Blood Speaker MTG Card


Blood Speaker - Champions of Kamigawa
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Ogre Shaman
Released2004-10-01
Set symbol
Set nameChampions of Kamigawa
Set codeCHK
Power 3
Toughness 2
Number103
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byAdam Rex

Key Takeaways

  1. Blood Speaker offers sustained card advantage, fetching Demons during your upkeep when in the graveyard.
  2. Indirect resource acceleration through consistent Demon drops assists in maintaining board control.
  3. Tuning your deck with Blood Speaker favors meta-relevant plays and demon-centric strategies.

Text of card

At the beginning of your upkeep, you may sacrifice Blood Speaker. If you do, search your library for a Demon card, reveal that card, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library. Whenever a Demon comes into play under your control, return Blood Speaker from your graveyard to your hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Blood Speaker shines by offering repeatable card advantage. By searching your library for a Demon card at each upkeep if it’s in the graveyard, it keeps your hand fueled with powerful creatures.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating resources, Blood Speaker indirectly contributes by ensuring consistent creature drops, which can be pivotal in maintaining board presence and applying pressure.

Instant Speed: Though Blood Speaker operates at sorcery speed, its recurring ability to fetch Demons happens during the upkeep, paving the way for strategic plays and seamless integration into your turn’s sequence.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Blood Speaker’s ability necessitates that you discard another card, which may not be ideal if your hand is already dwindling.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes both generic and black mana, it could pose a challenge to include in multi-colored decks without a reliable mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a total cost of four mana, Blood Speaker can be seen as a costly investment, especially when there are lower-cost creatures that provide similar or better effects.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Blood Speaker brings a unique utility to black-oriented decks, particularly those leaning towards Demon tribal strategies. Its ability to tutor for a Demon card ensures you can adapt your play to the evolving landscape of the game.

Combo Potential: With Blood Speaker, the stage is set for powerful synergies. Each time you bring a Demon into play, you have the potential to return Blood Speaker to your hand, setting up a cycle that can repetitively fetch key pieces for your winning strategy.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where longer games and big creatures dominate, Blood Speaker’s consistent tutor ability keeps you in contention. It ensures you always have access to high-impact Demons, keeping your deck competitive and relevant in various MTG metagames.


How to beat

Blood Speaker is a unique card in Magic: The Gathering, best known for its ability to tutor for a Demon card and recur itself from the graveyard when a Demon enters the battlefield. When facing Blood Speaker, the key is to limit its tutoring ability and prevent the cycle from starting or continuing. One efficient way to do this is by using graveyard hate cards, such as Rest in Peace or Relic of Progenitus, which can exile Blood Speaker before its ability triggers.

Alternatively, counterplay can come in the form of instant removal spells. Using cards like Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile swiftly in response to the demon-summoning ability can disrupt the opponent’s plans. By ensuring the demons never see the battlefield, Blood Speaker’s persistent nature is mitigated. Lastly, cards that restrict the types of creatures that can be played, like Cavern of Souls or Meddling Mage, can also serve as effective countermeasures against the strategies built around Blood Speaker.

A strategic balance of removal, graveyard control, and prevention can overcome the challenges posed by Blood Speaker, keeping this powerful card from overwhelming the game with its recurring demonic mercenaries.


BurnMana Recommendations

The strategic depth of MTG is showcased when cards like Blood Speaker are in play, offering unique advantages with its tutoring ability tailored for Demon-heavy decks. If you’re intrigued by the continuous cycle of fetching formidable creatures and maintaining a hand loaded with high-impact cards, Blood Speaker is a must-have. Its specific mechanics provide not just a card but a recurring game plan that can steer the direction of a match. To harness the full potential of this card and similar strategies, join our community for in-depth insights and tips. Let’s delve deeper into the MTG realm and uncover the power plays that can secure your victory.


Cards like Blood Speaker

Blood Speaker stands out in MTG with its unique ability to interact with Demon creatures. Much like Diabolic Tutor, which offers the flexibility to search for any card in your deck, Blood Speaker narrows the search to solely Demon cards. The twist, though, is that Blood Speaker can form a recurrent loop, fetching a new Demon card following each successful summoning. Plus, it returns back to your hand from the graveyard, a cycle that Diabolic Tutor, a one-time use spell, cannot replicate.

Another card ripe for comparison is Rune-Scarred Demon. While this creature allows you to search for any card when it enters the battlefield, it lacks the recurring nature of Blood Speaker, although it brings a formidable body to the field. Then, there’s Shadowborn Apostle, it lets you search for any Demon, like Blood Speaker, but requires a significant sacrifice – six copies and itself. In contrast, Blood Speaker can keep the search going solo, reducing the demand on your other creatures.

Each of these cards offers a different strategic angle, but Blood Speaker uniquely combines tutor ability with the potential for long-term value, boasting a special synergy for decks that thrive on demonic alliances.

Diabolic Tutor - MTG Card versions
Rune-Scarred Demon - MTG Card versions
Shadowborn Apostle - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Tutor - Odyssey (ODY)
Rune-Scarred Demon - Magic 2012 (M12)
Shadowborn Apostle - Magic 2014 (M14)

Cards similar to Blood Speaker by color, type and mana cost

Hell's Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Rag Man - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Debaser - MTG Card versions
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions
Slinking Skirge - MTG Card versions
Gravedigger - MTG Card versions
Scandalmonger - MTG Card versions
Urborg Shambler - MTG Card versions
Whispering Shade - MTG Card versions
Filth - MTG Card versions
Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions
Bold Plagiarist - MTG Card versions
Dirge Bat - MTG Card versions
Toxin Sliver - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Spirit - MTG Card versions
Nim Shambler - MTG Card versions
Bad Ass - MTG Card versions
Scourge of Numai - MTG Card versions
Deathgazer - MTG Card versions
Dirty Wererat - MTG Card versions
Hell's Caretaker - Chronicles (CHR)
Rag Man - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Phyrexian Debaser - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Slinking Skirge - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Gravedigger - The List (PLST)
Scandalmonger - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Urborg Shambler - Invasion (INV)
Whispering Shade - Odyssey (ODY)
Filth - Judgment (JUD)
Demon of Catastrophes - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Bold Plagiarist - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Dirge Bat - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Toxin Sliver - Legions (LGN)
Vampiric Spirit - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Nim Shambler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Bad Ass - Unhinged (UNH)
Scourge of Numai - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Deathgazer - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Dirty Wererat - Hachette UK (PHUK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Blood Speaker MTG card by a specific set like Champions of Kamigawa, 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 Speaker and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Blood Speaker has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Blood Speaker card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2004-12-01 The return-to-hand triggered ability triggers while Blood Speaker is in your graveyard, no matter how it got there.

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