Thought Gorger MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Horror
Abilities	Trample
Released	2010-04-23
Set symbol
Set name	Rise of the Eldrazi
Set code	ROE
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	129
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jason Felix

Key Takeaways

Offers card advantage and resource acceleration, enhancing game strategy with powerful draw mechanics.
Demands careful play with its discard requirement and specific mana cost, presenting strategic challenges.
Versatility and combo potential make it an intriguing inclusion in varied deck archetypes.

Text of card

Trample When Thought Gorger enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on it for each card in your hand. If you do, discard your hand. When Thought Gorger leaves the battlefield, draw a card for each +1/+1 counter on it.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Thought Gorger’s ability to draw cards equal to its power when it enters the battlefield, it provides a significant boost in card advantage, filling your hand with more options and increasing the chances of drawing key pieces for your strategy.

Resource Acceleration: As Thought Gorger grows, it can rapidly accelerate your resource advantage. Upon leaving the field, the amassed +1/+1 counters translate into drawing cards, and potentially setting up explosive plays for the subsequent turns.

Instant Speed: Though Thought Gorger itself is not an instant, its interaction with other cards at instant speed can be pivotal. For example, removing Thought Gorger in response to an opponent’s spell to suddenly draw a multitude of cards can provide the right answers at crucial moments.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Thought Gorger comes with a unique ability that can be a double-edged sword. When it enters the battlefield, you must discard your hand, which could put you at a strategic disadvantage by depleting your resources at critical moments in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting Thought Gorger requires a mix of black mana plus additional generic mana, which necessitates a deck with a reliable mana base to accommodate its mana cost without stalling your gameplay, especially if your deck includes other colors or intricate mana needs.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of two black mana and two generic mana, Thought Gorger demands a significant investment. Given that MTG offers a wealth of options, there are alternatives that might enable you to maximize your mana efficiency better, especially in decks that aim to maintain tempo and board presence.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Thought Gorger offers flexibility in deck building. Its role can shift between an aggressive creature in a beatdown strategy to a resilient threat in a reanimator or sacrifice-themed deck.

Combo Potential: Upon entering or leaving the battlefield, Thought Gorger allows you to draw cards and potentially discard for value. This synergy can bolster decks that capitalize on graveyard strategies or madness triggers.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where games tend to go longer and hand size matters, Thought Gorger shines by refilling your hand. It’s useful against control decks that force discard, allowing you to recuperate resources effectively.

How to Beat Thought Gorger

Thought Gorger presents an intriguing challenge on the battlefield, bringing a unique twist to creature play in Magic the Gathering. As a creature that grows larger with each card you discard upon its arrival, it commands attention and demands a strategic response. To successfully overcome this creature, one must consider removal spells that can bypass its potential size, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares. These cards offer a direct solution by exiling Thought Gorger without triggering any on-death abilities.

Moreover, distraction tactics can be highly effective. Cards that force your opponent to sacrifice creatures play a pivotal role here. Think Diabolic Edict or Innocent Blood, which can unseat the Thought Gorger regardless of its power and toughness. In addition, exploiting its drawback when it leaves the battlefield, causing the opponent to draw cards and lose life equal to the number of +1/+1 counters, can be turned to your advantage with timed discard or damage effects to capitalize on their decreased life total.

In essence, while Thought Gorger can pose a serious threat if left unchecked, with the right blend of exile, sacrifice effects, and reaction to its exit triggers, you can maintain control of the game and send this troublesome creature packing.

Cards like Thought Gorger

Thought Gorger carves a unique niche in the realm of creature cards within Magic: The Gathering. Its closest kin might be cards like Eater of Hope. Much like Thought Gorger, Eater of Hope thrives on the concept of sacrifice for gain, allowing you to sacrifice other creatures to control the battlefield. However, what distinguishes Thought Gorger is its capacity to not only grow larger but also to replenish your hand when it leaves the battlefield.

In terms of sheer power augmentation, one may look at Lhurgoyf, a creature that also grows with graveyard contents. Yet, the Thought Gorger’s ability to impact your hand size sets it apart. While Lhurgoyf can become a formidable force, Thought Gorger offers strategic depth by bouncing back resources upon its exit. Then there’s Phyrexian Negator, another creature that magnifies in power at the potential cost of resources, offering a high-risk, high-reward scenario which echoes Thought Gorger’s gamble of temporary hand depletion for ultimate resource gain.

Considering the balance between risk and reward, Thought Gorger stands out in MTG with its promise of eventual card advantage and a potentially overwhelming presence on the field.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Thought Gorger MTG card by a specific set like Rise of the Eldrazi, 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 Thought Gorger and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Thought Gorger 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 Thought Gorger card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2010-06-15	As Thought Gorger’s first ability resolves, putting a +1/+1 counter on it for each card in your hand is mandatory. The effect says “if you do” because performing that action might be impossible. If Thought Gorger has left the battlefield by the time the ability resolves, you can’t put any +1/+1 counters on it, so you won’t discard your hand.
2010-06-15	Once an ability starts to resolve, it’s too late to respond to it. For example, you can’t count a card in your hand while determining how many +1/+1 counters Thought Gorger gets and then cast it in response. If a card is counted, it’ll be discarded.
2010-06-15	When Thought Gorger’s second ability resolves, its last existence on the battlefield is checked to see how many +1/+1 counters it had on it. All of them are counted, not just the ones put on it by its enters-the-battlefield ability.