Deathcap Marionette MTG Card


Grants card advantage by retrieving artifact creatures from the graveyard to your hand upon death. Contributes to resource acceleration and combos well with instant spells and artifact synergies. Despite its benefits, it requires creature sacrifice and specific mana colors, which may limit its utility.
Deathcap Marionette - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Fungus
Abilities Deathtouch,Mill
Released2023-11-17
Set symbol
Set nameThe Lost Caverns of Ixalan
Set codeLCI
Power 1
Toughness 1
Number100
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred bySvetlin Velinov

Text of card

Deathtouch When Deathcap Marionette enters the battlefield, you may mill two cards. (You may put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard.)

Mycoids have no concept of life or death. All things exist, and all things can be made useful.


Cards like Deathcap Marionette

Focusing on the Deathcap Marionette, it bridges a unique spot within the fabric of Magic: The Gathering creature cards. It draws parallels to the likes of Puppeteer Clique, a card that also plays with graveyard dynamics, reanimating creatures for a single turn use. The striking distinction is Deathcap Marionette’s synergy with sacrificing mechanics, a feature that isn’t as emphasized in Puppeteer Clique.

Examining another kin, Mortus Strider presents an interesting comparison. Both have recursive abilities, but Mortus Strider lacks the impactful board presence that comes with Deathcap Marionette’s potential for direct opponent damage. The marionette also has a combo potential with the aspect of life loss tied to artifact synergy, something not seen in Mortus Strider’s repertoire.

Overall, while the Deathcap Marionette might share the graveyard interaction theme, its unique combination of resurrection, sacrifice for damage, and artifact integration set it apart, providing a multifaceted tool for players that enjoy nuanced control over the battlefield and their resources.

Puppeteer Clique - MTG Card versions
Mortus Strider - MTG Card versions
Puppeteer Clique - MTG Card versions
Mortus Strider - MTG Card versions

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Drudge Skeletons - MTG Card versions
Erg Raiders - MTG Card versions
Cuombajj Witches - MTG Card versions
Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions
Bog Imp - MTG Card versions
Wall of Corpses - MTG Card versions
Blighted Shaman - MTG Card versions
Rabid Rats - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Bat - MTG Card versions
Ravenous Rats - MTG Card versions
Flesh Reaver - MTG Card versions
Bloodcurdler - MTG Card versions
Nantuko Shade - MTG Card versions
Piper of the Swarm - MTG Card versions
Undead Augur - MTG Card versions
Shepherd of Rot - MTG Card versions
Swarm of Rats - MTG Card versions
Skullsnatcher - MTG Card versions
Nezumi Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Nezumi Graverobber // Nighteyes the Desecrator - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Deathcap Marionette presents an opportunity for subtle card advantage. While it doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, its ability to bring back artifact creatures from your graveyard to your hand when it dies grants you a form of incremental advantage throughout the game.

Resource Acceleration: This card contributes to resource acceleration in a distinct manner. By providing an artifact creature that can potentially be sacrificed for mana or other in-game benefits, Deathcap Marionette ensures that your resources are being used efficiently, especially when synergized with other cards that capitalize on artifact creatures.

Instant Speed: Though Deathcap Marionette itself is not an instant, it interacts well with instant speed spells and abilities. It can be sacrificed in response to an opponent’s action, triggering its death effect at a critical moment, allowing you to strategically reclaim artifact creatures when it’s most advantageous for your gameplay.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To activate Deathcap Marionette’s ability, sacrificing a creature is necessary, potentially depleting your board presence which may not always align with your game strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Deathcap Marionette’s black and green mana requirement demands a dedicated commitment to these colors, limiting its flexibility across a wider range of deck archetypes that might not run these colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost sitting at four mana, including both black and green, this card competes with other impactful four-cost creatures and spells in the same slot which may offer immediate and more versatile effects.


Reasons to Include Deathcap Marionette in Your Collection

Versatility: Deathcap Marionette offers a diverse range of uses in gameplay, key for decks that exploit graveyard strategies or artifact synergies. Its inherent flexibility means it can easily find a home in various deck archetypes.

Combo Potential: This card shines in combination with self-mill mechanisms or sacrificial strategies, potentially creating a devastating end-game condition for your opponent by depleting their life total with its triggered ability.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where graveyard play is prevalent or artifacts are commonly used, Deathcap Marionette could serve as a significant tactical addition, countering opponents while advancing your game plan.


How to beat Deathcap Marionette

Deathcap Marionette presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. This intriguing card offers a strategic advantage with its ability to cause loss of life upon its departure from the play area. To effectively counter this, it’s critical to minimize interactions that cause it to leave the battlefield on your opponent’s terms. Instead, focus on exiling it or utilizing effects that negate death triggers, thereby nullifying its threatening exit ability. Cards that can prevent or substitute the creature’s death, such as Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void, cut off this angle of attack, allowing you to maintain control over the game flow.

Another viable strategy involves manipulating the number of creatures in your opponent’s graveyard, since Deathcap Marionette’s loss of life is directly tied to that number. Graveyard hate cards or those that can exile creatures from graveyards, like Scavenging Ooze, diminish the impact of Deathcap Marionette’s grim departure. The key is careful graveyard management and maintaining board presence that limits the marionette’s potential to orchestrate a lethal performance. With thoughtful planning and the right counters, you can pull the strings and ensure the marionette’s final act is less dramatic than intended.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Deathcap Marionette MTG card by a specific set like The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, 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 Deathcap Marionette and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Deathcap Marionette has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2023-11-10 If you don't have at least two cards in your library, you can't choose to mill two cards.