Gurzigost MTG Card


Gurzigost - Torment
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Beast
Released2002-02-04
Set symbol
Set nameTorment
Set codeTOR
Power 6
Toughness 8
Number126
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byScott M. Fischer

Key Takeaways

  1. Gurzigost offers graveyard manipulation, aiding in retrieving spells or creatures while maintaining hand size.
  2. Despite its potential, the card’s specific green mana cost and discard requirement may limit versatility.
  3. Valuable for its ability to disrupt and advance graveyard-focused strategies in various playing environments.

Text of card

At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice Gurzigost unless you put two cards from your graveyard on the bottom of your library. o Go G, Discard a card from your hand: You may have Gurzigost deal its combat damage to defending player this turn as though it weren't blocked.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gurzigost presents a unique opportunity to cycle through your graveyard, potentially bringing back powerful spells or creatures while keeping your hand filled.

Resource Acceleration: With the ability to discard two cards to return a blue card from your graveyard to your hand, Gurzigost helps to quickly access your resources and maintain a steady pace in the game.

Instant Speed: Although Gurzigost itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its graveyard swapping ability can be exploited during the upkeep phase, allowing for unexpected plays and strategies to be formulated right before your turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Gurzigost entails a mandatory discard mechanic, compelling you to discard cards to leverage its abilities. In situations where your hand is valuable or cards in hand are minimal, activating Gurzigost’s effects could potentially set back your game, stripping you of critical resources that might be needed for defense or key plays later on.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature requires a specific green mana investment to cast and use its abilities efficiently. This particularity pigeonholes it into green-based decks, limiting its versatility across the diverse color spectrum, especially in decks that may not prioritize green mana generation or have access to mana flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At five total mana, including two green, Gurzigost stands on the pricier side for its stats and effects. In an environment where game tempo is vital, other creatures or spells might offer a greater impact or value sooner, or fit more snugly into the framework of a tightly-curated mana curve.


Reasons to Include Gurzigost in Your Collection

Versatility: Gurzigost is a creature that can adapt to various playing styles, offering interesting graveyard interaction for decks that capitalize on creature recursion or self-mill strategies.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with mechanics that involve discarding or playing cards from the graveyard, potentially serving as a key piece in powerful combo setups or reanimator decks.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where graveyard strategies are prominent, Gurzigost can become a valuable player, disrupting your opponents’ plans while advancing your own board position.


How to beat Gurzigost

Gurzigost is a unique creature card steeped in the rich tapestry of MTG. This hulking beast brings an unusual mechanic to the battlefield, allowing a player to put two cards into their graveyard to effectively regenerate it. Understanding its capabilities is key to overcoming its might. Players need to manipulate their strategies to effectively counter Gurzigost’s resilience.

Ensnaring the behemoth in your tactical web might involve exile effects or using spells that prevent regeneration, ensuring that once it’s down, it stays down. A careful balance of powerful removal, such as those found in white’s extensive catalogue of exile spells, or using graveyard disruption can shift the balance in your favor significantly. Moreover, patience is a virtue against Gurzigost; draw it out and wait for the opportune moment to strike. Ensuring that you have the rights cards at the right time is more than just luck – it’s about building a deck that can handle whatever is thrown its way, including this formidable creature.

At the end of the day, clever play and anticipation of your opponent’s moves can nullify the threat of Gurzigost, integrating the challenge it presents into your path to victory.


Cards like Gurzigost

Gurzigost, a creature card in MTG, offers an intriguing dynamic for deck builders favoring graveyard strategies. Parallel to Gurzigost is Boneyard Wurm, a card that thrives on a sizable graveyard, as both of these cards’ power and toughness are determined by the number of creature cards in the graveyard. Gurzigost’s distinctive capability allows you to reshuffle five cards from a graveyard back into the library, providing sustainability during long matches.

Another comparison can be made with Splinterfright, which epitomizes the graveyard synergy by not only having its strength tied to the graveyard contents but also by milling yourself every upkeep, ensuring that it grows over time. Unlike Gurzigost, which requires a deliberate activation, Splinterfright works passively, potentially becoming more formidable with each turn. However, Gurzigost offers a form of control over one’s graveyard, presenting a tactical advantage in matchups where graveyard order matters.

Although these creatures differ in abilities and mana cost, they cater to similar deck themes that capitalize on self-milling and graveyard accumulation. Gurzigost, while versatile, resonates well with players who value influence over their graveyard’s composition and long-term strategizing in MTG.

Boneyard Wurm - MTG Card versions
Splinterfright - MTG Card versions
Boneyard Wurm - Wizards Play Network 2011 (PWP11)
Splinterfright - Innistrad (ISD)

Cards similar to Gurzigost by color, type and mana cost

Thicket Basilisk - MTG Card versions
Cockatrice - MTG Card versions
Ironroot Treefolk - MTG Card versions
Elvish Bard - MTG Card versions
Durkwood Boars - MTG Card versions
Elven Riders - MTG Card versions
Panther Warriors - MTG Card versions
Redwood Treefolk - MTG Card versions
Spined Wurm - MTG Card versions
Rabid Wolverines - MTG Card versions
Deadly Insect - MTG Card versions
Vintara Elephant - MTG Card versions
Crashing Boars - MTG Card versions
Kavu Climber - MTG Card versions
Kavu Chameleon - MTG Card versions
Spring-Leaf Avenger - MTG Card versions
Okina Nightwatch - MTG Card versions
Consuming Blob - MTG Card versions
Ashaya, Soul of the Wild - MTG Card versions
Primeval Force - MTG Card versions
Thicket Basilisk - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Cockatrice - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Ironroot Treefolk - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Elvish Bard - Alliances (ALL)
Durkwood Boars - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Elven Riders - Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)
Panther Warriors - Portal (POR)
Redwood Treefolk - Weatherlight (WTH)
Spined Wurm - Stronghold (STH)
Rabid Wolverines - Exodus (EXO)
Deadly Insect - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Vintara Elephant - Prophecy (PCY)
Crashing Boars - Beatdown Box Set (BTD)
Kavu Climber - Masters 25 (A25)
Kavu Chameleon - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Spring-Leaf Avenger - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Okina Nightwatch - Arena League 2005 (PAL05)
Consuming Blob - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Ashaya, Soul of the Wild - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Primeval Force - Eighth Edition (8ED)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gurzigost MTG card by a specific set like Torment, 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 Gurzigost and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gurzigost has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2008-04-01 If this creature is attacking a planeswalker, assigning its damage as though it weren’t blocked means the damage is assigned to the planeswalker, not to the defending player.
2008-04-01 You decide how it will assign its damage at the time the ability resolves. This will be prior to actually assigning combat damage.

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