Curious Cadaver MTG Card


Peek at the top library card anytime with Curious Cadaver for a strategic advantage. Transforms into Curious Cadogeist for mana boost with spell casts post-demise. Encourages instant-speed spell strategies, aligning with fast-paced matches.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Zombie Detective
Abilities Flying
Power 3
Toughness 1

Text of card

Flying When you sacrifice a Clue, return Curious Cadaver from your graveyard to your hand.

PATIENT AND SURPRISINGLY CLEVER, THOUGH HE DOES NEED TO BE REMINDED NOT TO EAT THE CORPSES.


Cards like Curious Cadaver

The Curious Cadaver card carves out its niche in the vast universe of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. It finds itself in the company of other creatures that offer graveyard interactivity, akin to Sanitarium Skeleton, which can return to a player’s hand from the graveyard. Nevertheless, Curious Cadaver affords an additional layer of versatility. Upon death, it transforms into Curious Pairing, a creature with the capacity to become a copy of another creature card in your graveyard, thus offering strategic depth that Sanitarium Skeleton does not.

Another card for comparison is Myr Retriever, which upon its demise retrieves another artifact card from your graveyard to your hand. While Myr Retriever purely recovers artifacts, Curious Cadaver’s transformed version has the potential to adapt to any creature card in the graveyard, giving it broader utility in mid to late gameplay. Accursed Witch is also comparable, transforming on death, but rather into a curse that weakens an opponent. Curious Cadaver’s transformation is more about strengthening your own board presence with a chameleon-like ability to mimic and surprise.

When taken into account, Curious Cadaver’s dual nature and transformative potential make it a card worth considering for decks that capitalize on graveyard synergy and creature versatility in Magic: The Gathering.

Sanitarium Skeleton - MTG Card versions
Myr Retriever - MTG Card versions
Sanitarium Skeleton - MTG Card versions
Myr Retriever - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Curious Cadaver by color, type and mana cost

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Phantasmal Fiend - MTG Card versions
Benthic Djinn - MTG Card versions
Doomsday Specter - MTG Card versions
Marsh Crocodile - MTG Card versions
Possessed Aven - MTG Card versions
Balshan Collaborator - MTG Card versions
Elusive Tormentor // Insidious Mist - MTG Card versions
Ingenious Infiltrator - MTG Card versions
Atris, Oracle of Half-Truths - MTG Card versions
Moroii - MTG Card versions
Circu, Dimir Lobotomist - MTG Card versions
Blizzard Specter - MTG Card versions
Wydwen, the Biting Gale - MTG Card versions
Merrow Grimeblotter - MTG Card versions
Evil Twin - MTG Card versions
Glen Elendra Liege - MTG Card versions
Kathari Remnant - MTG Card versions
Lazav, Dimir Mastermind - MTG Card versions
Duskmantle Seer - MTG Card versions
Notion Thief - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

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

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
DecklistDecklist Free formPradas Cup #11 - Delitti al Maniero Karlov - Sponsored by MTGCircle.com

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Curious Cadaver bolsters your grip on the match by allowing you to peek at the top card of your library at any time, offering a sustained edge in card knowledge.

Resource Acceleration: Upon its demise, this card transforms into Curious Cadogeist at the beginning of the next upkeep, hinting at a resurrection into a game-changing phantom that can facilitate mana generation with each successful spell cast, bolstering your plays.

Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, Curious Cadaver influences the battlefield by encouraging a strategy that revolves around instant-speed spells. By enabling a peek at your upcoming cards, you can efficiently plan instant speed interactions to disrupt your opponent’s ploys, aligning with the cadence of fast-paced gameplay.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Curious Cadaver card necessitates discarding another card as part of its casting cost. This condition can prove to be a hindrance, particularly in gameplay situations where maintaining a full hand is crucial for strategy execution and board control.

Specific Mana Cost: Curious Cadaver’s casting cost is dictated by a specific mana combination, which may not seamlessly fit into all deck architectures. Players aiming to maximise their mana efficiency in multi-colored decks might find this to be a restricting factor.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment required to bring Curious Cadaver into play puts it on the higher end of the spectrum among similar creatures. When comparing mana-to-effectiveness ratio, players might opt for alternatives that offer a greater impact for the same or lower mana cost.


Reasons to Include Curious Cadaver in Your Collection

Versatility: Curious Cadaver brings adaptability to a variety of decks, serving especially well in strategies that capitalize on creature reanimation or graveyard synergies.

Combo Potential: Its ability to be recast from the graveyard as a different entity opens up avenues for combo plays and strategic depth, particularly in decks that play around with different creature types.

Meta-Relevance: Given the shifting landscape of the game, Curious Cadaver might prove useful in responding to current trends that emphasize resource recursion and efficient creature play.


How to beat

Curious Cadaver is an intriguing creature card that offers more than meets the eye in MTG. Its inherent ability to morph into another creature upon death makes it a wildcard in gameplay, presenting unique challenges to opponents. Nonetheless, effective strategies do exist to tackle this shapeshifting adversary. Grasping the ideal moment to remove Curious Cadaver from play becomes crucial. Cards with exile effects, like Path to Exile or Leyline of the Void, can prevent it from activating its transformative death trigger, leaving your opponent without the benefit of its secondary creature form.

Another strategy is to manipulate the timing of your spells. By utilizing instant-speed removal, such as Fatal Push or Abrade, you can disrupt your opponent’s plays during their turn, limiting their ability to take advantage of Curious Cadaver’s death-triggered ability. It’s also worth considering the overall board state and assessing whether it is worth allowing Curious Cadaver to transform, based on what creature it may become.

Ultimately, understanding how and when to interact with Curious Cadaver can shift it from a potential threat to a manageable part of your MTG game plan. Controlling the pace and flow of the game will often nullify the card’s potential impact, maintaining your route to victory.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Curious Cadaver MTG card by a specific set like Murders at Karlov Manor and Murders at Karlov Manor, 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 Curious Cadaver and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Curious Cadaver Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2024-02-09 and 2024-02-09. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12024-02-09Murders at Karlov ManorMKM 3582015NormalBlackMarko Manev
22024-02-09Murders at Karlov ManorMKM 1942015NormalBlackPeter Polach

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Curious Cadaver has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
StandardbrawlLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal