Gloom Sower MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	7
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Horror
Released	2020-07-03
Set symbol
Set name	Core Set 2021
Set code	M21
Power	8
Toughness	6
Number	100
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Chris Cold

Key Takeaways

Gloom Sower’s ability to recover creatures offers a distinct card advantage and fosters repeat strategies.
Its mana-intensive nature and discard requirement may hinder its inclusion in some deck builds.
Life loss upon blocking makes it a versatile threat, suitable for decks leveraging combat dynamics.

Text of card

Whenever Gloom Sower becomes blocked by a creature, that creature's controller loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.

"First, the darkness fell. Terror came next. After that, only despair remained." —*The Tragedy of Morein*

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gloom Sower’s ability to potentially return multiple creatures from your graveyard to your hand grants a substantial card advantage. This not only replenishes your resources but also provides a strategic edge by recycling key creatures for repeated use.

Resource Acceleration: While the Gloom Sower itself does not directly produce additional mana, its large body can be a formidable blockade, potentially stalling the game and allowing you to build up your mana resources over time.

Instant Speed: Though Gloom Sower doesn’t operate at instant speed, it compensates with its substantial presence on the battlefield. What it lacks in timing flexibility, it makes up in pressuring opponents to react, often at a moment’s notice, to its imposing ability to reanimate multiple creatures.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When you cast Gloom Sower, you may be ahead on board but the requirement to discard a card can lead to a depletion of your hand, potentially giving opponents an advantage if you cannot replenish your resources quickly.

Specific Mana Cost: Gloom Sower demands a hefty sum of specific mana types to cast. With a casting cost that includes double black mana, it can be challenging to play in multicolored decks that may not always have the necessary mana available at the right time.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The entry cost of seven mana makes Gloom Sower a late-game play. Its ability to force opponents to lose life and discard cards can be impactful, but the high mana cost means that by the time you cast it, the state of the game may not be in your favor, or cheaper alternatives could have been played earlier to a better effect.

Reasons to Include Gloom Sower in Your Collection

Versatility: Gloom Sower’s ability to force each opponent to lose life whenever it becomes blocked ensures it can be a significant threat in various deck archetypes. Its large body also makes it a formidable defender against aggressive opponents.

Combo Potential: With a life-loss ability tied to blocking, Gloom Sower works well with cards that encourage or force blocks, enhancing strategies focused on board control while depleting opponents’ life totals.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where stalemates on the board are common, Gloom Sower can break through the impasse. It’s effective against decks that rely on numerous creatures, as it punishes wide strategies every time it’s engaged in combat.

How to beat

Gloom Sower is an intimidating presence on the battlefield, shrouded in the sinister allure of MTG’s eldritch horror. With its ability to drain life from opponents whenever it becomes blocked, dealing with this behemoth requires strategic finesse. Yet, its weakness lies in its dependency on combat. Utilize removal spells that bypass the combat phase to neutralize it efficiently. Cards such as Murder, which cleanly destroys a target creature, or Pacifism, which disables any creature’s attacking or blocking capabilities, can effectively counter Gloom Sower’s menacing threat.

Control strategies can also keep this towering nightmare at bay. Counterspells like Cancel or Negate, denying it entrance to the battlefield altogether, could be quintessential. Furthermore, engaging in sacrifice effects, forcing the opponent to choose and lose a creature, can render Gloom Sower’s advantage moot. Edict effects found in Diabolic Edict or Liliana’s Triumph are also potent tools, enabling you to maintain battlefield superiority against daunting adversaries like Gloom Sower and others in its league.

Lastly, staying ahead in life can cushion the impact of its life-draining feature. Lifegain spells and abilities help maintain a healthy life total, ensuring that Gloom Sower’s ability is not a death knell. By combining these techniques, MTG players can triumph over the imposing Gloom Sower with calculated precision, demonstrating the complexity and depth of strategy that aficionados cherish in the game.

Cards like Gloom Sower

Gloom Sower finds its niche in the roster of imposing creatures in Magic: The Gathering. This behemoth stands in line with other high-cost cards like Sower of Discord, offering a dramatic impact on the board once it hits play. Gloom Sower’s unique ability to cause opponents to lose life whenever it becomes blocked allows it to serve as both a formidable attacker and a strategic blocker.

Comparatively, cards such as Desecration Demon offer a different kind of challenge for opponents. While not directly draining life, it forces opponents to sacrifice creatures or allow it to grow stronger. It’s a more tactical choice but lacks the direct life loss trigger of Gloom Sower. Bloodthirsty Aerialist offers a life loss and gain aspect, but as a smaller creature, it lacks the board presence and intimidation factor that Gloom Sower commands.

Evaluating these cards together, Gloom Sower might provide a more aggressive and immediate threat, perfect for decks that benefit from life loss mechanics and high-power creatures to dominate the late game. Its unique blocking interaction emphasizes its use as a tactical asset in MTG, particularly in formats that appreciate its scale and effect.

Bloodthirsty Aerialist - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gloom Sower 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 Gloom Sower and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gloom Sower has restrictions

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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Gloom Sower 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	If the creature that blocked Gloom Sower leaves the battlefield before Gloom Sower's triggered ability resolves, the player who controlled it before it left is the player who loses 2 life.