Basilica Skullbomb MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Artifact |
| Released | 2023-02-03 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Phyrexia: All Will Be One |
| Set code | ONE |
| Number | 224 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Gaboleps |
Key Takeaways
- Basilica Skullbomb provides card advantage and can be a turning point in games when utilized effectively.
- Instant speed and artifact synergies offer flexible strategies but come with a discard cost.
- While mana-specific and potentially costly, its inclusion can be meta-relevant for varied deck strategies.
Text of card
, Sacrifice Basilica Skullbomb: Draw a card. , Sacrifice Basilica Skullbomb: Target creature you control gets +2/+2 and gains flying until end of turn. Draw a card. Activate only as a sorcery.
It shines with the conviction of a zealous acolyte.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Basilica Skullbomb offers the potential to refill your hand by drawing cards if certain conditions are met, thus providing a significant edge in card economy during a match.
Resource Acceleration: As an artifact, Basilica Skullbomb can contribute to strategies that benefit from having numerous artifacts in play, indirectly accelerating your resource pool by synergizing with cards that leverage artifact count for added bonuses.
Instant Speed: The ability to sacrifice Basilica Skullbomb at instant speed grants flexibility, allowing you to adapt to the game’s state and potentially disrupt your opponent’s strategy at crucial moments without committing resources preemptively.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: When deploying the Basilica Skullbomb, a player must face the potential tactical disadvantage of discarding another card from their hand. This could deplete valuable handspace, making it a risky play during crucial turns where each resource counts.
Specific Mana Cost: The card’s activation hinges on a precise mana alignment, requiring both white and black mana. This necessitates a deck specifically tailored to Orzhov Syndicate synergies, potentially limiting its inclusion to only certain strategies within the vast landscape of MTG decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment required to unleash Basilica Skullbomb’s ability is on the lofty side for the impact it delivers. Savvy players might seek alternatives that provide a more balanced cost-to-benefit equation in fast-paced games where efficiency is key to victory.
Reasons to Include Basilica Skullbomb in Your Collection
Versatility: Basilica Skullbomb offers a flexible role in decks that thrive on sacrificing artifacts for value or that have a theme of historic spells.
Combo Potential: This artifact can synergize with cards that reward you for sacrificing permanents or those that capitalize on death triggers, opening the door to various powerful interactions.
Meta-Relevance: In a metagame dense with graveyard-based strategies or where players often have full hands, Basilica Skullbomb can serve as both disruption and a source of card advantage.
How to beat
Basilica Skullbomb sits in an intriguing spot in Magic: The Gathering, packing both an impact on the battlefield and in hand disruption. Similar to other cards that focus on disrupting your opponent’s hand, like Duress or Thoughtseize, Basilica Skullbomb can play a role in poking holes in your adversary’s strategy.
The card draws comparisons to cards like Mind Rot, targeting an opponent’s hand resources, although Basilica Skullbomb offers an artifact advantage, potentially synergizing with other artifact-centric strategies. Despite its disruptive potential, its efficacy lies in timing and the overall board state. Players might compare its effect to the likes of Nihil Spellbomb for graveyard interaction; however, Basilica Skullbomb focuses on the hand rather than the graveyard.
In sum, while this card’s ability to affect the opponent’s hand can be potent, there are ways around it. Understanding the appropriate moment to deploy it and assessing if its artifact nature aligns with your deck’s synergy is key to making the most out of Basilica Skullbomb in your Magic: The Gathering matches.
Cards like Basilica Skullbomb
Basilica Skullbomb is a multifaceted artifact within the MTG universe that offers players both a means to disrupt their opponent’s hand and a late-game card draw. It stands alongside cards like Mind Rot, which traditionally allows you to pressure your opponent’s hand by making them discard. Unlike Mind Rot, Basilica Skullbomb can also sit on the field and be sacrificed later for an extra card, allowing for strategic flexibility.
Comparatively, Nihil Spellbomb is another artifact that can be sacrificed, but it targets the graveyard rather than the hand, and provides card draw if black mana is spent. Both can be used tactically, but Basilica Skullbomb affects the current hand, potentially removing immediate threats. In addition, there’s the Rack, which also capitalizes on your opponent’s reduced hand size to deal damage, though lacking the card draw option Basilica Skullbomb provides.
When evaluating these cards in a game, Basilica Skullbomb shines with its dual functionality and delayed card draw potential. It may not always match the immediacy of cards like Mind Rot, but its versatility makes it a valuable tool in controlling the pace and options of your opponent in MTG.
Cards similar to Basilica Skullbomb by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Basilica Skullbomb MTG card by a specific set like Phyrexia: All Will Be One, 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 Basilica Skullbomb and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Basilica Skullbomb has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Basilica Skullbomb card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-02-04 | If the target of Basilica Skullbomb's last ability isn't a legal target as the ability tries to resolve (probably because it has left the battlefield), you won't draw a card. |