Sanity Gnawers MTG Card


Sanity Gnawers - Alara Reborn
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Rat
Released2009-04-30
Set symbol
Set nameAlara Reborn
Set codeARB
Power 1
Toughness 1
Number44
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byPete Venters

Key Takeaways

  1. Sanity Gnawers leverages hand disruption to create card advantage, potentially swaying matches.
  2. While it lacks direct resource acceleration, its ability to slow opponents can be strategically beneficial.
  3. Optimal use demands careful timing, reinforcing its position as a game-changing creature card.

Text of card

When Sanity Gnawers comes into play, target player discards a card at random.

The last thought to go through their victim's mind is the one they tear out through the scalp.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Sanity Gnawers, you have the ability to disrupt your opponent’s hand by making them discard cards, thus potentially gaining an upper hand in maintaining card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Sanity Gnawers doesn’t directly offer resource acceleration, but by removing key pieces from your opponent’s hand, it can indirectly accelerate your position by slowing them down.

Instant Speed: Though Sanity Gnawers operates at sorcery speed, the instant nature of its kindred spells can offer synergistic plays, allowing you to maximize turn efficiency based on your overall strategy.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Sanity Gnawers comes with the stipulation that, upon casting, you must force your opponent to discard a card. Though disruptive to your opponent, this effect can be less impactful if they possess a means to utilize their graveyard or if their hand is already depleted, making the discard less significant.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that requires both black and red mana, Sanity Gnawers may not fit seamlessly into all decks. Players running multicolored decks might find it challenging to consistently meet the mana requirement, potentially causing the card to be a dead draw at crucial moments of the game.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a converted mana cost of three, including one red and one black, Sanity Gnawers’ impact on the game may not correlate with its mana investment. This can be particularly true in formats where mana efficiency is paramount, and other cards at the same cost can provide a stronger board presence or more versatile effects.


Reasons to Include Sanity Gnawers in Your Collection

Versatility: Sanity Gnawers’ unique ability to force a discard from an opponent’s hand gives it a flexible role in decks that aim to disrupt the opponent’s strategies. It can slip into various archetypes that prioritize hand disruption or creature-based tactics.

Combo Potential: This creature can synergize with cards that benefit from opponents discarding or that trigger upon discards. The potential to combo with other discard mechanisms means Sanity Gnawers can be a key piece in a larger puzzle that aims to control the opponent’s options.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where players rely heavily on carefully curated hands, Sanity Gnawers can upset the balance, making it a pertinent choice for shaking up the current meta. It’s specifically impactful in formats where maintaining card advantage is crucial for victory.


How to beat

Sanity Gnawers pack a unique punch in any MTG match, placing your opponent in a bind by forcing them to discard cards. The impact can be severe, especially if played at just the right moment. At the core of its ability is the potential to disrupt your opponent’s hand, diminishing their options on subsequent turns. This makes timing and strategic planning crucial when facing Sanity Gnawers.

To effectively counter Sanity Gnawers, consider including instant-speed removal cards in your deck. This type of card can eliminate Sanity Gnawers before their ability triggers, thus preserving your hand. Cards with the ability to shuffle the graveyard back into the library can also be key, as they limit the long-term damage done by discarding. Additionally, including cards in your own deck that benefit from discarding or take advantage of a fuller graveyard can turn the tide of battle back into your favor. In essence, while Sanity Gnawers can exert pressure, a well-prepared deck and careful play can mitigate their effects.

Overall, while Sanity Gnawers can present a significant challenge, the route to victory involves neutralizing threats before they become unmanageable, and possibly even using your opponent’s tactics to your own advantage. Adapting your gameplay and deck-building strategies is crucial to overcome the obstacles presented by such formidable cards.


Understanding Sanity Gnawer’s Role in Your Deck

Within the varied arsenal of discard strategies in Magic: The Gathering, Sanity Gnawers emerges as an intriguing creature card. It can be paralleled to cards like Ravenous Rats, which also forces an opponent to discard upon entering the battlefield. However, Sanity Gnawers has the added benefit of being a repeatable source of discard, assuming you can return it to your hand and recast it.

Cards like Sanity Gnawers

Sanity Gnawers belongs to a unique category of creatures in MTG, focusing on disrupting the opponent’s hand. A classic card that shares this strategy is Liliana’s Specter, providing a similar discard effect, but affecting all opponents at once and with flying as an added evasion. Burglar Rat is another similar creature that requires each opponent to discard a card but trades off the potential for repeated use for a greater initial impact. Another card worth considering is Rotting Rats, which presents a symmetric discard challenge, forcing each player, not just your opponent, to discard a card upon entry and also offers the unearth ability for additional uses.

In summary, while Sanity Gnawers offers a potentially reusable source of discard, it competes with a range of creatures that provide immediate and sometimes wider-reaching effects. Its place in your strategy will largely depend on whether you value repeating the discard effect on a single target over the broader initial impact that other similar creatures might offer.

Ravenous Rats - MTG Card versions
Liliana's Specter - MTG Card versions
Burglar Rat - MTG Card versions
Rotting Rats - MTG Card versions
Ravenous Rats - Portal Second Age (P02)
Liliana's Specter - DCI Promos (PDCI)
Burglar Rat - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)
Rotting Rats - Conflux (CON)

Cards similar to Sanity Gnawers by color, type and mana cost

Sedge Troll - MTG Card versions
Shauku's Minion - MTG Card versions
Army Ants - MTG Card versions
Pyre Zombie - MTG Card versions
Lava Zombie - MTG Card versions
Sarcatog - MTG Card versions
Anathemancer - MTG Card versions
Avatar of Discord - MTG Card versions
Vial Smasher the Fierce - MTG Card versions
Cryptborn Horror - MTG Card versions
Lyzolda, the Blood Witch - MTG Card versions
Rakdos Augermage - MTG Card versions
Sedge Sliver - MTG Card versions
Ashenmoor Gouger - MTG Card versions
Pestilent Kathari - MTG Card versions
Shambling Remains - MTG Card versions
Hellhole Flailer - MTG Card versions
Ragemonger - MTG Card versions
Kathari Bomber - MTG Card versions
Xantcha, Sleeper Agent - MTG Card versions
Sedge Troll - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Shauku's Minion - Mirage (MIR)
Army Ants - Visions (VIS)
Pyre Zombie - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Lava Zombie - Planeshift (PLS)
Sarcatog - Odyssey (ODY)
Anathemancer - Friday Night Magic 2010 (F10)
Avatar of Discord - RNA Guild Kit (GK2)
Vial Smasher the Fierce - Commander Legends (CMR)
Cryptborn Horror - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Lyzolda, the Blood Witch - RNA Guild Kit (GK2)
Rakdos Augermage - Dissension (DIS)
Sedge Sliver - Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)
Ashenmoor Gouger - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Pestilent Kathari - Conflux (CON)
Shambling Remains - The List (PLST)
Hellhole Flailer - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Ragemonger - Born of the Gods (BNG)
Kathari Bomber - Duel Decks: Speed vs. Cunning (DDN)
Xantcha, Sleeper Agent - Commander Masters (CMM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sanity Gnawers MTG card by a specific set like Alara Reborn, 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 Sanity Gnawers and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sanity Gnawers has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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