Dead Reckoning MTG Card

Ensures a quality draw by reviving creatures, bolstering your upcoming plays with strategic card placement. Manipulating the battleground at instant speed makes Dead Reckoning a versatile and reactive tool. Though powerful, its specific mana needs and discard cost require thoughtful deck construction to optimize.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery
Released	2010-02-05
Set symbol
Set name	Worldwake
Set code	WWK
Number	56
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Svetlin Velinov

Text of card

You may put target creature card from your graveyard on top of your library. If you do, Dead Reckoning deals damage equal to that card's power to target creature.

Many venture out to hunt for treasures. Others lie in wait to hunt the hunters.

Cards like Dead Reckoning

Dead Reckoning is a unique sorcery in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, reminiscent of other graveyard manipulating cards. It bears some similarity to the classic card Gravedigger, which lets you retrieve a creature card from your graveyard to your hand. Dead Reckoning allows you to choose any creature card in your graveyard, put it on top of your library instead, and then lets you deal damage to a creature equal to the power of the card returned this way. Although Gravedigger offers a creature back to hand, Dead Reckoning can disrupt your opponent by removing their threats on the board.

Harnessing the power of death-themed mechanics, we also have Disentomb, another card that brings creatures back from the graveyard but straight to hand and without the damage component. Dead Reckoning surpasses it by being more versatile in terms of game strategy. Then dredge into Morbid Curiosity, a card with a similar theme that trades in creatures for card advantage. Still, it doesn’t allow the targeted creature destruction that Dead Reckoning provides, showcasing Dead Reckoning’s dual ability to recover key cards and clear the way for victory.

Dead Reckoning stands out within its category by offering not just retrieval but also control over the game board, making it a potentially invaluable card in any MTG player’s arsenal.

Cards similar to Dead Reckoning by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dead Reckoning lets you put a creature card from your graveyard on top of your library, ensuring that you have a valuable creature ready to draw and potentially bringing back powerful synergies or key pieces of your strategy. This subtle rearrangement of your deck serves as a precursor to drawing that key creature, subtly improving your card quality and hand options.

Resource Acceleration: By selecting the right creature to place on top of your library, you can set up for a sequence of turns that accelerate your board presence, making it a versatile choice in decks that might benefit from an unexpected resurgence. While not directly accelerating resources like mana, it accelerates your potential to impact the game state through strategic graveyard manipulation.

Instant Speed: The true strength of Dead Reckoning lies in its versatility at instant speed, allowing you to react to your opponents’ plays. Whether it’s during their end step or in response to graveyard disruption, the ability to pivot your game plan at a moment’s notice while your opponents are off-guard can turn the tides in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To harness Dead Reckoning’s full potential, you’ll need to discard a card. This can put you at a disadvantage, especially if your hand is already running low on options.

Specific Mana Cost: Dead Reckoning demands precise mana, including one black. This stipulation may restrict its inclusion to decks that are tuned to accommodate such specificity.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that leans on the higher side, this card competes with other options that could provide more bang for your buck, leaving some players to consider alternatives that offer similar effects without as much of a mana investment.

Reasons to Include Dead Reckoning in Your Collection

Versatility: Dead Reckoning offers a multifaceted approach to gameplay—it’s not only a means to manipulate the battlefield by selectively placing a creature on top of your library but also acts as a removal spell against opponent’s creatures.

Combo Potential: This card opens up combo avenues by allowing you to set up your next draw, especially with creatures that have powerful enter the battlefield effects, or to recur creatures from the graveyard in decks designed around such synergies.

Meta-Relevance: With a constantly shifting metagame that can sometimes be dominated by creature-based strategies, Dead Reckoning has the potential to be a game-changer by disrupting your opponent’s board while reinforcing your own strategy.

How to beat

Dead Reckoning is a unique card that allows players to manipulate both their graveyard and the battlefield. Its primary advantage lies in its ability to destroy a creature based on the power of a creature card in your graveyard. This makes it particularly potent in decks that are designed to cycle through creatures quickly and get them into the graveyard.

To beat Dead Reckoning, it’s essential to manage your graveyard effectively and keep control over the creatures you let hit the bin. Graveyard manipulation spells like Nihil Spellbomb or Tormod’s Crypt can remove the potential targets for Dead Reckoning, rendering the card less effective. Another strategy is to rely on hexproof creatures which are immune to Dead Reckoning’s targeted destruction. Additionally, keeping your crucial creatures off the battlefield until after your opponent has used Dead Reckoning can ensure their safety, as preemptive removal forces your opponent to make less optimal plays.

Overall, while Dead Reckoning poses a significant threat to creature-based strategies, with well-timed graveyard interference and strategic play, you can neutralize its advantage and maintain the upper hand in your matches.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dead Reckoning MTG card by a specific set like Worldwake, 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 Dead Reckoning and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dead Reckoning has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2010-03-01	Dead Reckoning deals damage equal to the power the creature card had while it was in your graveyard. This could matter if that card is something like Lord of Extinction or Tarmogoyf whose power is determined by a characteristic-defining ability that checks the contents of your graveyard.
2010-03-01	If the targeted creature card is an illegal target as Dead Reckoning resolves (because it’s no longer in your graveyard, perhaps), you can’t choose to put it on top of your library. No damage will be dealt.
2010-03-01	If the targeted creature is an illegal target as Dead Reckoning resolves (because it’s no longer on the battlefield, perhaps), you may still put the targeted creature card from your graveyard on top of your library. No damage will be dealt.
2010-03-01	You must choose two targets as you cast Dead Reckoning: a creature card in your graveyard and a creature on the battlefield. If you can’t, then you can’t cast the spell.