Territorial Gorger MTG Card
2016-09-30 - Number 136
2016-09-30 - Number 136s
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Gremlin |
| Abilities | Trample |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Key Takeaways
- Territorial Gorger’s synergy with energy can unexpectedly bolster its strength, altering battlefield dynamics.
- Working with energy-generating cards, it accelerates resources and enhances strategic gameplay options.
- It’s a card of duality—potent yet dependent on energy production, making it a situational pick.
Text of card
Trample Whenever you get one or more (energy counters), Territorial Gorger gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
Inventors have been known to capture gremlins with the intent to release them in a rival's workshop. More often than not, that plan backfires.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Territorial Gorger has the potential to become a significant threat as it grows with each instance of energy you gain. Although it doesn’t directly allow you to draw more cards, its synergy with energy mechanics can give you an edge on the battlefield, turning energy counters into a powerful buff for the Gorger.
Resource Acceleration: This creature pairs well with other cards that enable energy generation, effectively accelerating your resource pool. Each energy counter not only powers up the Gorger but can be utilized for other mechanisms, such as activating abilities or casting powerful spells that require energy.
Instant Speed: While the Territorial Gorger itself does not operate at instant speed, its ability triggers anytime you get energy counters – which can come from spells and abilities you control that may activate at instant speed. This gives it a dynamic angle of growth and can surprise opponents with a sudden increase in power during their turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Since the Territorial Gorger requires specific conditions to trigger its ability—namely, getting energy counters—you might find yourself discarding other potentially useful cards to maximize its effect. This can deplete your hand quickly and leave you at a strategic disadvantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Territorial Gorger’s mana cost is restricted to red and generic mana, which means that if your deck isn’t primarily red or doesn’t produce enough energy counters, the Gorger might not find a fitting place. For decks outside of the red color identity or those that don’t synergize with energy mechanics, it’s not the best inclusion.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a four mana cost, including two red, to get Territorial Gorger onto the battlefield, its cost-effectiveness is questionable. For a four-mana creature, its base stats do not stand out unless you consistently generate energy, which may require additional card inclusions and strategy considerations. It competes with other four-mana creatures that offer immediate impact or have stronger base stats.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Territorial Gorger offers flexible utility in decks that focus on energy counters. Its trait to gain trample and grow in power with each energy counter you get, allows it to be a significant threat in various game scenarios.
Combo Potential: When paired with cards that generate or double energy counters, Territorial Gorger becomes a powerhouse. It synergizes well with strategies aimed at proliferating counters or with mechanics that consistently provide energy.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where energy mechanics are prevalent or in formats where energy-producing cards are common, Territorial Gorger could become a crucial addition. It capitalizes on widespread energy interactions, seamlessly integrating into the relevant deck archetypes and potentially swinging games in your favor.
How to Beat Territorial Gorger
The sheer might of Territorial Gorger in MTG is recognized for its potential to become a massive creature very rapidly. Each time you get one or more energy counters, it grows larger, which can be quite a daunting prospect to face. However, every card has its Achilles’ heel, and for Territorial Gorger, it’s its reliance on energy counters and its lack of inherent protection.
To counter this formidable beast, the strategy lies in preventing or disrupting the energy counter acquisition that fuels its growth. Removal spells that can target creatures regardless of their size, such as Path to Exile or Fatal Push, can be very effective against it. Another line of defense could be to utilize counterspells to prevent the Gorger from hitting the battlefield in the first place. Ensuring you have an answer ready before Territorial Gorger can swell out of control is key, so plan your plays accordingly, and keep those removals or counterspells at the ready.
Additionally, if you can’t remove the Gorger directly, you might consider attacking the energy sources themselves. Cards that strip away energy or inhibit its generation will starve the Gorger, leaving it as a non-threatening presence on the board. These strategies, when implemented effectively, can help you maintain dominance over the battlefield, even against the might of Territorial Gorger.
Cards like Territorial Gorger
Territorial Gorger, an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering, brings something unique to gameplay with its energy-triggered growth ability. Comparable creatures in MTG that also thrive off energy mechanics are Bristling Hydra and Longtusk Cub. Both can harness energy to either become a tougher target to remove, like Bristling Hydra with its hexproof capability, or to steadily increase in power as Longtusk Cub does with each successful combat damage to a player.
Longtusk Cub, while starting somewhat small, has the potential to become a substantial threat if left unchecked, similar to the snowballing nature of Territorial Gorger. On the other hand, Territorial Gorger’s growth is entirely dependent on energy triggers, distinguishing it from the autonomous energy conversion of Longtusk Cub.
Contrarily, Bristling Hydra demands a more significant initial energy investment but, in turn, offers an immediate and impactful board presence thanks to its built-in protection and power boost option. Thus, while Territorial Gorger remains a card with great potential for explosive turns, it frequently draws comparisons with these energy-reliant MTG allies due to their synergy within energy-themed decks.
Cards similar to Territorial Gorger by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Territorial Gorger MTG card by a specific set like Kaladesh and Kaladesh Promos, 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 Territorial Gorger 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 Magic products
Printings
The Territorial Gorger Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-09-30 and 2016-09-30. Illustrated by Lius Lasahido.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-09-30 | Kaladesh | KLD | 136 | 2015 | normal | black | Lius Lasahido | |
| 2 | 2016-09-30 | Kaladesh Promos | PKLD | 136s | 2015 | normal | black | Lius Lasahido |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Territorial Gorger has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Territorial Gorger card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2016-09-20 | If you get multiple at once, Territorial Gorger only gets +2/+2 once, not +2/+2 per . If you get multiple at different times, it triggers once each time. |
| 2017-02-09 | Energy counters are a kind of counter that a player may have. They're not associated with specific permanents. (Other kinds of counters that players may have include poison and experience.) |
| 2017-02-09 | Energy counters aren't mana. They don't go away as steps, phases, and turns end, and effects that add mana “of any type” to your mana pool can't give you energy counters. |
| 2017-02-09 | If an effect says you get one or more , you get that many energy counters. To pay one or more , you lose that many energy counters. Any effects that interact with counters a player gets, has, or loses can interact with energy counters. |
| 2017-02-09 | Keep careful track of how many energy counters each player has. You may do so by keeping a running count on paper, by using a die, or by any other clear and mutually agreeable method. |
| 2017-02-09 | You can't pay more energy counters than you have. |
| 2017-02-09 | is the energy symbol. It represents one energy counter. |
