Gutwrencher Oni MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Demon Spirit |
| Abilities | Trample |
| Released | 2004-10-01 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Champions of Kamigawa |
| Set code | CHK |
| Power | 5 |
| Toughness | 4 |
| Number | 113 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Hideaki Takamura |
Key Takeaways
- Gutwrencher Oni induces strategic hand disruption, pushing players to craft gameplay around opponent discard.
- This card’s instant-speed ability optimizes its tactical use across various turns and situations.
- Despite its power, the Oni requires astute hand management to counteract its demanding upkeep discard.
Text of card
Trample At the beginning of your upkeep, discard a card if you don't control an Ogre.
"Blood drips. Blood sings. Blood devours all and only blood remains." —Ogre chant
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Featuring a powerful built-in ability, Gutwrencher Oni can cause each opponent to discard a card whenever you lose life. This effect can disrupt your opponent’s hand while potentially feeding your own strategies that benefit from opponents discarding cards.
Resource Acceleration: Though this demon doesn’t directly generate extra mana, it can significantly impact the board by forcing discards. This can indirectly accelerate your resource control by stripping opponents of their answers or threats, allowing you to dictate the game’s pace.
Instant Speed: Gutwrencher Oni stands out with its ability to impact the game state at crucial moments. Its triggered ability works during any player’s turn, maximizing its potential strategic impact. Whether you’re gaining life on your turn or an opponent’s, the Oni ensures that each instance can shift the card advantage in your favor.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Gutwrencher Oni demands a sacrifice in the way of discarded cards every turn if you don’t control a Demon. This constant drain on your hand can be particularly detrimental, leaving you at a disadvantage especially when trying to maintain card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: With a specific cost that includes triple black mana, this Oni is quite restrictive when it comes to deck-building. Decks that run multiple colors might struggle to reliably meet the mana requirement to cast this card on curve.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an adequate mana investment of five, including three black, the Oni’s cost efficiency is questionable. There are cards available at a lower mana cost that can provide similar or even better results without the same degree of risk attached to maintaining them on the board.
Reasons to Include Gutwrencher Oni in Your Collection
Versatility: Gutwrencher Oni offers significant adaptability across various game plans. As a creature with a notable power and toughness, this oni can serve as a robust threat in a range of black-centric or demon-themed deck types, whether you’re aiming for aggressive, midrange, or control strategies.
Combo Potential: Gutwrencher Oni has innate combo potential within decks that capitalize on discard mechanics or utilize the demon tribe synergies. Its ability to force discards when unblocked encourages the build of strategies that benefit from opponents having fewer cards in hand.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where players have fleshed-out hands and rely on specific answers, Gutwrencher Oni’s discard ability can substantially disrupt the opposition. By strategically timing its attacks and leveraging its ability, you can significantly set back the strategic plays typical in the current meta, giving you an upper hand.
How to beat Gutwrencher Oni
Gutwrencher Oni poses a unique challenge for players due to its combination of formidable power and the potentially troubling drawback it brings to its controller. This black creature card is not only a significant threat on the battlefield with its 5/4 body but also has the capacity to hinder its owner’s hand by forcing a discard during each of their upkeep phases, provided they don’t control a Demon.
Overcoming this formidable adversary requires a strategy that includes removal spells that can target and eliminate it without triggering its discard effect or setting up a board that can outclass its power and toughness. Spells like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares offer clean removal options. Furthermore, you could employ creatures with higher toughness that can withstand Gutwrencher Oni’s attacks or use enchantments to negate its abilities. Maintaining a varied hand with low-cost cards can also mitigate the damage done by its discard ability, helping preserve your resources while dealing with the Oni.
Ultimately, the key is to neutralize Gutwrencher Oni’s presence swiftly while managing your own hand effectively. Strategic planning and maintaining flexibility within your deck’s composition can turn the tides and take down this daunting demon.
Cards like Gutwrencher Oni
Gutwrencher Oni stands out in the realm of black creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. With a potent combination of trample and the conditional requirement of discarding a card, this Oni presents both strength and a strategic challenge. When compared to other creatures such as Phyrexian Obliterator, the Oni’s effect might seem less oppressive, since the Obliterator doesn’t compel its controller to discard cards and has the benefit of forcing opponents to sacrifice permanents when damaged.
Examining Abyssal Persecutor, another black creature, we find an alternative with an attractive cost-to-power ratio; however, it comes with its own drawback – players can’t win the game while it’s on the board. The Gutwrencher Oni requires careful play around the discard, while Abyssal Persecutor challenges its controller to find a way to remove it when ready to claim victory. Finally, Dread Presence is a creature that can offer card advantage or life manipulation without the downside of discarding, but lacks the significant board presence provided by the dominating power and toughness of the Oni.
Ultimately, in assessing creatures that require careful navigation of drawbacks for powerful effects, Gutwrencher Oni presents a formidable option for players adept at managing their hand for maximum advantage on the battlefield.
Cards similar to Gutwrencher Oni by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Gutwrencher Oni MTG card by a specific set like Champions of Kamigawa, 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 Gutwrencher Oni 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Gutwrencher Oni has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |