Growth Spurt MTG Card

Unglued (UGL)
1998-08-11 - Number 61

Unsanctioned (UND)
2020-02-29 - Number 64

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Un-set :-)	This card is part of an Un-set

Key Takeaways

Growth Spurt’s instant speed provides significant combat flexibility and surprise tactical advantage.
Its discard condition can be costly, emphasizing strategic hand management for players.
Versatility and meta relevance make Growth Spurt a potent card for creature-heavy decks.

Text of card

Roll a six-sided die. Target creature gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is equal to the die roll.

MORE TO LOVE: Friendly, nature-loving, Bunyonesque SEM seeks SEF looking for a huge commitment. . . . seeks atog prince

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Growth Spurt enables you to add +3/+3 to a creature until end of turn. This can turn a stalemate into favorable combat which indirectly leads to card advantage by potentially removing an opponent’s creature while keeping yours alive and strong in the battle.

Resource Acceleration: While Growth Spurt doesn’t provide direct mana acceleration, the card is low-cost, allowing you to effectively spend your mana resources on a powerful mid-game play, and possibly enabling bigger threats to be deployed sooner as you retain board presence.

Instant Speed: The flexibility offered by instant speed cannot be overstated. Casting Growth Spurt during combat or in response to an action not only provides a tactical advantage but also allows you to react swiftly to the dynamic game state, keeping your opponents guessing and your creatures thriving.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Growth Spurt demands that you discard a card to utilize its full potential. This prerequisite can backfire in situations where your hand is dwindling, forcing difficult decisions between resource maintenance and leveraging the spell’s growth ability.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting Growth Spurt entails a green mana commitment, making it less versatile for decks that are not heavily invested in green mana sources. This can restrict its inclusion to primarily green-based strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Given its mana value, Growth Spurt might seem costly when compared to other instant spells in green that can provide a similar or greater boost to your creatures. Savvy players will weigh the potential size gain against other options that could offer more utility or impact for the same cost.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Growth Spurt can seamlessly adapt to various deck builds, shining in those aiming to amplify creature power in critical turns.

Combo Potential: This card can be pivotal in creating explosive turns, enabling creatures to reach new thresholds of power alongside synergistic buffs and abilities.

Meta-Relevance: With creature-heavy decks prevalent in the meta, Growth Spurt’s capacity to tilt combat in your favor can be instrumental in gaining the upper hand.

How to beat

Growth Spurt is one of those sneaky combat tricks that can swing a game by boosting a creature’s power and toughness during battle. At first glance, it might seem challenging to counteract, but there are strategies to keep in mind when facing it. Proper timing is essential when anticipating such instant-speed boosts. Keeping counter spells handy can nullify the trick, rendering the opponent’s attack or defense strategies ineffective. Instant removals can also be impactful, as removing the targeted creature in response to a Growth Spurt can lead to a favorable two-for-one trade.

Monitoring your opponent’s mana availability and card behavior throughout the game can give you clues when they might be holding onto a Growth Spurt. For those that prefer prevention, cards that strip such tricks from the opponent’s hand can reduce the element of surprise. Lastly, don’t forget that sometimes the best way to beat Growth Spurt is to simply not block that turn, especially if they are low on cards, leaving their efforts and resources expended with little impact on the game’s outcome.

Understanding the intricacies of MTG’s combat phase, including when and how to play around combat tricks like Growth Spurt, can greatly increase your chances of maintaining control of the battlefield and ultimately claiming victory.

Cards like Growth Spurt

Growth Spurt rounds out Magic: The Gathering’s collection of instant-speed creature buff spells. It finds kinship with the likes of Titanic Growth, both bestowing a significant power and toughness increase. Growth Spurt, however, is unique with its variable boost tied to rolling a six-sided die. This introduces an element of unpredictability, whereas Titanic Growth consistently offers a +4/+4 surge. This can turn the tides if luck is on your side, making it a risky yet rewarding choice for players.

Another parallel lies with Giant Growth, a staple buff spell providing a solid +3/+3 power up for one mana, guaranteeing an immediate combat edge. Contrastingly, the potential gain from Growth Spurt could surpass or fall short of this mark, adding a gamble to your gameplay. Lastly, we have the likes of Mutagenic Growth, which can be played for no mana at a life cost of two, lending a more aggressive and less chancy path to buffing your creatures.

Taking stock of these comparable cards, Growth Spurt positions itself uniquely for MTG enthusiasts who delight in variance and the thrill of chance, pushing the boundaries of instant creature boosts in-game.

Cards similar to Growth Spurt by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Growth Spurt MTG card by a specific set like Unglued and Unsanctioned, 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 Growth Spurt and other MTG cards: