanic can be a crucial source of card advantage as it disrupts your opponent’s strategy while fortifying your position on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: Integrating the Sangrophage in your deck effectively accelerates your resource pool. Its synergy with life-gain and life-loss mechanics could potentially trigger various effects across the board, making it a versatile component of many strategic archetypes within the game.

Instant Speed: Although not all versions of Sangrophage operate at instant speed, having the ability to trigger its effects during your opponent’s turn can be a game-changer. This strategic timing can enhance your defensive capabilities or disrupt your opponent’s momentum, ultimately advancing your game plan.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside of Sangrophage is that to maintain its effect, you must continuously feed it by discarding a card. This can quickly drain your hand, leaving you at a disadvantage, especially if you don’t have a reliable way to replenish your resources.

Specific Mana Cost: The mono-black mana requirement for Sangrophage limits its integration into multicolored decks. It contributes to a smoother mana base in mono-black but may not synergize well with decks that incorporate additional colors. This can restrict the card’s versatility and reduce its applicability across various deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its mana cost, Sangrophage comes at a price, which can often be steep compared to other creatures in the same range. It competes for a spot with other efficient creatures and spells, and in many cases, players might opt for alternatives that provide similar benefits without the ongoing resource sacrifice.


Reasons to Include Sangrophage in Your Collection

Versatility: Sangrophage is a card that can seamlessly integrate into various deck strategies. It offers a balance of aggressive stats for its mana cost, making it a fitting choice for players looking to bolster their early game presence on the battlefield.

Combo Potential: As a creature that requires a life payment for its upkeep, Sangrophage pairs well with decks that capitalize on life-loss mechanics. This opens up synergy with cards that leverage your life total for powerful effects or with those that reward you for losing life.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where aggressive decks are thriving, Sangrophage can serve as a potent inclusion. Its ability to apply early pressure means that it can be a valuable asset against a variety of deck archetypes commonly found in the current competitive scene.


How to beat

Sangrophage presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its life-leeching abilities. Players facing off against this card must adopt strategies that mitigate the self-inflicted damage without letting this vampiric creature dominate the game. One effective tactic is prioritizing the removal of Sangrophage early on, using instant-speed spells to ensure it doesn’t provide sustained value to your opponent.

Additionally, stabilizing your life total becomes critical. Incorporate cards that grant you life-gain to offset the health loss from Sangrophage. This can be achieved through creatures with lifelink or spells that offer health restoration. Counteracting its effect can turn the tables and reduce Sangrophage’s impact, especially when combined with robust board control cards to clear the way and keep creatures like Sangrophage in check.

While Sangrophage can be a thorn in your side, understanding its weaknesses and preparing a deck with the right answers will make it much more manageable, allowing you to maintain control of the game and emerge victorious.


Cards like Sangrophage

The Sangrophage compares intriguingly with other creatures in the world of Magic: The Gathering. This creature’s self-damaging ability to boost its power sets it in a unique tableau next to staples like Rune-Scarred Demon. While the latter lacks the self-damaging feature, it compensates with a powerful tutor effect, offering players a different kind of value.

Vampiric creatures, such as Vampire Nighthawk, share the theme of vampirism but offer utility as flying blockers and sources of incremental life gain, differing from Sangrophage’s more self-punishing approach. Additionally, there’s Blood Artist, which doesn’t beef up like Sangrophage, but can alter the course of a game by siphoning life with each creature’s death, turning the tide in your favor over several turns.

Evaluating these creatures, Sangrophage holds its ground by providing a cheap, aggressive option for life-risking strategies and fast-paced matches. It’s a card that asks players to gamble a bit of their life total for overwhelming power on the board, which makes it quite a catch for decks that revolve around high-risk, high rewards tactics.

Rune-Scarred Demon - MTG Card versions
Vampire Nighthawk - MTG Card versions
Blood Artist - MTG Card versions
Rune-Scarred Demon - Magic 2012 (M12)
Vampire Nighthawk - DCI Promos (PDCI)
Blood Artist - Avacyn Restored (AVR)

Cards similar to Sangrophage by color, type and mana cost

Drudge Skeletons - MTG Card versions
Erg Raiders - MTG Card versions
Cuombajj Witches - MTG Card versions
Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions
Bog Imp - MTG Card versions
Wall of Corpses - MTG Card versions
Blighted Shaman - MTG Card versions
Rabid Rats - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Bat - MTG Card versions
Ravenous Rats - MTG Card versions
Flesh Reaver - MTG Card versions
Bloodcurdler - MTG Card versions
Nantuko Shade - MTG Card versions
Piper of the Swarm - MTG Card versions
Undead Augur - MTG Card versions
Shepherd of Rot - MTG Card versions
Swarm of Rats - MTG Card versions
Skullsnatcher - MTG Card versions
Nezumi Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Nezumi Graverobber // Nighteyes the Desecrator - MTG Card versions
Drudge Skeletons - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Erg Raiders - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Cuombajj Witches - Chronicles (CHR)
Order of the Ebon Hand - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Bog Imp - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Wall of Corpses - Mirage (MIR)
Blighted Shaman - Mirage (MIR)
Rabid Rats - Stronghold (STH)
Dakmor Bat - Portal Second Age (P02)
Ravenous Rats - Invasion (INV)
Flesh Reaver - Urza's Saga (USG)
Bloodcurdler - Odyssey (ODY)
Nantuko Shade - Commander 2014 (C14)
Piper of the Swarm - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Undead Augur - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Shepherd of Rot - Onslaught (ONS)
Swarm of Rats - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Skullsnatcher - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Nezumi Cutthroat - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Nezumi Graverobber // Nighteyes the Desecrator - Commander Anthology Volume II (CM2)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sangrophage MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral and Time Spiral Remastered, 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 Sangrophage and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sangrophage Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2006-10-06 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by Pete Venters.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12006-10-06Time SpiralTSP 1272003normalblackPete Venters
22021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 1352015normalblackPete Venters

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sangrophage has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sangrophage card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2021-03-19 You choose whether or not to pay 2 life as the triggered ability resolves. You can pay 2 life even if Sangrophage is already tapped. (Doing so won’t cause Sangrophage to become untapped, however.)

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