Crow of Dark Tidings MTG Card
2016-04-08 - Number 105
2018-12-07 - Number 90
2019-11-07 - Number 606
2019-11-15 - Number 28
2020-07-17 - Number 221
2020-11-20 - Number 115
2022-12-02 - Number 390
2023-03-21 - Number 104
2020-09-26 - Number SOI-105
| Card sets | Released in 9 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Zombie Bird |
| Abilities | Flying,Mill |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
Flying When Crow of Dark Tidings enters the battlefield or dies, put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard.
Cards like Crow of Dark Tidings
Crow of Dark Tidings is a unique creature card in the vast world of Magic: The Gathering. This flying creature has an intrinsic capability of facilitating graveyard play, similar to the kind of self-milling Chamrosh offers, which provides two mills upon entering the battlefield. However, Crow of Dark Tidings extends its influence, milling not only when it enters but also when it dies, increasing your graveyard’s resources twofold.
Another card worth mentioning in comparison is Stitcher’s Supplier. While the Supplier mills more cards per trigger, a total of three, it only does this upon entering and dying, not offering the evasion ability of flying that Crow of Dark Tidings holds. Additionally, Ghoulsteed provides an interesting contrast; it’s a larger creature that can return from the graveyard to the battlefield, whereas the Crow provides a continuous effect that contributes to the graveyard strategy upon its demise.
To conclude, Crow of Dark Tidings stands out among graveyard-centric creatures in MTG, with a balanced combination of flying, self-milling upon entering and exiting the battlefield, making it a valued enabler for graveyard-based strategies.
Cards similar to Crow of Dark Tidings by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Crow of Dark Tidings offers a unique form of card advantage. As it enters the battlefield or dies, it mills the top two cards of your library. While this may seem like a disadvantage, it actually fuels strategies that benefit from having cards in the graveyard, like reanimation or delirium tactics.
Resource Acceleration: By moving cards from your library directly into your graveyard, the Crow provides a form of resource acceleration unusual within the game. This allows you to access more of your resources by potentially putting lands or creatures within reach of reanimation spells or other graveyard synergies faster than usual.
Instant Speed: While the Crow itself does not operate at instant speed, its ability triggers upon its death, which can be manipulated through instant speed removals or sacrifice effects. This allows savvy players to benefit from its graveyard-filling effect at potentially strategic moments during the game, even on an opponent’s turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Crow of Dark Tidings requires a discard upon entering or leaving the battlefield. This can potentially deplete valuable hand resources, making it a risky play if your card advantage is already precarious.
Specific Mana Cost: Casting this creature requires a mix of generic and black mana. This specific mana cost means that only decks with black mana sources can leverage its abilities, possibly excluding it from various multi-colored strategies that don’t involve black.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value of three, this spell’s cost may outweigh its benefit when compared to other options. For the same or lower mana investment, players could summon creatures with greater impact or utility, rendering the crow less appealing from an efficiency standpoint.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: The Crow of Dark Tidings is a solid fit in numerous deck archetypes, particularly those leaning into graveyard mechanics. Its ability to put cards into your graveyard can set up future plays, enhance delve strategies, or fuel reanimation tactics.
Combo Potential: This creature synergizes well with cards that profit from having creatures enter the graveyard. It also feeds graveyard-based strategies, potentially unlocking powerful combinations with other cards that interact with the graveyard.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment where players utilize their graveyards as a resource, Crow of Dark Tidings becomes a highly relevant card. Its flying ability also offers a reliable way to chip away at an opponent’s life total while furnishing your graveyard with more tools.
How to beat Crow of Dark Tidings
Understanding the dynamics of a card like Crow of Dark Tidings is crucial for strategizing against it in Magic: The Gathering. This particular card, when it enters the battlefield or dies, puts the top two cards of a player’s library into their graveyard. It’s a nimble creature that can enable or enhance graveyard-based strategies.
Dealing with the Crow of Dark Tidings can be broken down into direct removal, graveyard manipulation, or hindrance strategies. Direct removal spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can quickly dispatch the Crow, bypassing its graveyard-triggered ability with minimal cost to you. Graveyard manipulation, by means such as Relic of Progenitus or Scavenging Ooze, neutralizes the threat by exiling the cards before they have an effect. And hindrance takes form in counter measures like Grafdigger’s Cage, preventing cards from being used from the graveyard upon their arrival there.
Altogether, staying ahead of the Crow of Dark Tidings means recognizing the advantage it brings to graveyard play, and countering it with swift removal, graveyard disruption, or preemptive measures to stop its abilities from influencing the match.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Crow of Dark Tidings MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad and Ultimate Masters, 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 Crow of Dark Tidings and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
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- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
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- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The Crow of Dark Tidings Magic the Gathering card was released in 9 different sets between 2016-04-08 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-04-08 | Shadows over Innistrad | SOI | 105 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Tianhua X | |
| 2 | 2018-12-07 | Ultimate Masters | UMA | 90 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Tianhua X | |
| 3 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 606 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Tianhua X | |
| 4 | 2019-11-15 | Game Night 2019 | GN2 | 28 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Tianhua X | |
| 5 | 2020-07-17 | Jumpstart | JMP | 221 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Tianhua X | |
| 6 | The List | PLST | SOI-105 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Tianhua X | ||
| 7 | 2020-11-20 | Commander Legends | CMR | 115 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Tianhua X | |
| 8 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 390 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Tianhua X | |
| 9 | 2023-03-21 | Shadows over Innistrad Remastered | SIR | 104 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Simon Dominic |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Crow of Dark Tidings has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Crow of Dark Tidings card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2020-11-10 | The triggered ability triggers both when Crow of Dark Tidings enters the battlefield and when it dies. You don't have to choose only one. |