Codex Shredder MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact
Abilities Mill

Key Takeaways

  1. Codex Shredder provides card advantage by retrieving key cards from the graveyard at crucial moments.
  2. Its instant-speed activation disrupts opponents while optimizing your strategies on the fly.
  3. Despite its advantages, Codex Shredder demands careful resource management due to its cost.

Text of card

: Target player puts the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard. , , Sacrifice Codex Shredder: Return target card from your graveyard to your hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Codex Shredder offers the flexibility to get back key cards from the graveyard, ensuring a steady flow of resources and giving players an edge as the game progresses.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating mana, Codex Shredder can recycle crucial accelerants, indirectly contributing to ramping up your resources over time.

Instant Speed: Its tap ability can be activated at instant speed, allowing you to wait until the optimal moment to retrieve an important card or disrupt an opponent’s strategy during their turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Codex Shredder necessitates pitching cards to retrieve something from your graveyard, potentially depleting your hand when you might need those cards for other plays.

Specific Mana Cost: A reliance on colorless mana for activation can be restrictive. Decks that run heavy color requirements might find it difficult to spare the mana for Codex Shredder’s abilities.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Investing one mana to cast and five to return a card from the graveyard can be costly, especially considering alternative cards in the format that can perform similar functions for less mana.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Codex Shredder offers adaptability across various formats by providing both passive graveyard fill for strategies like Dredge or a direct way to return key cards from the graveyard to your hand. It’s a useful tool in decks that capitalize on recursion or delve mechanics.

Combo Potential: This artifact plays well in lock combos with cards like Lantern of Insight, paving the way for a controlled milling strategy. Its tap ability can selectively deplete an opponent’s important resources while synergizing with cards that benefit from opponents’ graveyard build-up.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where digging for answers or setting up graveyard-based plays is pivotal, Codex Shredder’s utility as both a disruptor and enabler makes it a solid choice. It’s especially relevant in formats where games often hinge on the retrieval of specific combo pieces or keys spells.


How to beat

Codex Shredder is an intriguing artifact in the world of Magic: The Gathering with an ability to grind down an opponent’s library. This card has become a staple in strategies looking to manipulate both players’ libraries for an edge. One fundamental way to counteract Codex Shredder is by employing artifact removal spells which are abundantly available across MTG’s colors.

Considering colors like Green, you have access to Naturalize, or its more versatile counterpart, Krosan Grip, which can interrupt the Codex Shredder’s abilities due to its Split Second. In Red, players can rely on the speed of Shattering Spree or the precision of Abrade to dismantle the artifact. Blue players, while not directly destroying, can bounce it back to the owner’s hand with Hurkyl’s Recall, disrupting their strategy. White offers Disenchant, a simple yet effective solution that has been dealing with artifacts since MTG’s early sets. Lastly, Black’s contribution like Pharika’s Libation can force an opponent to sacrifice artifacts when direct removal is not available.

To fully nullify Codex Shredder’s impact, focusing on robust sideboard options and maintaining mana for responses are key. Knowing when to strategically dismantle your opponent’s tools can lead to a clear path to victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of Codex Shredder can be a game-changer for MTG enthusiasts. With its capabilities of graveyard retrieval and the tactical advantage it offers, this card warrants consideration for any player looking to deepen their strategic play. The ability to recover vital cards or disrupt opponents makes it a valuable asset, particularly in formats that leverage those tactics. If you’re aiming to refine your deck with an artifact that can influence the game’s tempo and offer flexibility, look no further. Dive deeper with us to explore the utility of Codex Shredder and enhance your MTG expertise.


Cards like Codex Shredder

Codex Shredder is a unique fixture in Magic: The Gathering, serving predominantly as a utility artifact. When placed beside Ghoulcaller’s Bell, another artifact with a similar milling ability, Codex Shredder offers increased control by targeting individual libraries. Though both can chip away at an opponent’s deck, the Shredder adds flexibility with its second ability to return a card from your graveyard to your hand, foresight Ghoulcaller’s Bell doesn’t provide.

Comparatively, we examine Tormod’s Crypt, a card revered for graveyard disruption at no mana cost. While Tormod’s Crypt lacks Codex Shredder’s milling prowess as it doesn’t mill cards by itself, its zero cost and ability to exile an entire graveyard at once can be a game-changer. Codex Shredder, meanwhile, demands a longer game to fully utilize its incremental milling and retrieval capabilities.

In summation, Codex Shredder’s distinct milling and card retrieval features make it a formidable tool, particularly in decks designed for long-term strategy and recursion. Other artifacts might offer similar disturbance to opponents’ plans, but few combine these traits as effectively as the multi-faceted Codex Shredder.

Ghoulcaller's Bell - MTG Card versions
Tormod's Crypt - MTG Card versions
Ghoulcaller's Bell - Innistrad (ISD)
Tormod's Crypt - The Dark (DRK)

Cards similar to Codex Shredder by color, type and mana cost

Glasses of Urza - MTG Card versions
Wooden Sphere - MTG Card versions
Sol Ring - MTG Card versions
Iron Star - MTG Card versions
Black Vise - MTG Card versions
Urza's Chalice - MTG Card versions
Ivory Cup - MTG Card versions
Brass Man - MTG Card versions
Mana Vault - MTG Card versions
Soul Net - MTG Card versions
The Rack - MTG Card versions
Helm of Chatzuk - MTG Card versions
Obelisk of Undoing - MTG Card versions
Feldon's Cane - MTG Card versions
Throne of Bone - MTG Card versions
Meekstone - MTG Card versions
Thran Foundry - MTG Card versions
Cursed Scroll - MTG Card versions
Candelabra of Tawnos - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Dreadnought - MTG Card versions
Glasses of Urza - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Wooden Sphere - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Sol Ring - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Iron Star - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Black Vise - Revised Edition (3ED)
Urza's Chalice - Masters Edition (ME1)
Ivory Cup - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Brass Man - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Mana Vault - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Soul Net - Fifth Edition (5ED)
The Rack - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Helm of Chatzuk - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Obelisk of Undoing - Rinascimento (RIN)
Feldon's Cane - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Throne of Bone - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Meekstone - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Thran Foundry - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Cursed Scroll - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Candelabra of Tawnos - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Phyrexian Dreadnought - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Codex Shredder MTG card by a specific set like Return to Ravnica and Mystery Booster Retail Edition Foils, 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 Codex Shredder and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Codex Shredder Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2012-10-05 and 2020-11-20. Illustrated by Jason Felix.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12012-10-05Return to RavnicaRTR 2282003normalblackJason Felix
22020-03-08Mystery Booster Retail Edition FoilsFMB1 1002003normalblackJason Felix
32020-09-26The ListPLST RTR-2282003normalblackJason Felix
42020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 3042015normalblackJason Felix

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Codex Shredder has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-11-10 You choose the target of Codex Shredder's last ability before paying its costs, so you can't return Codex Shredder to your hand this way.

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