Dread Summons MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Abilities Mill

Key Takeaways

  1. Mastering Dread Summons involves utilizing creature cards in the graveyard for strategic advantage.
  2. Integrating the card into decks requires consideration of its mana specificity and high cost.
  3. Its uniqueness lies in milling versatility and token generation compared to similar MTG cards.

Text of card

Each player puts the top X cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. For each creature card put into a graveyard this way, you put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield tapped.

"Did you have a nice nap?" —Liliana Vess


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dread Summons specializes in filling your graveyard with creatures, offering a significant advantage by potentially bringing more creatures under your control from both your own and your opponents’ decks.

Resource Acceleration: This card can act as a resource accelerator in decks built around graveyard interactions, enabling strategies that benefit from having multiple creature cards in the graveyard ready for resurrection or other synergies.

Instant Speed: Although Dread Summons operates at sorcery speed, it allows for strategic planning to maximize impact on your own turn, setting the stage for powerful plays that can greatly influence the board state.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Dread Summons requires players to commit cards from their hand or battlefield to fuel its ability. This can sometimes backfire, leaving a diminished pool of resources for future turns and reducing the player’s ability to react.

Specific Mana Cost: With a specific cost requiring black mana, Dread Summons may not easily fit into multi-colored decks, possibly limiting its versatility and affecting deck construction strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At its current mana cost, some players might find Dread Summons less appealing compared to other options, especially if they are looking for more immediate or cost-efficient impacts on the game.


Reasons to Include Dread Summons in Your Collection

Versatility: Dread Summons is a card that offers flexible options for various deck builds. Its ability to mill cards from each player’s library opens up strategies for graveyard play, making it a solid choice in Commander and other formats where large libraries are common.

Combo Potential: This card shines when paired with strategies that capitalize on filling the graveyard. Its potential to create numerous zombie tokens can rapidly escalate with synergistic cards, turning a seemingly innocuous play into a formidable board presence.

Meta-Relevance: In a metagame dense with creature-based strategies, Dread Summons can serve as a valuable tool, either by stocking your own graveyard for reanimation tactics or disrupting opponents who rely heavily on their libraries. As metas evolve, its relevance can soar, especially when facing decks that are unprepared for graveyard manipulation.


How to beat

Dread Summons is a unique card in MTG that taps into the power of the graveyard. The card allows players to mill multiple cards from the top of their library into their graveyard and creates a horde of Zombie creatures based on the number of creatures milled this way. This dark spell has the potential to swiftly alter the board state, especially in the late game when mana pools are abundant.

To counteract the impact of Dread Summons, it’s important for players to disrupt graveyard synergies. Tools like Tormod’s Crypt or Leyline of the Void can be strategic inclusions to any deck, completely negating the benefits Dread Summons provides. Another approach is to use counterspells such as Negate or Cancel to prevent Dread Summons from resolving. For those with a more proactive strategy, applying pressure early in the game can limit an opponent’s ability to safely cast high mana spells like Dread Summons, with cards like Thalia, Guardian of Thraben increasing the casting cost of noncreature spells.

Ultimately, victory lies in careful planning and understanding the opponent’s deck strategy to anticipate and disrupt key plays. Staying one step ahead and addressing the threat of graveyard manipulation directly can lead to successfully navigating against the ghastly effects of Dread Summons.


BurnMana Recommendations

Making the most out of Dread Summons in MTG is about understanding its synergies and potential impact on the game. Its graveyard-filling prowess can be a game-changer, creating armies from thin air and fueling future strategies. While considering deck compatibility and mana costs is crucial, its strategic depth cannot be overstated. Whether you’re countering strategies, reinforcing your own graveyard, or crafting an unstoppable zombie legion, Dread Summons is a force to be reckoned with. Want to unearth more strategies and optimize your deck with Dread Summons? Dive deeper into the nuanced world of MTG with us and refine your gameplay to emerge victorious.


Cards like Dread Summons

Dread Summons is a unique card that carves its niche within the realm of creature summoning spells in Magic: The Gathering. At a glance, its closest relatives include cards like Army of the Damned, which also floods the battlefield with Zombie tokens, albeit in a higher quantity and at a greater mana cost. Dread Summons, with its variable X cost, offers flexibility in controlling just how vast your undead horde will be.

Similarly, Endless Ranks of the Dead is another card that steadily increases the number of Zombie tokens in play. However, it differs in being an enchantment that requires a pre-existing army to be effective, unlike Dread Summons which can create a sizable force outright. Zombie Infestation also finds common ground with Dread Summons by generating Zombie tokens, but it leverages discarded cards rather than milling opponents, making it a more self-contained strategy but less impactful on opponents’ decks.

In essence, Dread Summons holds its own by offering utilitarian milling combined with the strategic creation of token creatures, adding to its allure when comparing it to other cards in Magic: The Gathering that focus on token generation and battlefield presence.

Army of the Damned - MTG Card versions
Endless Ranks of the Dead - MTG Card versions
Zombie Infestation - MTG Card versions
Army of the Damned - Innistrad (ISD)
Endless Ranks of the Dead - Innistrad (ISD)
Zombie Infestation - Odyssey (ODY)

Cards similar to Dread Summons by color, type and mana cost

Drain Life - MTG Card versions
Demonic Tutor - MTG Card versions
Sinkhole - MTG Card versions
Word of Binding - MTG Card versions
Soul Exchange - MTG Card versions
Dry Spell - MTG Card versions
Hymn to Tourach - MTG Card versions
Mind Knives - MTG Card versions
Shattered Crypt - MTG Card versions
Disturbed Burial - MTG Card versions
Death Stroke - MTG Card versions
Exhume - MTG Card versions
Imperial Edict - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Intent - MTG Card versions
Decompose - MTG Card versions
Chainer's Edict - MTG Card versions
Walk the Plank - MTG Card versions
Predators' Hour - MTG Card versions
Nausea - MTG Card versions
Hunger of the Nim - MTG Card versions
Drain Life - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Demonic Tutor - Commander Masters (CMM)
Sinkhole - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Word of Binding - Renaissance (REN)
Soul Exchange - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Dry Spell - Portal (POR)
Hymn to Tourach - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Mind Knives - Portal (POR)
Shattered Crypt - Weatherlight (WTH)
Disturbed Burial - Tempest (TMP)
Death Stroke - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Exhume - Jumpstart (JMP)
Imperial Edict - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Diabolic Intent - Planeshift (PLS)
Decompose - Odyssey (ODY)
Chainer's Edict - Ultimate Masters (UMA)
Walk the Plank - The List (PLST)
Predators' Hour - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Nausea - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Hunger of the Nim - Darksteel (DST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dread Summons MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2015 and Legendary Cube Prize Pack, 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 Dread Summons and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Dread Summons Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2015-11-13 and 2022-04-29. Illustrated by Izzy.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12015-11-13Commander 2015C15 202015normalblackIzzy
22015-11-18Legendary Cube Prize PackPZ1 442015normalblackIzzy
32017-06-09Commander AnthologyCMA 562015normalblackIzzy
42021-09-24Midnight Hunt CommanderMIC 1132015normalblackIzzy
52022-04-29New Capenna CommanderNCC 2492015normalblackIzzy

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dread Summons has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2015-11-04 If a creature card has an ability that replaces going to the graveyard with moving somewhere else “instead,” that card won't count toward the number of Zombies you get. Conversely, creature cards with a triggered ability that removes them from the graveyard when they're put there from anywhere (or your library) will count toward that number.

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