Sauté MTG Card


Sauté - Unhinged
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeInstant
Released2004-11-19
Set symbol
Set nameUnhinged
Set codeUNH
Number88
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderSilver
Illustred byJeff Miracola
Un-set :-)This card is part of an Un-set

Key Takeaways

  1. Sauté offers card advantage and instant speed, providing players with both offensive and defensive versatility.
  2. Despite its strengths, Sauté’s discard requirement and specific mana cost can limit its applicability.
  3. Its unique effect and combo potential make Sauté a noteworthy consideration for diverse MTG strategies.

Text of card

Sauté deals 3½ damage to target creature or player.

"Selecting the proper beeble is the key to a good sauté. The pinker the fur and the heartier the yelp, the more succulent the beeble will be when you pop it in your mouth." —Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar, *The Underworld Cookbook*


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Sauté card gives players an edge by potentially removing a creature from the opponent’s board while also drawing a card, ensuring that your hand remains full and ready to respond to future threats.

Resource Acceleration: By eliminating an opposing creature, Sauté indirectly accelerates your resources. Without the need to spend additional cards and mana on combat tricks or blocking, your resources are conserved for pivotal moments, keeping you one step ahead.

Instant Speed: Sauté’s instant speed is a formidable advantage allowing you to surprise your opponent during their turn, disrupt their strategy or simply optimize your mana usage each turn. This flexibility makes Sauté a versatile inclusion in any deck that values timing and control.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Sauté requires players to discard a card as an additional cost to play. This can be particularly detrimental in situations where maintaining hand advantage is crucial, such as in control decks or late-game scenarios where each card in hand is vital.

Specific Mana Cost: With its mana cost demanding both black and red mana, Sauté limits deck-building options, confining its use primarily to Rakdos or multicolor decks that can cater to these mana requirements, potentially excluding it from a wider range of strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Sauté provides a unique effect, its combined mana cost is steep when compared to other removal or utility spells in MTG. Players might find the mana investment hard to justify when there are alternative cards that achieve similar results for less, thereby affecting its playability in competitive formats.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Sauté can be a crucial addition to a variety of decks due to its flexible nature. Its ability to affect the board directly lends itself well to decks that thrive on manipulating the game state.

Combo Potential: The card’s synergistic properties amplify its impact when combined with other cards that capitalize on the same conditions set by Sauté, making it a powerful piece in combo-centered decks.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where adaptability and quick shifts in strategy can tilt the scales, Sauté holds its ground as a card that can pivot its role to meet the needs of a constantly evolving meta.


How to Beat

Overcoming the challenge presented by Sauté in Magic: The Gathering requires strategic planning and an understanding of its distinct mechanics. Sauté stands out for its ability to quickly remove creatures from the game, bypassing traditional modes of destruction and therefore rendering regeneration or indestructible qualities obsolete. A creature can be cut from combat and the game with just a simple flick; however, this action comes at the cost of sacrificing another creature you control.

To effectively counter Sauté’s effect, one could focus on leveraging spells that grant hexproof or shroud, ensuring creatures become untargetable and thus safeguarded from Sauté’s reach. Another potent strategy involves utilizing creature cards with ‘enters the battlefield’ or ‘dies’ effects, capitalizing on the sacrifice requirement to trigger beneficial outcomes. For example, creatures that create token creatures upon death can effectively negate the disadvantage of Sauté’s sacrifice cost.

Ultimately, playing around Sauté demands an understanding of both your opponent’s potential moves and your deck’s distinctive strengths, turning what might seem like a setback into a strategic advantage on the battlefield.



Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sauté MTG card by a specific set like Unhinged, 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 Sauté and other MTG cards:

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