Vraska, Scheming Gorgon MTG Card


Vraska, Scheming Gorgon - Rivals of Ixalan
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Planeswalker — Vraska
Released2018-01-19
Set symbol
Set nameRivals of Ixalan
Set codeRIX
Loyalty 5
Number197
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byGrzegorz Rutkowski

Key Takeaways

  1. Drawing extra cards through creature destruction with Vraska can be key to gaining match control.
  2. Her abilities facilitate resource acceleration and potent board presence in game play.
  3. Vraska’s presence necessitates strategic play, using opponent’s creatures to your advantage.

Text of card

+2: Creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn. −3: Destroy target creature. −10: Until end of turn, creatures you control gain deathtouch and "Whenever this creature deals damage to an opponent, that player loses the game."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Vraska, Scheming Gorgon enables you to draw additional cards by destroying enemy creatures which can lead to a significant advantage over the course of a match. Destroying creatures can often lead to card advantage, as you are able to remove an opponent’s threats while maintaining your own card resources.

Resource Acceleration: By eliminating key targets on the board, Vraska opens the door for your other creatures to attack without obstruction, indirectly accelerating your resource development and board presence. Moreover, her ultimate ability can generate an overwhelming board state that can close out games.

Instant Speed: While Vraska herself does not operate at instant speed, her ability to create a significant threat that must be answered allows you to strategically plan your turns. You can deploy her during your phase and dictate the pace of the game, forcing your opponent to react and potentially saving your instant speed spells for the most opportune moments.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Vraska, Scheming Gorgon often means you have to sculpt your game strategy around her abilities, sometimes resulting in discards that can deplete your hand when you’re already under pressure.

Specific Mana Cost: Summoning this Planeswalker requires a precise blend of mana, including both black and green, which may restrict her inclusion to only those decks built around this specific color combination.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Casting Vraska, Scheming Gorgon demands a substantial investment of six mana, which can slow down your early-game momentum, potentially giving an edge to your opponent while your formidable but costly asset gets ready to spring into action.


Reasons to Include Vraska, Scheming Gorgon in Your Collection

Versatility: Vraska, Scheming Gorgon’s abilities cater to various strategies, allowing her to be a powerful asset as both a game stabilizer with her creature destruction and a finishing move with her ultimate ability that gives winning conditions.

Combo Potential: With abilities that put -1/-1 counters and destroy creatures, Vraska works well in synergistic setups that capitalize on creature control, paving the way for strategies that take advantage of opponent’s creatures being destroyed.

Meta-Relevance: Given she can disrupt opponent’s boards and strategies, Vraska can be a critical card in environments where creature-based decks are prevalent, thus keeping your plays impactful and relevant within various meta contexts.


How to beat

Vraska, Scheming Gorgon can pose a formidable challenge on the MTG battlefield as it allows its controller to destroy creatures and potentially gain a significant advantage. The key to outmaneuvering Vraska lies in aggressively maintaining board control. Engaging in this fight requires you to remove or neutralize Vraska before her loyalty ability can decimate your creatures and swing the game.

Utilizing instant-speed removal spells that can target planeswalkers, like Bedevil or Hero’s Downfall, are excellent for disrupting your opponent’s strategy. Alternatively, focusing on playing creatures with hexproof ensures that Vraska’s targeted abilities lose potency. Remember to pressure your opponent and keep Vraska’s loyalty low, reducing her impact and preventing the ultimate ability that can be a game ender. Timing is crucial — with the right plays, you can protect your creatures and dismantle your opponent’s plan with strategic precision.

Staying ahead requires not just strong removal tactics but also a considerate deck construction that anticipates such threats. Countermeasures in your deck can give you the upper hand against Vraska, Scheming Gorgon, and similar cards that command the board in MTG.


Cards like Vraska, Scheming Gorgon

Vraska, Scheming Gorgon establishes her presence in Magic: The Gathering as a potent planeswalker with the ability to dramatically impact the battlefield. She can be likened to Vraska the Unseen, who also wields the power to destroy target creatures. However, Vraska, Scheming Gorgon’s ultimate ability to give creatures deathtouch until end of turn is a defining feature that can turn the tide of any match, something Vraska the Unseen does not offer.

In terms of loyalty abilities, another comparison is with Vraska, Relic Seeker. While Vraska, Relic Seeker excels at creating pirate tokens and can destroy artifacts, enchantments, or creatures, Vraska, Scheming Gorgon focuses more on strengthening her creatures, setting her apart as a force that can empower an entire army.

Considering the unique aspects of each Vraska iteration, players often find Vraska, Scheming Gorgon a powerful option for commanding the board and strategizing for a lethal blow. Her blend of creature control and ultimate win-condition potential makes her a significant player in the right deck, underlining her value in the MTG pantheon of Vraska cards.

Vraska the Unseen - MTG Card versions
Vraska, Relic Seeker - MTG Card versions
Vraska the Unseen - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Vraska, Relic Seeker - Ixalan Promos (PXLN)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Vraska, Scheming Gorgon MTG card by a specific set like Rivals of Ixalan, 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 Vraska, Scheming Gorgon and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Vraska, Scheming Gorgon has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2018-01-19 The triggered ability Vraska grants to creatures with her third ability triggers on any damage those creatures deal, including noncombat damage. If multiple players are dealt damage simultaneously by affected creatures, you choose the order in which those triggers resolve. If all your opponents have lost the game, you’ll win the game before any more of the triggers resolve.
2018-01-19 Vraska’s first and last abilities affect only creatures you control at the time it resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won’t get +1/+0 or gain abilities.

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