Curse of Shallow Graves MTG Card


Curse of Shallow Graves - Commander 2013
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura Curse
Abilities Enchant
Released2013-11-01
Set symbol
Set nameCommander 2013
Set codeC13
Number71
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byKarla Ortiz

Key Takeaways

  1. Generates card advantage by creating zombies without depleting your hand.
  2. Accelerates resource development via pressure and creature growth.
  3. Triggers instant responses, providing tactical advantages in play.

Text of card

Enchant player Whenever a player attacks enchanted player with one or more creatures, that attacking player may put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield tapped.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Curse of Shallow Graves has the potential to generate significant card advantage by consistently creating 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens. This consistent stream of creatures bolsters your board presence without expending additional cards from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: Although it doesn’t provide traditional mana acceleration, Curse of Shallow Graves compensates by putting pressure on your opponents and accelerating your resource development in terms of creatures on the battlefield. This can lead to faster wins as your undead army grows each turn.

Instant Speed: While Curse of Shallow Graves itself is an enchantment that does not operate at instant speed, the triggered ability occurs at instant speed. Therefore, whenever a player casts a spell under the curse, you get an instant-speed response in the form of a new Zombie token, allowing for strategic plays during opponents’ turns.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To trigger Curse of Shallow Graves’ effect, an opponent must discard a card, which might not consistently happen, making the card’s impact situational and dependent on your opponent’s play style.

Specific Mana Cost: It demands a color-specific mana investment (black), which can complicate your mana base if you’re running a multicolored deck, potentially causing it to not always align with your mana curve when you need it.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a three mana value (one generic and two black), Curse of Shallow Graves comes at a point where players could cast more immediately impactful cards, so its inclusion comes at the opportunity cost of foregoing other stabilizing or aggressive options at this critical stage of the game.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Curse of Shallow Graves shows remarkable adaptability across various deck archetypes. Commanders that revel in zombie tribal themes or require consistent creature tokens to sacrifice find this enchantment to be an asset.

Combo Potential: The ability to create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token whenever a player attacks the enchanted player can be exploited with numerous synergies and combos, especially in decks that thrive on death triggers or token generation.

Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, cards that can steadily populate the board pose an increasing threat. Curse of Shallow Graves keeps opponents on their toes, making it a fitting choice in metas where pressuring opponents’ life totals is key.


How to beat

Curse of Shallow Graves is a persistent threat in MTG that can incrementally tilt the battlefield in favor of the curse’s controller. It’s a card that demands a strategic approach to overcome, as it continually creates 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens. To effectively encounter this challenge, controlling the board becomes essential. Board wipes like Wrath of God or Damnation can clear out the spawned zombies and reset the board. Moreover, enchantment removal spells such as Naturalize or Disenchant are direct answers to remove Curse of Shallow Graves from the game.

One must also consider the prevention of curse effects. Counterspells like Counterspell or Negate can stop Curse of Shallow Graves from hitting the battlefield altogether. Additionally, playing around the curse means avoiding losing creatures in combat, hence avoiding triggering the curse’s token-generating ability. Prioritize control over aggression when Curse of Shallow Graves is in play and use removals wisely to maintain pressure on your opponent without overextending.

Defeating Curse of Shallow Graves relies on timely responses and maintaining control of the board. It’s about assessing the ebb and flow of the game and disrupting your opponent’s strategies while steadily building your own path to victory within the gripping world of MTG.


BurnMana Recommendations

Delving into the intricacies of Curse of Shallow Graves, it’s clear that strategic insights and resourceful thinking are the pivots of success in MTG. Fully harnessing this card’s potential involves a mix of calculated plays and adaptable tactics. Whether you’re building an entire deck around this threatening enchantment or just weaving it into your existing zombie strategy, its effectiveness can be substantial. We encourage all types of players to further investigate the depth this card brings to the game. Advance your understanding and inspire your next win by exploring more about this and other unique cards right here with us.


Cards like Curse of Shallow Graves

Curse of Shallow Graves stands out for its ability to create recurring threats in Magic: The Gathering. It shares similarities with cards like Curse of Disturbance, which also capitalizes on opponents’ actions—specifically their attacking—to create 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens. However, Curse of Shallow Graves triggers only when a specific opponent is attacked, carefully sculpting a multiplayer game dynamic.

An analogous enchantment might be Call to the Grave. While this enchantment doesn’t produce tokens, it maintains the zombie theme by compelling each player to sacrifice non-Zombie creatures and thus whittling down opponents’ forces each turn. Although Curse of Shallow Graves is less controlling, it compensates by being cheaper and focusing on offense.

Sifting through MTG’s vast card pool, another related card is Endless Ranks of the Dead. This card exponentially increases your zombie army during your upkeep, but unlike Curse of Shallow Graves, it requires a substantial existing board presence to be effective. The Curse, albeit slower, sets a consistent tempo by doling out tokens and has the strategic advantage of influencing combat decisions.

Each of these cards can reinforce zombie-themed decks, yet Curse of Shallow Graves offers a unique blend of aggressive play and tactical opponent manipulation, making it a compelling choice for players looking to turn their enemies’ advances into their own undead advantage.

Curse of Disturbance - MTG Card versions
Call to the Grave - MTG Card versions
Endless Ranks of the Dead - MTG Card versions
Curse of Disturbance - Treasure Chest (PZ2)
Call to the Grave - Scourge (SCG)
Endless Ranks of the Dead - Innistrad (ISD)

Cards similar to Curse of Shallow Graves by color, type and mana cost

Gloom - MTG Card versions
Season of the Witch - MTG Card versions
Tourach's Gate - MTG Card versions
Tourach's Chant - MTG Card versions
Withering Wisps - MTG Card versions
Necropotence - MTG Card versions
Funeral March - MTG Card versions
Casting of Bones - MTG Card versions
Blanket of Night - MTG Card versions
Hecatomb - MTG Card versions
Krovikan Fetish - MTG Card versions
Dauthi Embrace - MTG Card versions
Megrim - MTG Card versions
Recurring Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Contamination - MTG Card versions
Oppression - MTG Card versions
Lurking Evil - MTG Card versions
Maggot Therapy - MTG Card versions
Murderous Betrayal - MTG Card versions
Noxious Field - MTG Card versions
Gloom - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Season of the Witch - The Dark (DRK)
Tourach's Gate - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Tourach's Chant - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Withering Wisps - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Necropotence - Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting Tales (WOT)
Funeral March - Homelands (HML)
Casting of Bones - Alliances (ALL)
Blanket of Night - Visions (VIS)
Hecatomb - Masters Edition (ME1)
Krovikan Fetish - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Dauthi Embrace - Tempest (TMP)
Megrim - Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)
Recurring Nightmare - Exodus (EXO)
Contamination - Urza's Saga (USG)
Oppression - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Lurking Evil - Urza's Saga (USG)
Maggot Therapy - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Murderous Betrayal - Nemesis (NEM)
Noxious Field - Prophecy (PCY)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Curse of Shallow Graves MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2013, 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 Curse of Shallow Graves and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Curse of Shallow Graves has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2013-10-17 A Curse spell targets the player it will enchant like any other Aura spell, and a Curse stays on the battlefield like any other Aura. If the enchanted player gains protection from the Curse’s color (or any other characteristic the Curse has), the Curse will be put into its owner’s graveyard.
2013-10-17 Curse is an enchantment type, not a creature type (or any other kind of subtype).
2013-10-17 Each of the Curses can be attached to any player, including the player who cast the Curse.
2013-10-17 The Curse subtype has no inherent rules meaning, but two cards in the Innistrad set (Bitterheart Witch and Witchbane Orb) refer to Curses.
2013-10-17 The ability won’t trigger when a creature attacks a planeswalker controlled by the enchanted player.

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