Garruk, Savage Herald MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Mythic
Type	Legendary Planeswalker — Garruk
Released	2020-07-03
Set symbol
Set name	Core Set 2021
Set code	M21
Loyalty	5
Number	336
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Eric Deschamps

Key Takeaways

Garruk offers significant card advantage, allowing players to draw multiple creatures rapidly.
His ability to accelerate resource deployment by fetching creatures can be game-changing.
While powerful, Garruk requires careful hand management and specific mana to be effective.

Text of card

+1: Reveal the top card of your library. If it's a creature card, put it into your hand. Otherwise, put it on the bottom of your library. −2: Target creature you control deals damage equal to its power to another target creature. −7: Until end of turn, creatures you control gain "You may have this creature assign its combat damage as though it weren't blocked."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Garruk, Savage Herald allows players to potentially draw multiple creatures, adding significant card advantage. Its ability to peek at the top cards of your library and reveal a creature among them can fill your hand with threats and options.

Resource Acceleration: By helping you access creatures from the top of your deck, Garruk, Savage Herald can effectively accelerate your resource deployment, skipping the need to draw and then cast those creatures over multiple turns.

Instant Speed: While Garruk himself doesn’t operate at instant speed, the creatures you can potentially put into your hand with his abilities might be ones with flash. This allows you to maintain the surprise element and flexibility, deploying threats or responding to your opponent’s actions on their turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Engaging with Garruk, Savage Herald often involves a strategy where discarding a creature card is a part of its activation cost. This requisite can lead to a diminished hand, possibly putting the player at a disadvantage in long-drawn games.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a precise combination of green mana for casting. Players running multicolored decks might find it challenging to consistently meet Garruk’s color-intensive requirement, potentially making it a less flexible inclusion in their game.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that is on the higher end, Garruk, Savage Herald can be deemed less cost-efficient in comparison to other options. Players might experience a delay in gameplay as they work towards accumulating the necessary mana, potentially giving opponents time to establish a stronger board presence.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Garruk, Savage Herald allows for a dynamic play style as he can fit into various green-themed decks. His ability to fetch creatures adds consistency to your game, giving you the creatures you need when you need them.

Combo Potential: With Garruk’s creature tutoring ability, you can set up powerful combos by pulling essential creatures from your deck directly to your hand. He slots easily into decks that thrive on creature synergies and combos.

Meta-Relevance: As modern games often revolve around creature-based strategies, Garruk, Savage Herald holds a significant place. His ability to protect himself by creating beast tokens makes him an asset in matches where board presence is key.

How to beat

Garruk, Savage Herald poses a unique challenge on the battlefield, being a formidable planeswalker in MTG. Its ability to fetch creatures from your deck directly into your hand is a game-changer, granting significant card advantage. Overcoming Garruk is all about disrupting this synergy. Targeted removal spells are keys to taking Garruk down. Spells like Murderous Rider or Hero’s Downfall allow you to directly remove Garruk from the game before he can leverage too much value.

Control decks have a range of counterspells such as Negate or Disdainful Stroke that can prevent Garruk from ever entering the fray. Denying your opponent the chance to utilize Garruk’s abilities can severely hamper their strategy. Another tactic involves applying pressure with fast, aggressive creatures to divert your opponent’s focus and resources away from activating Garruk’s abilities, turning the tide in your favor.

In essence, prioritize swift action to either counter Garruk’s casting, or remove him promptly from the board. A proactive approach will limit the benefits reaped by your opponent and ensure Garruk does not become the savage herald of your defeat.

Cards like Garruk, Savage Herald

Garruk, Savage Herald carves his niche within the Magic: The Gathering pantheon of planeswalker cards, with abilities that resonate with his persona. A card with parallels to Garruk in terms of utility and mana cost is Vivien, Monsters’ Advocate. Both cards allow you to look at the top of your library, giving you a glimpse into possible future plays. However, Garruk uniquely permits casting creature spells from the top of your library, underlining his savage theme of bringing creatures directly into the fray.

Another counterpart is Domri, Anarch of Bolas. While Domri brings power to the table by giving creatures a boost and mana ramp, it stands apart in its ability to force creature fights, enhancing the dynamic nature of creature-based strategies. Garruk differs as he proactively protects himself by creating beast tokens, providing both offensive and defensive options. Meanwhile, testosterone-fueled planeswalker like Garruk leans into the raw strength of creatures, pushing aggressive plays to overwhelm opponents.

Evaluating the uniqueness and adaptability of Garruk, Savage Herald within the realm of creature-centric planeswalkers, his role is clearly that of an enforcer, shaping the battlefield through strength and immediacy and standing tall among his peers in terms of sheer beastly force.

Vivien, Monsters' Advocate - MTG Card versions

Domri, Anarch of Bolas - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Garruk, Savage Herald by color, type and mana cost

Arlinn, Voice of the Pack - MTG Card versions

Garruk, Caller of Beasts - MTG Card versions

Nissa, Nature's Artisan - MTG Card versions

Vivien of the Arkbow - MTG Card versions

Vivien, Nature's Avenger - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Garruk, Savage Herald MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2021, 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 Garruk, Savage Herald and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Garruk, Savage Herald has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Commander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2020-06-23	Garruk's last ability affects only creatures you control at the time it resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won't gain the ability.
2020-06-23	If either creature is an illegal target as Garruk's second ability tries to resolve, the creature you control won't deal damage to any creature.
2020-06-23	When assigning combat damage, you choose for each creature whether you want to assign its damage to the creature blocking it, or if you want to assign it to the player or planeswalker the creature is attacking. You can't split the damage assignment between them.