Blood Crypt MTG Card
2006-05-05 - Number 171
2012-10-05 - Number 238
2015-10-02 - Number 8
2019-01-25 - Number 245p
2019-01-25 - Number 245
2022-10-07 - Number 279
2022-10-07 - Number 530
2024-01-12 - Number 397z
2024-01-12 - Number 292
2024-01-12 - Number 273
2024-01-12 - Number 397
2024-02-23 - Number 274
2002-06-24 - Number 72301
2019-12-02 - Number 125
2020-09-26 - Number DIS-171
| Card sets | Released in 15 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Land — Swamp Mountain |
Text of card
(: Add or to your mana pool.) As Blood Crypt comes into play, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, Blood Crypt comes into play tapped instead.
Cards like Blood Crypt
The allure of the Blood Crypt card in Magic: The Gathering cannot be understated for players who crave a reliable mana base. Serving as a key component in multicolored decks, Blood Crypt offers immediate access to both red and black mana. This parallels the functionality of fellow shock lands such as Steam Vents, which provides mana of blue and red. However, unlike basic lands, both Blood Crypt and Steam Vents have the option to enter the battlefield untapped at the cost of 2 life, presenting a tactical choice for players.
Temple of Malice also comes to mind, ensuring both red and black mana similar to Blood Crypt, yet it arrives tapped with the consolation of scrying 1. This differs from the immediate, albeit painful, utility that Blood Crypt affords. Another comparable land, Dragonskull Summit, requires you to have a swamp or mountain already in play to enter untapped, thus making Blood Crypt a more flexible turn-one option.
Considering the strategic depth of building an efficient mana base, Blood Crypt stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a powerful enabler for swift and dynamic play, ensuring it remains a sought-after staple in competitive formats where speed and color consistency are paramount.
Cards similar to Blood Crypt by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Blood Crypt. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Rakdos Vampires | Pioneer | Rakdos Vampires | Pioneer League 2024-04-24 |
| Rakdos Midrange | Pioneer | Rakdos Midrange | Pioneer Preliminary 2024-04-25 |
| Rakdos Sacrifice | Pioneer | Rakdos Sacrifice | Pioneer League 2024-04-25 |
 | Jund Scam | Modern | Jund Scam | Modern League 2024-04-25 |
 | Rakdos Transmogrify | Pioneer | Rakdos Transmogrify | Pioneer Preliminary 2024-04-24 |
 | Rakdos Scam | Modern | Rakdos Scam | Modern League 2024-04-24 |
 | Niv to Light | Pioneer | Niv to Light | Pioneer League 2024-04-24 |
 | Kethis Combo | Modern | Kethis Combo | Modern Preliminary 2024-04-24 (1) |
| Grixis Scam | Modern | Grixis Scam | Modern Preliminary 2024-04-24 (1) |
 | Indomitable Creativity | Modern | Indomitable Creativity | Modern Preliminary 2024-04-24 (1) |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Blood Crypt enters the battlefield giving you direct access to two different types of mana – black and red. This dual nature contributes to a more consistent and powerful mana base, allowing you to play multicolor decks with ease.
Resource Acceleration: Unlike basic lands, Blood Crypt can be untapped if you choose to pay 2 life. This option provides an immediate resource acceleration, essential for outpacing opponents in the early game by enabling potentially game-changing spells or creatures to be played ahead of schedule.
Instant Speed: Although Blood Crypt itself is not an instant, it complements instant speed strategies by providing mana of two colors. This increases the likelihood you have the necessary resources to respond to opponents’ actions during their turn, thus maintaining a dynamic and flexible stance throughout the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Blood Crypt provides the flexibility of coming into play untapped, it forces a life loss of 2. This self-inflicted damage can be a critical disadvantage in close games.
Specific Mana Cost: Blood Crypt demands a specific combination of black and red mana, which may not always align with your deck’s mana curve or strategy, potentially hampering your game plan.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Opting to use Blood Crypt’s ability to enter the battlefield untapped essentially costs you 2 life. In high-stakes situations where health is a scarce resource, there might be lands or strategies that present a more cost-effective way to optimize your mana without the life loss.
Reasons to Include Blood Crypt in Your Collection
Versatility: Blood Crypt is fundamental for any collection due to its ability to seamlessly integrate into multiple deck archetypes. Key in either aggressive or control strategies, its dual land status means it’s always ready to provide the mana you need when you need it.
Combo Potential: Whether part of a multi-card combo or simply ensuring your mana base is solid for an early game play, Blood Crypt’s potential to enable diverse and powerful combinations is immense, particularly in formats where fetching the right land at the right time can turn the tide of the game.
Meta-Relevance: With its place in the ever-popular Rakdos decks, Blood Crypt remains a cornerstone in many competitive formats. Its shock land capability ensures you’re able to keep pace with the evolving meta, giving you the edge in expedient spell casting and mana fixing.
How to beat
Blood Crypt serves as a powerful tool in Magic: The Gathering, playing a critical role in mana fixing for Rakdos decks with its dual land status. This shock land, as it’s often called due to the two life points it exacts for coming into play untapped, enables a swift and responsive gameplay. Yet, like any card in a MTG player’s arsenal, it can be surmounted with the right strategies.
For example, land destruction spells or effects offer a direct way to deal with Blood Crypt. By eliminating it from the battlefield, you deprive your opponent of crucial mana resources needed to cast their spells. Beyond that, strategies that aim to reduce the number of lands an opponent controls can also hamper the advantages provided by this shock land. Cards that restrict life payment can shut down the land’s untapped potential. Additionally, employing Blood Moon can neutralize its utility completely by turning it into a basic Mountain, thus stripping away the flexibility it offers to two-color decks.
When considering the best ways to tackle the challenge posed by Blood Crypt, players must weigh their deck’s strengths and possible sideboard cards to nullify this land’s advantage, thereby maintaining a competitive edge in the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Blood Crypt MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Dissension, 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 Blood Crypt 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 Blood Crypt Magic the Gathering card was released in 11 different sets between 2006-05-05 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by 8 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 72301 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jonas De Ro | ||
| 2 | 2006-05-05 | Dissension | DIS | 171 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 3 | 2012-10-05 | Return to Ravnica | RTR | 238 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Vincent Proce | |
| 4 | 2015-10-02 | Zendikar Expeditions | EXP | 8 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Min Yum | |
| 5 | 2019-01-25 | Ravnica Allegiance Promos | PRNA | 245p | 2015 | Normal | Black | Adam Paquette | |
| 6 | 2019-01-25 | Ravnica Allegiance | RNA | 245 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Adam Paquette | |
| 7 | Secret Lair Drop | SLD | 125 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Seb McKinnon | ||
| 8 | The List | PLST | DIS-171 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | ||
| 9 | 2022-10-07 | Unfinity | UNF | 279 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Chris Ostrowski | |
| 10 | 2022-10-07 | Unfinity | UNF | 530 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Chris Ostrowski | |
| 11 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 397z | 2015 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 12 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 292 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Jonas De Ro | |
| 13 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 273 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 14 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 397 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 15 | 2024-02-23 | Ravnica: Clue Edition | CLU | 274 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Piotr Dura |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Blood Crypt has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Blood Crypt card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-10-05 | If an effect puts this land onto the battlefield tapped, you may pay 2 life, but it still enters tapped. |
| 2018-10-05 | Unlike most dual lands, this land has two basic land types. It's not basic, so cards such as District Guide can't find it, but it does have the appropriate land types for effects such as that of Drowned Catacomb (from the Ixalan set). |