Bone Splinters MTG Card
Card sets | Released in 14 setsSee all |
Mana cost | |
Converted mana cost | 1 |
Rarity | Common |
Type | Sorcery |
Text of card
As an additional cost to play Bone Splinters, sacrifice a creature. Destroy target creature.
Witches of the Split-Eye Coven speak of a future when Grixis will overflow with life energy. For now, they must harvest vis from the living to fuel their dark magics.
Cards like Bone Splinters
Bone Splinters stands as a useful tool for players seeking strategic creature removal in Magic: The Gathering. It aligns with other single-target destruction spells, like Doom Blade, which also serves to remove a threat. Nevertheless, Bone Splinters comes with a unique requirement: sacrificing a creature. In contrast, Doom Blade imposes a restriction on the target’s color—unable to destroy black creatures.
Delving further into comparison, we encounter Altar’s Reap, which also demands a creature sacrifice, but rather than destroying another creature, it provides card advantage. The distinction in the benefit from the sacrifice is pivotal; Bone Splinters eliminates opposing threats, while Altar’s Reap refills your hand. Additionally, Altar’s Reap is an instant, offering flexibility in timing over Bone Splinters’ sorcery speed.
Appraising similar cards reveals that Bone Splinters is a cost-effective removal spell, perfect for decks leveraging sacrificial synergies. With the right strategy, this card can turn a liability into a powerful way to control the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Bone Splinters by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Bone Splinters. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
# | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
---|---|---|---|---|
Esper Reanimator | Modern | Goryo's Vengeance | *HALF PRICE FRIDAY* $5K RCQ - Modern - SCG CON Atlanta - Friday - 1:00 pm | |
Mardu Aggro | Gladiator | Gladiator Proving Grounds: Week 11 2024 | ||
Mono-Black Aggro | Standard | WHITE - SAT - 12PM - Chicago Standard Cup |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While it may seem like a one-for-one trade, sacrificing a creature you control can be an upside in many decks that benefit from creatures entering the graveyard. This turns Bone Splinters into a tool that helps you remove an opponent’s threat while fueling your own graveyard synergies, giving you an effective two-for-one scenario in terms of resourceful play.
Resource Acceleration: Bone Splinters is an ideal spell for decks that revolve around small, expendable creatures. Sacrificing a token or a creature with a death trigger can often lead to additional resources, such as creating new tokens, drawing cards, or triggering powerful effects that help to advance your board state while dealing with your opponent’s threats.
Instant Speed: Although Bone Splinters is cast at sorcery speed, it pairs well with creatures that have flash. This allows you to introduce unexpected blockers during your opponent’s turn and then turn those creatures into removal spells on your turn, providing a form of speed flexibility in creature-heavy strategies.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Bone Splinters is the necessity of sacrificing a creature. While this can synergize with certain deck strategies, it can also be a significant cost if your board is scarce or the creature’s value is high.
Specific Mana Cost: Bone Splinters requires black mana to cast. This specificity can restrict the card to decks heavily invested in black or those that can reliably produce the necessary mana, potentially excluding it from more varied or color-flexible strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When compared to similar cards that may have additional benefits or lower costs, Bone Splinters’ requirement of both a mana and a creature sacrifice can be viewed as a steep investment, particularly in decks where every resource counts.
Reasons to Include Bone Splinters in Your Collection
Versatility: Bone Splinters is an affordable removal option that can be slotted into a variety of black decks. Whether you’re playing a sacrifice-themed deck or just need inexpensive creature control, it provides an effective solution.
Combo Potential: This card shines in decks that leverage sacrificing creatures as part of their core strategy. Coupling Bone Splinters with cards that generate benefits on death or being sacrificed, turns a simple removal spell into a multifaceted tool.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where creature-based decks are ever-present, having a cost-effective way to remove key threats can be game-changing. As long as summoning creatures remains a fundamental part of MTG, Bone Splinters will retain its relevance and utility.
How to beat Bone Splinters
Bone Splinters is a versatile removal option in the Magic: The Gathering environment, known for its ability to target and destroy creature cards at a low cost. However, its intrinsic drawback demands the sacrifice of one of your own creatures. To counteract this card effectively, it is essential to maintain creature advantage on the board. Players should focus on strategies that generate token creatures, which offer minimal loss when sacrificed, or utilize creatures that have enter-the-battlefield effects or death triggers.
Ephemeral cards like Doomed Traveler, which leaves behind a token upon death, or Thragtusk, which provides life and a creature token, are resilient against Bone Splinters. Additionally, when you anticipate your opponent might cast Bone Splinters, it’s crucial to withhold casting valuable creatures until after the removal has been used. Cards with indestructible or regeneration capabilities also serve as sturdy safeguards, as they won’t succumb to the sacrifice easily. By employing these strategies, you can dilute the impact of Bone Splinters and maintain a robust presence on the battlefield, thus overcoming this potential threat to your creatures.
BurnMana Recommendations
In the ever-evolving landscape of MTG, understanding the delicate balance between risk and reward is key. With Bone Splinters, strategic play is heightened, offering a powerful synergy with graveyard mechanics and an affordable removal solution. Delve deeper into MTG strategy and discover optimal ways to integrate Bone Splinters into your arsenal. Enhance your gameplay by embracing its potential to turn the tide of battle in your favor. Ready to master the art of sacrifice and control? Expand your knowledge and elevate your game with insightful tips and tactics at BurnMana.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Bone Splinters MTG card by a specific set like Shards of Alara 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 Bone Splinters 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 Bone Splinters Magic the Gathering card was released in 14 different sets between 2008-10-03 and 2022-09-09. Illustrated by 5 different artists.
# | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2008-10-03 | Shards of Alara | ALA | 67 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Cole Eastburn | |
2 | 2012-05-04 | Avacyn Restored | AVR | 88 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Nils Hamm | |
3 | 2014-09-05 | Duel Decks: Speed vs. Cunning | DDN | 22 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Cole Eastburn | |
4 | 2015-05-22 | Modern Masters 2015 | MM2 | 73 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Cole Eastburn | |
5 | 2015-10-02 | Battle for Zendikar | BFZ | 105 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Deruchenko Alexander | |
6 | 2017-03-17 | Modern Masters 2017 | MM3 | 60 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Cole Eastburn | |
7 | 2018-11-16 | Game Night | GNT | 27 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Deruchenko Alexander | |
8 | 2019-07-12 | Core Set 2020 | M20 | 92 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Cole Eastburn | |
9 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 583 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Cole Eastburn | |
10 | Secret Lair Drop | SLD | 1037 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Fajareka Setiawan | ||
11 | 2020-07-17 | Jumpstart | JMP | 213 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Nils Hamm | |
12 | The List | PLST | M20-92 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Cole Eastburn | ||
13 | 2022-09-09 | Dominaria United | DMU | 83 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jeremy Wilson | |
14 | Dominaria United Art Series | ADMU | 22 | 2015 | Art series | Borderless | Jeremy Wilson |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Bone Splinters 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 |
Predh | Legal |
Brawl | Legal |
Penny | Legal |
Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Bone Splinters card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
Date | Text |
---|---|
2022-09-09 | Once you begin to cast Bone Splinters, no player may take actions until you’re done. Notably, opponents can’t try to remove the creature you wish to sacrifice. |
2022-09-09 | You must sacrifice exactly one creature to cast this spell; you can’t cast it without sacrificing a creature, and you can’t sacrifice additional creatures. |