Ashen Powder MTG Card
1996-10-08 - Number 104
1999-04-21 - Number 112
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Sorcery |
Text of card
Put target creature card from an opponent's graveyard into play under your control.
"What you call decay, I call ripening. You'll gain no sustenance from this harvest." —Kaervek
Cards like Ashen Powder
Ashen Powder is an intriguing card known for its ability to reanimate creatures directly from an opponent’s graveyard. This reflects a strategic nuance in comparison to other black cards that also revive creatures, such as Animate Dead. Animate Dead brings back any creature from any graveyard, but unlike Ashen Powder, it attaches to the creature as an Aura, making it vulnerable to removal.
Rise from the Grave is another card in the reanimation category. It differs from Ashen Powder as it targets creatures from any graveyard without the limitation of only targeting opponent’s graveyards. Rise from the Grave also turns the creature into a black Zombie in addition to its other types, which can be beneficial in a deck that leverages Zombie synergies.
Necromancy offers versatility since it can be played as an instant at an additional cost and has a broader range as it doesn’t limit its resurrection ability to the opponent’s graveyard. Despite these comparisons, Ashen Powder’s specific edge lies in its potential to disrupt opponents by choosing key creatures from their graveyard, affecting their strategies while fortifying your own battlefield presence.
Cards similar to Ashen Powder by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Ashen Powder provides a form of card advantage by allowing you to directly target and reanimate powerful creatures from any graveyard. This not only increases your on-board presence but depletes your opponent’s resources as well.
Resource Acceleration: Though Ashen Powder itself doesn’t grant traditional mana acceleration, its ability to bypass casting costs of high-value creatures effectively accelerates your resource deployment, giving you access to threats earlier than normal.
Instant Speed: While Ashen Powder operates at sorcery speed, its strategic value lies in its potential to immediately impact the board. Reanimating a creature can be done right after a board clear or at a moment when your opponent is least prepared to deal with a new threat, making the timing of this card crucial in many game scenarios.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Ashen Powder necessitates the removal of a creature card from your graveyard to initiate its resurrection effect. This may not always align with your strategy, particularly if maintaining graveyard resources is critical to your game plan.
Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Ashen Powder is specifically heavy on black mana, requiring three black mana symbols and one colorless. This makes it less versatile and harder to cast in multicolored or mana-flexible decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total of four mana to cast, Ashen Powder’s summoning ability can be deemed costly especially when considering other reanimation alternatives available. This may cause it to be overlooked in favor of more mana-efficient options.
Reasons to Include Ashen Powder in Your Collection
Versatility: Ashen Powder offers a unique approach to reanimation, which can slide into various decks that focus on bringing creatures back from the graveyard. Its ability doesn’t target only your graveyard, opening strategic options.
Combo Potential: This card can synergize with strategies that revolve around sacrifice and reanimation. It can be particularly potent when combined with cards that benefit from or facilitate creature recycling.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta filled with graveyard-based strategies, Ashen Powder gains extra importance. Being able to disrupt opponents while simultaneously furthering your own game plan makes it a smart inclusion in many metas.
How to beat
Ashen Powder is a unique reanimation spell in the vast arsenal of MTG cards that allows players to bring a creature from an opponent’s graveyard back to the battlefield under their control. Unlike the staples of reanimation such as Animate Dead or Reanimate, Ashen Powder’s four mana cost and the requirement of only targeting opponents’ graveyards offers a mix of tactical advantage and limitation.
To counter Ashen Powder, focus on graveyard management. Cards like Relic of Progenitus provide a way to keep graveyards empty, denying the spell its targets. Other spells such as Tormod’s Crypt or the ubiquitous rest-in-peace spell, Leyline of the Void, are excellent defensive maneuvers that not only thwart Ashen Powder but also disrupt any graveyard-centric strategies your opponent might be employing.
Strategically, timing is everything. It’s crucial to anticipate when your opponent might cast Ashen Powder and have your graveyard hate cards ready. This ensures that their spell fizzles, leaving them at a mana and card disadvantage. By maintaining control over the graveyards, you effectively neutralize Ashen Powder’s impact and secure an advantage in the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ashen Powder MTG card by a specific set like Mirage and Classic Sixth Edition, 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 Ashen Powder and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Ashen Powder Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1996-10-08 and 1999-04-21. Illustrated by Geofrey Darrow.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1996-10-08 | Mirage | MIR | 104 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Geofrey Darrow | |
| 2 | 1999-04-21 | Classic Sixth Edition | 6ED | 112 | 1997 | Normal | White | Geofrey Darrow |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ashen Powder has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |