Surrak vs Goreclaw: Unpacking Variance-Driven Mechanics

In TCG ·

Surrak and Goreclaw card art — March of the Machine

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Variance-driven mechanics in MTG: a Surrak and Goreclaw perspective

Green has always thrived on momentum—on creatures pouring onto the battlefield and turning a rough start into a brutal, green-streaked crescendo. Surrak and Goreclaw, a legendary creature from March of the Machine, is a masterclass in how variance can swing a game when you lean into the math of ETBs, counters, and haste. This two-headed green powerhouse (a legendary Human Bear, for the lore-curious) invites you to build a deck where non-token creatures entering the battlefield become the spark that lights a whole board-wide inferno of value 🧙‍♂️🔥.

With a mana cost of {4}{G}{G} and a sturdy 6/5 body, Surrak and Goreclaw itself is no wallflower. Its first line of defense is simple but devastating: Trample. Then, like a conductor leading a chorus of leaves and claws, it grants all other creatures you control trample as well. The real variance comes next: Whenever another non-token creature you control enters, put a +1/+1 counter on it. It gains haste until end of turn. That means every non-token creature you play can immediately surge into combat with more bite than you might expect, especially as you stack more ETBs in a single turn.

Why emphasize non-token creatures? Because tokens don’t trigger Surrak and Goreclaw’s counter-and-haste engine. The card rewards a carefully curated roster of sizable, non-token creatures—think beefy bodies that enter the battlefield with real expectations of contributing, not merely filling space. This creates a delightful variance: sometimes a single 4/4 entering under your aura of buffs becomes a 6/7 with haste. Other times, you chain several creatures in a single turn, and your board explodes with counters and emergency gas. The result is a game where the outcome hinges on timing, draw order, and the pace of plays—classic MTG juiciness, spiced with green's growth magic 🎲.

What makes the mechanic tick: a closer look

  • Trample and reach: Surrak and Goreclaw not only boasts trample on itself, but lifts that advantage for your entire team. In a crowded board, your attackers push through damage that might otherwise be soaked by blockers, turning incremental value into lethal pressure 🗡️.
  • ETB counters on non-tokens: Every time you drop a non-token creature, you’re nudging its power up by +1/+1. That incremental growth compounds as you refill the board, creating a cascade effect that can transform a 4/4 into a late-game threat in a single combat step ⚔️.
  • Haste on the past entering: The haste granted to the newly buffed creature means you don’t wait a turn to pressure opponents. Your tempo swings, and the variance tilts toward you when you hit the board with multiple non-token threats in one go 🎨.

In practice, you’re aiming for a rhythm: seed the board with a few strong non-token creatures, then drop Surrak and Goreclaw to turn those entrants into a rapid, escalating board state. The dynamic can feel like a rollercoaster—one moment you’re building toward a single colossal strike, the next you’re sprinting through three consecutive combat steps with pumped-up creatures. It’s a flavor of variance that invites both careful planning and bold improvisation 🧙‍♂️.

Deckbuilding intuition: making variance work for you

  • Prioritize non-token entrance effects: Choose creatures that reliably enter with high power or impactful ETBs. Each departure from token-based entry keeps the counters rolling and the haste flashing across the board.
  • Plan around tokens: If you rely on token generators, be mindful that tokens won’t trigger the +1/+1 counters. Use a mix of tokens for board presence while keeping a core of non-token beaters ready to drop in for big payoffs ⏳.
  • Protect the late-game engine: In Commander and other multiplayer formats, you’ll want ramp, removal backup, and ways to refill the hand so you can keep dropping non-token creatures and preserving the burst of power you’ve built up.
  • Leverage trample with pump spells: If you’ve got a big board and your opponents are trying to chump, your trample-enabled army is more efficient. Add pump effects sparingly to maximize the advantage of each +1/+1 counter.
  • Color identity and ramp synergy: Green’s strength here is access to ramp and big bodies. You can lean into Terraforming, Overgrowth, or Crimson Vow-esque mana ramp that keeps the board dense and dangerous.

Flavor-wise, the card’s lore line—“Two titans of Tarkir carved a swath through Phyrexia's elite”—evokes a cross-plane clash that mirrors the design intent: raw, primal power colliding with mechanized might. The art by Lucas Graciano underscores that fusion of raw forest-wrath and cunning, forging a tableau where nature’s brute force meets Phyrexian engineering 🧡🪵⚙️.

Art, value, and collecting notes

From a design perspective, Surrak and Goreclaw stands out as a memorable multiplayer piece: it’s not just a big body; it’s a catalyst for a particular tactical rhythm. As a rare in March of the Machine, it sits in a space where green value is measured not only by its power on the battlefield but by the cadence it imposes on the game’s tempo. In price terms, you’re looking at a card that has hovered in the mid-range for casual collectors, with foil versions pushing higher. The card’s EDH rec footprint isn’t tiny either, reflecting its usefulness in Commander circles where big green boards and attack-heavy strategies flourish 🔥💎.

When you add Surrak and Goreclaw to your collection, you’re not just getting a one-off on-cue finisher; you’re obtaining a lever for variance-driven success. The dual-ability to grant your entire team trample while giving you a consistent incentive to play non-token creatures means this is a card that rewards strategic patience and bold, well-timed plays alike 🎲.

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