Buried Alive MTG Card
Card sets | Released in 10 setsSee all |
Mana cost | |
Converted mana cost | 3 |
Rarity | Uncommon |
Type | Sorcery |
Text of card
Search your library for up to three creature cards and put them into your graveyard. Shuffle your library afterwards.
"Is it worse to walk while dead, or to be buried alive? I have witnessed both." —Crovax
Cards like Buried Alive
The appeal of Buried Alive in MTG stems from its powerful utility in graveyard-based strategies. It closely resembles Entomb, another efficient graveyard tutor. While Entomb places any one card into your graveyard at instant speed, Buried Alive allows you to select three creature cards but at sorcery speed, offering greater volume for longer-term setups.
Additionally, Intuition is a card with a similar feel as it permits searching for three cards and giving opponents the choosing power, ultimately placing one in your hand and the rest into the graveyard. Although Intuition provides immediate value, Buried Alive’s guarantee of stocking the graveyard makes it ideal for decks aiming to reanimate creatures or benefit from graveyard synergies.
Finally, Grisly Salvage stands as a noteworthy alternative, allowing a look at the top five cards of your library, and then picking a creature or land card among them, with the rest going to the graveyard. While it doesn’t offer the tutor precision of Buried Alive, it does have the advantage of being at instant speed and also the potential to immediately affect board state with a land drop.
When comparing the tactical advantages and deck synergy enhancement, Buried Alive holds a firm position within MTG’s arsenal of graveyard manipulation cards.
Cards similar to Buried Alive by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Buried Alive. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
# | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
---|---|---|---|---|
Arclight Phoenix | Legacy | Arclight Phoenix | Legacy Challenge 32 2023-11-25 | |
Grixis Aggro | Legacy | Arclight Phoenix | Charlotte Legacy League Season 2 Week 1 | |
Mono-Black Reanimator | Legacy | $5K - Legacy - SCG CON Philadelphia - Sunday - 9:30 am | ||
Mono-Black Combo | Legacy | Arclight Phoenix | South Wales Legacy Showcase | |
Grixis Tempo | Vintage | Blue Tempo | Vintage Preliminary 2024-03-05 | |
UBR | Legacy | Legacy Challenge 64 2023-12-31 | ||
Grixis Scam | Legacy | Grixis Scam | Legacy Challenge 64 2023-12-03 (1) | |
Grixis Control | Legacy | Arclight Phoenix | Eternal Weekend Europe 2023 Legacy Mainevent | |
Grixis Reanimator | Legacy | Arclight Phoenix | Eternal Weekend Europe 2023 Legacy Mainevent |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Buried Alive offers a strategic edge by allowing you to search your library for up to three creature cards and put them into your graveyard. This sets you up for potent graveyard synergies and recurring effects, leveraging your graveyard as a resource.
Resource Acceleration: This card effectively accelerates your gameplay by setting the stage for powerful reanimation spells or enabling combos. By filling your graveyard, you are setting up your resources for impending plays that can pivot the game in your favor.
Instant Speed: While Buried Alive operates at sorcery speed, its impact is so significant that it can dictate the pace of the match. It allows for immediate graveyard setup, often catching opponents off-guard and preparing the path for high-impact maneuvers in subsequent turns.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One aspect of Buried Alive that might deter players is that it places cards directly into the graveyard without providing an immediate board presence or card advantage in hand. This can be disadvantageous in situations where maintaining a hand presence is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: Buried Alive, with its specific black mana requirement, demands a commitment to black mana sources. This restricts the card primarily to mono-black or black-heavy decks, potentially limiting its versatility across various MTG deck archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of three black mana, Buried Alive can be seen as having a high mana investment for the early game. Considering the pace of MTG, investing this mana in the early turns without affecting the board could potentially put a player behind, especially when facing more aggressive strategies.
Reasons to Include Buried Alive in Your Collection
Versatility: Buried Alive stands out with its ability to search your library and send any three creatures straight to your graveyard. This utility makes it an asset in decks capitalizing on graveyard strategies, such as reanimation or delve.
Combo Potential: With Buried Alive, the stage is set for powerful combinations. It can set up game-ending plays by assembling the perfect creatures for a reanimator spell or synergize with mechanics like flashback or threshold.
Meta-Relevance: Within the shifting sands of competitive play, Buried Alive maintains its edge. It’s a consistent choice in formats where graveyard manipulation can dictate the pace and outcome of the match, carving a niche in many combo and control decks.
How to Beat Buried Alive
Buried Alive is a potent tool for any player aiming to stuff their graveyard with creatures, essentially serving as a library-to-graveyard tutor. To outplay this card, grave hate is your ally. Consider running cards like Tormod’s Crypt or Grafdigger’s Cage which can exile or control graveyard activity. Responding quickly to Buried Alive is key in hindering an opponent’s strategy.
Another strategy is to keep close watch on what creatures get buried. If they rely on certain combos or reanimation targets, extract those creatures with targeted graveyard removal like Scavenging Ooze or surgical extraction spells. Time your disruptions after Buried Alive resolves to maintain the element of surprise and dismantle your opponent’s planned sequences.
Lastly, countering this card outright with spells like Negate can prevent the graveyard from becoming a resource pool. Always consider your deck’s weaknesses and have sideboard options ready. By doing so, you’re setting up a defensive line that can handle the recursive threats Buried Alive poses, ensuring you remain in control of the match.
BurnMana Recommendations
With the strategic advantages and potential drawbacks of Buried Alive in mind, your MTG expertise is the real game-changer. Remember, mastering your deck’s synergies with graveyard mechanics can unlock a new level of play. Delve deeper into the intricacies of the game with us, from fine-tuning your strategies to outsmarting opponents. Elevate your MTG knowledge by understanding the nuances of every card like Buried Alive. Join our community of dedicated players and gather insights that transcend the typical gameplay experience. Let’s advance your strategic edge together on this enthralling journey through MTG.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Buried Alive MTG card by a specific set like Weatherlight and Odyssey, 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 Buried Alive 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 Buried Alive Magic the Gathering card was released in 9 different sets between 1997-06-09 and 2024-06-14. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
# | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1997-06-09 | Weatherlight | WTH | 63 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Brian Horton | |
2 | 2001-10-01 | Odyssey | ODY | 118 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Greg Staples | |
3 | 2003-08-07 | World Championship Decks 2003 | WC03 | pk118sb | 2003 | Normal | Gold | Greg Staples | |
4 | 2003-08-07 | World Championship Decks 2003 | WC03 | pk118 | 2003 | Normal | Gold | Greg Staples | |
5 | 2010-11-08 | Magic Online Theme Decks | TD0 | A39 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Brian Horton | |
6 | 2011-06-17 | Commander 2011 | CMD | 74 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Greg Staples | |
7 | 2011-11-18 | Premium Deck Series: Graveborn | PD3 | 20 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Greg Staples | |
8 | 2018-06-08 | Commander Anthology Volume II | CM2 | 59 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Greg Staples | |
9 | 2018-12-07 | Ultimate Masters | UMA | 88 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Greg Staples | |
10 | 2024-06-14 | Modern Horizons 3 | MH3 | 273 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Greg Staples |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Buried Alive has restrictions
Format | Legality |
---|---|
Commander | Legal |
Legacy | Legal |
Oathbreaker | Legal |
Premodern | Legal |
Vintage | Legal |
Duel | Legal |
Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Buried Alive card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
Date | Text |
---|---|
2004-10-04 | You can look in your library and then choose to find any number from zero to three creatures after you look at it. |