Blood for Bones MTG Card


Enables significant card advantage by resurrecting creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield. Accelerates resource utilization, allowing early play of high-cost creatures for dynamic strategy. Mimics instant speed impact, offering quick shifts in game momentum with potent creatures.
Blood for Bones - Core Set 2020
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Released2019-07-12
Set symbol
Set nameCore Set 2020
Set codeM20
Number89
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred bySeb McKinnon

Text of card

As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice a creature. Return a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield, then return another creature card from your graveyard to your hand.


Cards like Blood for Bones

Blood for Bones stands out in the array of reanimation spells within Magic: The Gathering. It invites a favorable comparison to cards such as Zombify, which allows the return of a creature card from the graveyard to the battlefield. However, Blood for Bones adds depth by letting you sacrifice a creature as part of its cost, then pull another creature back from the graveyard to your hand, creating potential for immediate board impact and further plays.

Entwined within this theme, we find the card Unearth, costing significantly less mana yet restricting the resurrection to creatures with a converted mana cost of 3 or less. Though Unearth functions at the speed of an instant, the broader possibilities offered by Blood for Bones can be a game-changer for bigger creatures. Then there’s Bond of Revival which also brings a creature back along with giving it haste, a formidable option for a surprise attack. However, unlike Blood for Bones, it doesn’t offer the additional utility of returning another creature to your hand.

To sum up, Blood for Bones casts its spell strategically within the framework of resurrection spells in MTG by offering dual creature interaction in one card, making it a notable contender for players looking to maximize graveyard synergies.

Zombify - MTG Card versions
Unearth - MTG Card versions
Bond of Revival - MTG Card versions
Zombify - MTG Card versions
Unearth - MTG Card versions
Bond of Revival - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Blood for Bones. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Grixis ReanimatorGrixis Reanimator GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 06 2024
Grixis MidrangeGrixis Midrange GladiatorGladiator Proving Grounds: Week 06 2024
Mardu MidrangeMardu Midrange GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 06 2024
Rakdos MidrangeRakdos Midrange GladiatorGladiator Team Unified League

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Blood for Bones provides a significant edge, allowing players to return a creature from their graveyard to the battlefield while simultaneously putting another into their hand. This exchange can often tip the scales in a player’s favor by presenting a dual threat from the past and present in their game plan.

Resource Acceleration: This card acts as a catalyst for larger plays, permitting the reanimation of high-cost creatures that can be game-changing much earlier than normal. This facilitates a faster, more aggressive strategy and can quickly pivot the board’s dynamics in your favor.

Instant Speed: While Blood for Bones is a sorcery, the immediate impact it has on the game can mimic the advantageous nature of instant speed spells. By possibly returning creatures with potent enter the battlefield effects or strong end of turn interactions, players can shift the momentum in their favor just as effectively as if they’d played an instant.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When casting Blood for Bones, you’re required to sacrifice a creature. This demands a creature on the battlefield, potentially setting you back if your board presence isn’t strong.

Specific Mana Cost: Featuring a cost that requires both black mana and generic mana, Blood for Bones may not seamlessly fit into multicolored decks not heavily leaning on black mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of four mana—specifically, one black and three generic—Blood for Bones competes with numerous four-drop cards that could provide instant impact or broader versatility.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Blood for Bones serves as a powerful enabler in reanimator strategies and can be incorporated into various deck archetypes. Its capability to return creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield or hand makes it a noteworthy addition.

Combo Potential: This card has significant potential in combo decks, allowing players to repeatedly exploit enter-the-battlefield effects or set up graveyard synergies that can turn the tide of the game in a single turn.

Meta-Relevance: With the ever-present shift in the MTG meta, Blood for Bones remains relevant. It easily slots into decks that thrive on graveyard manipulation and the frequent rise of creature-based strategies ensures its utility in many game scenarios.


How to beat

Blood for Bones is a compelling option for players looking to reanimate creatures in their MTG arsenal. Its ability to return a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield, and another to your hand, sets the stage for powerful play sequences. However, despite its potential, there are strategies to undermine its effectiveness.

Graveyard hate cards, such as Scavenging Ooze or Leyline of the Void, can disrupt this strategy by exiling creatures before they can be targeted by Blood for Bones. Counterspells, like Negate or Dovin’s Veto, offer direct answers by stopping the spell before it even takes effect. Additionally, creature removal spells or sacrificial effects can reduce the number of targets available for Blood for Bones, dampening its impact.

Understanding and anticipating the timing of this card is crucial. Since it’s a sorcery, players have the whole turn to respond before the card resolves. By staying vigilant and maintaining board control, you can significantly lessen the impact of Blood for Bones and keep your opponent from gaining the upper hand in the graveyard game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Unearthing the strategic depth of MTG can be as gratifying as a game-winning play. Blood for Bones epitomizes the fusion of resourcefulness and timing, forging paths for victorious comebacks or even the overwhelming domination of your next game. As you delve deeper into the art of deck building and gameplay, we encourage you to leverage the potential of such multifaceted cards. Looking to expand your strategic horizons and explore innovative combinations within your deck? Dive into our resources where we unfold the intricacies of MTG, helping you to uncover potent synergies and elevate your gameplay expertise.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Blood for Bones MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2020, 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 Blood for Bones and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Blood for Bones has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2019-07-12 Any abilities that trigger as the creature card is returned to the battlefield won’t resolve until after Blood for Bones is finished resolving.
2019-07-12 Blood for Bones doesn’t target the creature cards to return from your graveyard. This means that, while the spell is resolving, no player may take any actions between the time you choose the cards and return them.
2019-07-12 Once you begin to cast Blood for Bones, no player may take actions until you’re done. Notably, opponents can’t try to remove the creature you wish to sacrifice.
2019-07-12 The creature sacrificed to cast Blood for Bones may be one of the cards chosen to be returned.
2019-07-12 You must sacrifice exactly one creature to cast this spell; you can’t cast it without sacrificing a creature, and you can’t sacrifice additional creatures.