Cruel Somnophage // Can't Wake Up MTG Card


Peek and force opponent discards with Cruel Somnophage, disrupting their strategic options significantly. Its indirect tempo acceleration can outweigh the mana it doesn’t produce directly. Strategically synchronize with instant spells for unpredictable and dynamic gameplay.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeSorcery — Adventure
Abilities Mill

Text of card

Target player mills four cards. (Then exile this card. You may cast the creature later from exile.)


Cards like Cruel Somnophage // Can't Wake Up

Cruel Somnophage is a unique creature card in Magic the Gathering, contributing to the mind games that MTG is known for. It’s akin to cards like Nightveil Specter, which also deftly denies resources to the opponent by exiling cards. However, Cruel Somnophage stands out with its sleep-inducing ability that taps the opponent’s creature and prevents it from untapping during the next untap step – a subtle but potent form of control.

Similar in function is Gonti, Lord of Luxury; this creature allows you to look at the top four cards of your opponent’s library upon entering the battlefield, to exile one, and then cast it using any color of mana. Although Gonti doesn’t tap creatures, it shares the disruptive hand-picking tactic with Cruel Somnophage. Then there’s Kheru Mind-Eater, another creature card causing opponents to exile a card from their hand face-down whenever it deals combat damage to them. While Kheru Mind-Eater focuses on interfering with the hand directly, Cruel Somnophage’s ability affects the battlefield itself.

Considering the added control aspect over an opponent’s creatures, Cruel Somnophage could well be a sleeper hit among creature cards in MTG, offering both disruptive exiling and control elements that could prove crucial in many matches.

Nightveil Specter - MTG Card versions
Gonti, Lord of Luxury - MTG Card versions
Kheru Mind-Eater - MTG Card versions
Nightveil Specter - MTG Card versions
Gonti, Lord of Luxury - MTG Card versions
Kheru Mind-Eater - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Cruel Somnophage // Can't Wake Up by color, type and mana cost

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Mind Grind - MTG Card versions
Paranoid Delusions - MTG Card versions
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Extract Brain - MTG Card versions
Wail of the Forgotten - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cruel Somnophage shines when it comes to disrupting your opponent’s hand while simultaneously building your own. Getting to peek at an opponent’s grip and then forcing a discard bolsters your position as you pry away strategic resources from them, turning the tides in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: This particular creature is adept at providing you with soft resource acceleration. It may not produce mana or treasure, but by thinning out your opponent’s hand and thereby limiting their plays, you effectively gain a sort of indirect tempo acceleration which can be just as valuable.

Instant Speed: While the somnophage itself is not an instant, it can be synergized with instant-speed spells and effects in your deck. This interaction allows for dynamic play patterns, keeping your adversaries on their toes and unsure about what nightmare is coming next.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the downsides of Cruel Somnophage is the discard condition it places on its controller. This means that in order to harness the card’s full potential, you’ll need to part with another card from your hand, which might not be ideal when you’re trying to maintain card advantage against your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: As a card that demands a particular mana arrangement, Cruel Somnophage might not fit seamlessly into every deck. It requires black mana, which could potentially restrict its playability to decks that are able to produce that mana consistently or necessitate the inclusion of mana fixing cards to accommodate it.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The card’s effects, while potentially powerful, come at a four mana cost. This investment can be fairly steep especially in formats where efficiency is key. Other cards could provide similar or even better advantages at a lower mana value, making the card a less attractive option for players looking to optimize their deck’s performance while managing their mana economy.


Reasons to Include Cruel Somnophage in Your Collection

Versatility: Cruel Somnophage offers a flexible role in a variety of decks, adapting particularly well to strategies centered around discard mechanisms or the need for a reliable, evasive threat.

Combo Potential: With its ability to consistently apply discard pressure, this card can synergize with other pieces that profit from an opponent’s empty hand, enhancing combos that disrupt or outright dismantle an adversary’s plan.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where hand size battles are critical, Cruel Somnophage stands out as a timely inclusion that can tilt matches in your favor by continuously eroding the opponent’s resources.


How to beat

Cruel Somnophage introduces a unique challenge in MTG with its ability to disrupt opponents by forcing them to exile cards from their hand each turn. This can be stifling, limiting strategic options and resources. However, effective strategies exist to outmaneuver its punishing effect. Engaging with removal spells is a straight path to neutralizing this threat. Commonly used spells like Murder can dispatch Cruel Somnophage swiftly, circumventing the exile trigger by removing it from play before it can affect your hand.

An alternative approach is to play around the prompt’s constraints, focusing on strategies less reliant on a large hand size. Aggressive decks that dump their hands quickly leave Cruel Somnophage with fewer opportunities to hinder your game plan. Adopting a proactive stance with creatures and threats that must be addressed can shift the opponent’s focus away from optimizing the Somnophage’s potential.

Finally, countering it upon cast is another method. Spells like Negate allow you to stop Cruel Somnophage in its tracks, preserving your hand and maintaining the flow of your game. Balancing the tempo, understanding your removal suite, and recognizing when to shift gears are key to overcoming the card’s influence on the battlefield.


BurnMana Recommendations

If Cruel Somnophage has piqued your interest, you’re on the right path to strengthening your MTG strategy. Recognizing its role in hand disruption and resource acceleration can give you an edge in matches that hinge on card advantage. While it offers unique play patterns, remember to consider its mana demands and your ability to manage the discard requirement. Interested in integrating this nightmarish creature into your deck or seeking alternatives that can yield a similar disruptive impact? Dive deeper with us into the world of MTG. Enhance your knowledge, refine your tactics, and ensure your collection is competition-ready.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cruel Somnophage // Can't Wake Up MTG card by a specific set like Wilds of Eldraine and Wilds of Eldraine Promos, 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 Cruel Somnophage // Can't Wake Up and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Cruel Somnophage // Can't Wake Up Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2023-09-08 and 2023-09-08. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12023-09-08Wilds of EldraineWOE 2222015AdventureBlackJason A. Engle
22023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine PromosPWOE 222p2015AdventureBlackJason A. Engle
32023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine PromosPWOE 222s2015AdventureBlackJason A. Engle
42023-09-08Wilds of EldraineWOE 2862015AdventureBlackKev Walker

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cruel Somnophage // Can't Wake Up has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Cruel Somnophage // Can't Wake Up card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2023-09-01 An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it's in your graveyard, Questing Druid is a green creature card whose mana value is 2. It can't be the target of Tenacious Tomeseeker's triggered ability ("return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand").
2023-09-01 An effect may refer to a card, spell, or permanent that "has an Adventure." This refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an adventurer card's set of alternative characteristics, even if they're not being used and even if that card was never cast as an Adventure.
2023-09-01 Casting a card as an Adventure isn't casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure.
2023-09-01 If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won't be exiled and the spell's controller won't be able to cast it as a permanent later.
2023-09-01 If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won't give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell.
2023-09-01 If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it's not possible to cast the copy as a permanent.
2023-09-01 If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose.
2023-09-01 If an effect refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an Adventure, it won't find an instant or sorcery spell on the stack that's been cast as an Adventure.
2023-09-01 If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it's a token) or cease to be a copy (if it's a nontoken permanent), and so you won't be able to cast it as an Adventure.
2023-09-01 If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it's legal to cast that spell. For example, if you control Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer ("Once each turn, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from the top of your library.") and Questing Druid is on top of your library, you can cast Seek the Beast, but not Questing Druid.
2023-09-01 The ability that defines Cruel Somnophage's power and toughness functions in all zones, not just the battlefield.
2023-09-01 When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card's normal characteristics. The spell's color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics.
2023-09-01 You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you'll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty.