Cleaving Reaper MTG Card
2007-01-01 - Number 376
2021-02-05 - Number 376
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Angel Berserker |
| Abilities | Flying,Trample |
| Power | 5 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Text of card
Flying, trample Pay 3 life: Return Cleaving Reaper from your graveyard to your hand. Activate only if you had an Angel or Berserker enter the battlefield under your control this turn.
"I won't pollute my blade with your blood, demon. You'll die by your own axe!"
Cards like Cleaving Reaper
Cleaving Reaper presents an intriguing dynamic to the pantheon of aggressive creatures in Magic: The Gathering. The card bears resemblance to threats like Rotting Regisaur in terms of providing a considerable power for a relatively low mana investment. However, the Reaper offers a distinct advantage – the ability to return from the graveyard to the battlefield, giving it a resilience that the Regisaur lacks.
Cleaving Reaper also finds parallels with Boneyard Wurm, as both cards have a synergy with graveyard mechanics. Though the Wurm can grow larger over time, the Reaper’s flying trait and triggered ability make it a more immediate and versatile threat in the air. Comparatively, Skyship Stalker is another card that shares the flying trait but stands out with its flexibility in combat due to its multiple abilities like firebreathing and gaining haste, albeit for an additional mana cost.
Considering these points, Cleaving Reaper emerges as a solid choice for MTG players seeking a blend of offensive capability and tenacious staying power in their deck, establishing its place amidst the competitive options for creature-focused strategies.
Cards similar to Cleaving Reaper by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Cleaving Reaper stands out as it offers the potential to return from the graveyard to your hand, giving you an extra opportunity to utilize the card and maintain card advantage in the late game. This repeatable mechanism is a powerful form of card advantage as it forces your opponent to deal with the same threat multiple times.
Resource Acceleration: As a card that can be paid for with either life or mana, Cleaving Reaper provides a form of resource acceleration. This flexibility in payment allows you to deploy other resources more efficiently and can accelerate your game plan by fielding a substantial threat early on.
Instant Speed: Although Cleaving Reaper itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its ability to return from the graveyard can be activated at instant speed, which means you can wait to make strategic decisions based on your opponent’s actions. This versatility in timing can give you a substantial edge, as you can choose the best moment to reintroduce the creature to the battlefield.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Cleaving Reaper asks you to pitch another card to trigger its resurrection ability. This can be a steep price in situations where every card in hand is vital.
Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that demands both black and green mana, it requires a commitment to a Golgari deck, which might not always align with your strategy.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While a 5/3 flyer for five mana can be impactful, other creatures in the same cost bracket may offer additional abilities or come without the need for a potentially costly discard to return from the graveyard.
Reasons to Include Cleaving Reaper in Your Collection
Versatility: Cleaving Reaper stands out for its ability to adapt to various playstyles. This card fits snugly into aggressive decks thanks to its threatening 5/3 stats, and it can also serve as a reliable creature in midrange decks due to its Trample ability.
Combo Potential: With its unique ability to return from the graveyard to the battlefield, Cleaving Reaper thrives in decks that capitalize on life loss as a resource. This synergizes well with strategies that involve life manipulation or sacrifice for greater gains.
Meta-Relevance: As decks that leverage life as a tactical resource become increasingly prominent, Cleaving Reaper proves to be a strategic asset. Its conditional recursion coupled with significant attack power makes it a card to consider in the shifting landscape of competitive play.
How to beat
Cleaving Reaper is a formidable force in MTG, presenting a unique challenge with its combination of trample, flying, and the ability to return to the battlefield. Its resilience can pressure opponents as it evades common ground-based defenses and returns after being dealt with. To effectively counter this ominous entity, players need to consider strategic removal spells that exile rather than destroy.
Utilizing instant-speed exile effects like Path to Exile ensures Cleaving Reaper doesn’t make a reappearance. Additionally, enchantments such as Rest in Peace can help by preventing cards from entering the graveyard in the first place, which means Cleaving Reaper won’t have the opportunity to return. Counterspells also prove useful, intercepting Cleaving Reaper right as it tries to enter the battlefield. Overall, immediate and preemptive measures are key to conquering this resilient threat.
When facing the Cleaving Reaper, solid strategy and appropriate responses are paramount. Exiling the creature denies the recursion, while prevention keeps it from hitting the board altogether. By adapting to the Reaper’s strengths and wielding your spells wisely, you can escape the shadow of this relentless foe.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Cleaving Reaper MTG card by a specific set like Resale Promos and Kaldheim, 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 Cleaving Reaper 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Cleaving Reaper Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2007-01-01 and 2021-02-05. Illustrated by Victor Adame Minguez.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2007-01-01 | Resale Promos | PRES | 376 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Victor Adame Minguez | |
| 2 | 2021-02-05 | Kaldheim | KHM | 376 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Victor Adame Minguez |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Cleaving Reaper has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Cleaving Reaper card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-02-05 | The Angel or Berserker doesn’t have to still be under your control in order to activate Cleaving Reaper’s ability. Additionally, the Angel or Berserker could have entered the battlefield under your control at any point in the turn, even before Cleaving Reaper was put into the graveyard. |