Call to the Grave MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Just by hitting the battlefield, Call to the Grave starts impacting the game by putting substantial pressure on your opponents every turn. At the beginning of each player’s upkeep, they must sacrifice a non-Zombie creature. This can quickly decimate an opponent’s board and tilt the card advantage in your favor, especially in formats where Zombies are a popular tribe.

Resource Acceleration: While not generating mana directly, Call to the Grave accelerates your resources in a unique way. By consistently clearing the board of non-Zombie creatures, it helps ensure that your undead horde can attack unimpeded. This can speed up your game plan drastically, effectively accelerating your path to victory as opponents struggle to find answers.

Instant Speed: Although Call to the Grave is an enchantment that operates on upkeep triggers rather than instant speed, the fact that the effect recurs every upkeep acts like a deterrent in instant speed. Opponents must consider the implications of the enchantment at all times, which can alter their play patterns and strategy, almost as if it has the reach into their turns akin to instant speed interactions.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Call to the Grave creates an ongoing threat to your opponents by potentially clearing their board of non-Zombie creatures, it also necessitates that you maintain a Zombie on the battlefield, or risk losing the enchantment itself. This can be particularly taxing if your deck isn’t reliably producing Zombies, potentially leading to a scenario where you’re forced to sacrifice the card without reaping its full benefits.

Specific Mana Cost: Call to the Grave requires a specific set of mana to cast, including two black mana. This can be restrictive, as it necessitates a mana base that strongly supports black, reducing the flexibility for the card to be included in multi-color decks not heavily focused on black mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, Call to the Grave may be considered expensive for the effect it delivers, particularly when compared to other removal options available. This can sometimes make it a less attractive option in faster, more aggressive decks that prioritize lower-costing cards to maintain momentum against their opponents.

Reasons to Include Call to the Grave in Your Collection

Versatility: Call to the Grave is a dynamic enchantment that can seamlessly integrate into a variety of black-centric or zombie-themed decks. Its ability to consistently pressure opponents by demanding creature sacrifices each turn makes it a formidable piece in control and attrition strategies.

Combo Potential: This card shines in synergies that revolve around zombie tribal themes. The consistent removal coupled with the potential to capitalize on death triggers can turn Call to the Grave into a key component of powerful combo engines that can dominate the board.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based strategies are prevalent, this enchantment proves its worth by serving as a repeating removal tool. Its relevance grows as it disrupts opponents’ boards and maintains a clean state for you to execute your game plan effectively, making it a useful card to have given the ever-shifting MTG meta.

How to Beat Call to the Grave

Dealing with Call to the Grave can be quite challenging, as this enchantment has the potential to control the board by forcing players to sacrifice non-Zombie creatures. It embodies a relentless mechanism that occurs every upkeep, which can decimate creature-based strategies. To overcome this card, it’s essential to employ removal spells or abilities that can directly target enchantments. Naturalize or Disenchant are prime examples, offering an efficient and immediate answer to Call to the Grave.

In addition to direct removal, one can also adopt strategies that don’t rely heavily on creatures, thus negating the card’s effect. Another effective tactic is to utilize counterspells like Cancel or Mana Leak to prevent Call to the Grave from hitting the battlefield in the first place. Similarly, transformative sideboard strategies that decrease your creature count post-board can be employed to reduce Call to the Grave’s impact in longer games, like in a match scenario.

Ultimately, maintaining flexibility in your deck’s construction and keeping answers for problematic enchantments is crucial. This ensures that Call to the Grave doesn’t lock you out of the game, preserving your path to victory against undead-themed strategies.

BurnMana Recommendations

Delving into the dynamics of MTG, Call to the Grave presents itself as a formidable enchantment for anyone looking to harness the relentless power of the undead. From its board-controlling abilities to its potential in zombie-themed strategies, this card is more than just an addition to your collection—it’s a strategic tool crafted to sway the tides of battle into your favor. If you’ve felt the thrill of outmaneuvering your opponents, or if the art of deck building fuels your passion for MTG, exploring the depths of Call to the Grave is your next move. Visit us to unlock the full potential of your deck and claim victory over any adversary that dares to challenge your might.