Easily the most balanced boon card, we all know about ancestral recall, Lightning bolt is second id say. Dark Ritual just seems silly to me, it doesn't fit black's color pie at aaaall, and healing salve was so bad it was underbalanced. You'll never see a +2+2 "Moderate Growth" card (a la "shock") or delayed growth (a la ancestral vision)
Zulp
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
To this day I'm still floored by the fact that absolutely no one plays this card competitively. Maybe everyone's bored with it? I don't know, maybe there's something I'm missing. I'm no pro by any means, but my green deck will always have room for Giant Growth.
WhiteRaven810
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Huge mouse, tiny snake art was infinitely better. If you are playing green, this card is a staple. It's a card you hold back in your hand, hold back a Llanowar Elf or Forest, and suprise your opponent when they think they've got you cornered.
Last FNM, I attacked third turn with Garruk's Companion when my opponent only had Birds of Paradise on the board. Wisely, he decided to take the damage and spare his Birds. After he declined blockers, I tapped all three Forests to put three Giant Growths on the stack. It was purely luck (and possibly bad shuffling) that I was able to have all those cards in my opening hand, but third turn 'swing for 12 is too sexy'.
shinhawk
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
I messed up my post as the mana symbols didn't appear so I'll just repost.
As of late, I think Vines of Vastwood has replaced this card in terms of buffing. However, with the infect mechanic bringing back poison counters, I think this card will see a lot of play again. The single for Giant Growth as opposed to for Vines can make a difference if the infect deck can't fit room for mana ramping.
Sironos
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I say infect, muhahaHAHAHA! Plague stinger's friend, the little guy goes from being a tiny sting to suddenly almost halfway killing the opponent. Trying to make an infect deck with this and vampire's bite (without kicker ofc), cannot wait to have it ready to play.
NARFNra
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(3 votes)
This card is so dang useful, it's like the king of things to use when you have an extra forest untapped.
dragonking987
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
this card has made its way into 22 different sets.
infernox10
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
I'm very glad that the Infect mechanic gave this card back its teeth.
Where it's understandably a nice combat trick no matter how you look at it,
Mechanics like Deathtouch and things like Wall of Frost and its ilk really made this card just not see any play at all.
But with infect around, people think twice about letting Ichorclaw Myr through (or maybe they want to keep their */7 creature?).
Point is, this card turned into one hell of a finisher.
Nothing says "I win" quite like a Putrefax getting two of these on 'im.
I'm excited that this card is seeing normal play.
A3Kitsune
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(8 votes)
Now confirmed as not being in Magic 2012. So long Giant Growth, we'll miss you.
Kyzar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
being replaced by titanic growth. i am SO mad. green is incredibly bad right now after finally getting better with eldrazi and fauna shaman, it was hammered by awful in scars and things do not look to be getting better.
JFM2796
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
I'm flippin' this is no longer in M12. Why take it out?
MyrBattlecube
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
And with the loss of Giant Growth, so too comes the loss of green in aggro Infect. It had a short, yet impressive run, but without Groundswell and, more importantly, Giant Growth, it can no longer really do anything. Once Innistrad comes around, unless B/whatever Infect proves to be useful, Infect will return to its former levels of suck.
And now, a sad tune for Giant Growth. Go to YouTube and look up Sulejmani's Shame.
madmanbenji
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Giant Spider over this, really? Growth is Iconic, Spider is jank.
It certainly is a different game of Magic these days.
ApotheosisCM
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card has a lot of functionality for a simple . It can be used as a lightning bolt in the sense that it makes a creature do an extra three damage. It can be used to protect your creatures from lethal damage. Or if you target a creature with trample, it could do both!
There are many other uses for this great card that I don't need to get into right now.
ignaeon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love this card. incidentally, can this be played after blockers are declared but before damage is assigned?
Murufury
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ignaeon Yes, I am 99% sure you can do that. Ask a judge for a better answer lol
dlgn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I kind of wish they still had the giant mouse.
humor_love
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Yes, Instants can be played after blockers have been declared but before damage 'resolves' (and between first strike damage and regular damage).
See Smite. Yes: so long as you want it to, the blocker that allows for Smite lives. Damage from the dead attacker does not magically swing from the graveyard. Also, Regeneration does prevent the Smited attacker from going to the graveyard, but it does not allow it to deal its combat damage if the caster of Smite casts Smite before the attacker's damage is dealt.
Rules-makers did a great service to the official rules by taking damage back off the stack. Otherwise, the whole Instants after blocking but before damage thing is just all muddled to hell. Besides, a combat damage stack is just a plain ridiculous and stupid concept. Worst thing ever done to Magic - even worse than the gimmick power creep.
Totema
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
With the titans and infect cycling out, M13 would have been a good time to bring this back. And yet it's not. I smell a new and nasty mechanic coming in Return to Ravnica.
flavioal28
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Why are you NOT coming back?
Kesth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@flavioal28 Just been spoiled in RTR bro :D
vantha
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I find it ironic that Giant Growth returns in Return to Ravnica and the following set Gruul is unveiled as having the Giant Growth mechanic. Giant growth is reverted to being the ugly girl at the party again.
YoungSloshee
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think this has resulted in more combat phase swearing in my experience than any other cheap instant trick. More than Lightning Bolt, more than Terror, more than Unsummon.
Comments (29)
Why don't people play this?
He's what all pump spells are (or should be) compared to.
Last FNM, I attacked third turn with Garruk's Companion when my opponent only had Birds of Paradise on the board. Wisely, he decided to take the damage and spare his Birds. After he declined blockers, I tapped all three Forests to put three Giant Growths on the stack. It was purely luck (and possibly bad shuffling) that I was able to have all those cards in my opening hand, but third turn 'swing for 12 is too sexy'.
As of late, I think Vines of Vastwood has replaced this card in terms of buffing. However, with the infect mechanic bringing back poison counters, I think this card will see a lot of play again. The single
Where it's understandably a nice combat trick no matter how you look at it,
Mechanics like Deathtouch and things like Wall of Frost and its ilk really made this card just not see any play at all.
But with infect around, people think twice about letting Ichorclaw Myr through (or maybe they want to keep their */7 creature?).
Point is, this card turned into one hell of a finisher.
Nothing says "I win" quite like a Putrefax getting two of these on 'im.
I'm excited that this card is seeing normal play.
And now, a sad tune for Giant Growth. Go to YouTube and look up Sulejmani's Shame.
Growth is Iconic, Spider is jank.
It certainly is a different game of Magic these days.
There are many other uses for this great card that I don't need to get into right now.
See Smite. Yes: so long as you want it to, the blocker that allows for Smite lives. Damage from the dead attacker does not magically swing from the graveyard. Also, Regeneration does prevent the Smited attacker from going to the graveyard, but it does not allow it to deal its combat damage if the caster of Smite casts Smite before the attacker's damage is dealt.
Rules-makers did a great service to the official rules by taking damage back off the stack. Otherwise, the whole Instants after blocking but before damage thing is just all muddled to hell. Besides, a combat damage stack is just a plain ridiculous and stupid concept. Worst thing ever done to Magic - even worse than the gimmick power creep.
Just been spoiled in RTR bro :D
Must-have in any deck that runs Primal Rage or Rancor.