Crypt Creeper MTG Card

Odyssey (ODY)
2001-10-01 - Number 125

Avacyn Restored (AVR)
2012-05-04 - Number 91

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Zombie
Power	2
Toughness	1

Key Takeaways

Crypt Creeper excels at limiting opponent strategies by exiling key cards from their graveyard instantly.
Its low mana cost and early game disruption align well with fast-paced, pressure-driven deck builds.
While offering grave control, using its abilities requires careful hand management to maintain advantage.

Text of card

Sacrifice Crypt Creeper: Remove target card in a graveyard from the game.

To unearth its dinner, it inters itself.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Crypt Creeper’s special ability permits a player to exile cards from an opponent’s graveyard, which can systematically diminish the resources available to them. This function not only disrupts the opponent’s strategy but also provides an incremental advantage that can accumulate over time.

Resource Acceleration: While Crypt Creeper doesn’t directly generate mana, its low casting cost means it can hit the battlefield early, allowing the player to efficiently allocate resources elsewhere. Additionally, if the creature is focusing on graveyard disruption, it aligns well with strategies that capitalize on fast starts and early-game pressure.

Instant Speed: The ability to sacrifice Crypt Creeper at instant speed offers great flexibility. This feature allows players to wait for the most opportune moment to disrupt an opponent’s play, throwing off their strategy mid-combo or in response to graveyard interactions, which can be crucial in tight gameplay scenarios.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To fully utilize Crypt Creeper’s abilities, the card mandates a discard from your hand, posing a challenge when your hand is already depleted or when every card is crucial for your game strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Crypt Creeper comes with a mana cost that necessitates at least one swamp to be tapped, which might not align with decks built around other mana types, potentially restricting deck diversity.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Crypt Creeper’s mana requirement may be on the higher side considering its abilities, which could slow down your game tempo compared to other low-cost creatures or spells that offer immediate board presence or utility.

Reasons to Include Crypt Creeper in Your Collection

Versatility: Crypt Creeper slips easily into various deck archetypes, especially those looking to leverage graveyard mechanics or requiring a low-cost creature with utility.

Combo Potential: The ability to sacrifice Crypt Creeper for graveyard disruption pairs well with strategies that aim to interrupt opponent’s plans or reap benefits from self-mill tactics.

Meta-Relevance: Given a meta with prevalent graveyard-based strategies, utilizing Crypt Creeper’s ability to exile cards from graveyards can give you a noticeable edge in gameplay.

How to beat

Crypt Creeper offers a unique dynamic on the battlefield, particularly in graveyard-focused decks within Magic: The Gathering. This creature specializes in disrupting strategies that rely heavily on carefully curated graveyards. To gain the upper hand against this creature, the best approach lies in reducing its ability to target key cards in your graveyard. Tactics such as graveyard shuffling, involving cards like Elixir of Immortality or Gaea’s Blessing, can be pivotal in maintaining your strategic stronghold.

Another effective method is to bring creatures back to your hand or the battlefield before Crypt Creeper has the opportunity to exile them. Cards such as Reclaim or Eternal Witness are prime examples that can quickly undermine the Creeper’s disruptive capabilities. Additionally, employing instant-speed removal spells to take Crypt Creeper out of the equation before its ability is activated is a smart move.

Overall, awareness of your graveyard’s contents and proactivity are key factors in nullifying Crypt Creeper’s potential impact, ensuring that it does not become a stumbling block in your path towards victory.

Cards like Crypt Creeper

Crypt Creeper offers a unique role in the world of Magic: The Gathering, serving as both a creature and a utility card for grave disruption. It can be comparable to Nihil Spellbomb in its ability to exile cards from a graveyard, but Crypt Creeper has the added advantage of being a creature that can attack or block. Unlike the Spellbomb, however, the Creeper cannot draw a card upon its activation.

Mind you, there’s also Withered Wretch, which features a similar graveyard exile ability at any time for a single black mana. While Wretch has a higher power and toughness, the Creeper is distinct for its self-sacrificial nature, removing itself from the game to disrupt the opponent’s graveyard strategies. Scrabbling Claws is yet another analogue, with an activation cost for exile that’s free, but without the offensive or defensive capabilities that a creature like Crypt Creeper provides.

When comparing Crypt Creeper to other graveyard hate options, it notably brings a degree of flexibility by being both an actionable card and a creature. Its presence on the board can influence the pace and approach of the game, fitting distinctly into strategies that value creatures with utilitarian effects.

Cards similar to Crypt Creeper by color, type and mana cost

Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Crypt Creeper MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey and Avacyn Restored, 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 Crypt Creeper and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Crypt Creeper Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2001-10-01 and 2012-05-04. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2001-10-01	Odyssey	ODY		125	1997	Normal	Black	John Matson
2	2012-05-04	Avacyn Restored	AVR		91	2003	Normal	Black	Scott Chou

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Crypt Creeper has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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