Deathreap Ritual MTG Card


Morbid-triggered card draws from Deathreap Ritual enhance strategic depth and hand replenishment. Golgari mana requirements limit use to certain deck archetypes, affecting its versatility. Its unique trigger condition outperforms similar cards in multiplayer scenarios, offering exclusive card draw.
Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment
Abilities Morbid

Text of card

Morbid — At the beginning of each end step, if a creature died this turn, you may draw a card.

"All who set foot in Paliano are pawns in someone's play for power." —Marchesa, the Black Rose


Cards like Deathreap Ritual

Deathreap Ritual holds a unique position in the arena of card advantage engines within Magic: The Gathering. This enchantment shares some functionality with cards like Grim Haruspex, which also capitalizes on creature deaths for card draw. However, Deathreap Ritual distinguishes itself with its broader trigger condition, considering the demise of any creature, not just your own, which can provide a consistent draw every turn in multiplayer games.

Comparing Deathreap Ritual to Fecundity presents an interesting contrast. Fecundity allows each player to draw a card when a creature they control dies, which can be a double-edged sword by accelerating opponents’ strategies. In contrast, Deathreap Ritual offers exclusive card draw to the controller under a more flexible condition. Another parallel can be drawn with Moldervine Reclamation, which provides a similar benefit but with an added life gain. The life gain aspect offers an incremental advantage, making Moldervine Reclamation a potentially more sustainable choice in a longer game.

Analyzing these cards together, it’s evident that Deathreap Ritual’s ability to draw cards from any creature’s death marks its territory in MTG as a formidable option for decks that can control the board and benefit from the demise of creatures on both sides of the battlefield.

Grim Haruspex - MTG Card versions
Fecundity - MTG Card versions
Moldervine Reclamation - MTG Card versions
Grim Haruspex - MTG Card versions
Fecundity - MTG Card versions
Moldervine Reclamation - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Deathreap Ritual by color, type and mana cost

Bloodbond March - MTG Card versions
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Bloodbond March - MTG Card versions
Elderfang Venom - MTG Card versions
Harald Unites the Elves - MTG Card versions
A-Harald Unites the Elves - MTG Card versions
Binding the Old Gods - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Deathreap Ritual offers a steady flow of card advantage by allowing you to draw an extra card during each end step as long as a creature died that turn. It serves as a continual source of new options, keeping your hand filled with answers and threats.

Resource Acceleration: The advantage gained through Deathreap Ritual is not direct mana acceleration, but by drawing cards you have more resources at your disposal. This can indirectly lead to accelerating your game plan by ensuring you don’t miss land drops and have access to more spells to play.

Instant Speed: While Deathreap Ritual itself is not an instant, it triggers at the end of each turn. This enables you to reap its benefits regardless of whether creatures died on your turn or your opponent’s, thus maximizing its potential and flexibility within the flow of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Deathreap Ritual allows you to draw extra cards, it doesn’t bypass the necessity of managing your graveyard resources efficiently. If you’re unable to regularly trigger the morbid condition – having a creature die – the benefit of the card diminishes greatly.

Specific Mana Cost: Deathreap Ritual comes with a Golgari color cost, requiring both green and black mana. This can be restrictive for players not running a deck that supports both colors, limiting its versatility across various MTG deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing four mana to cast, Deathreap Ritual might be considered a steep investment for the potential it holds. Especially when considering the card’s dependency on morbid triggers to be effective, there are alternative draw engines or value generators available at lower mana costs.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Deathreap Ritual offers consistent card advantage in decks that have numerous creatures or token strategies, performing well in both aggressive and control setups.

Combo Potential: As a morbid trigger card, it pairs excellently with sacrificial mechanics or creature death synergies, enhancing decks focused on these interactions.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that sees frequent creature combat and death, Deathreap Ritual serves as a powerful engine, replenishing your hand and maintaining resource parity with your opponent.


How to beat

Deathreap Ritual is a morbid enchantment that promises recurring card advantage in Magic: The Gathering. Its strength lies in the passive collection of cards, granting a player extraordinary resilience in the game by refueling their hand whenever a creature dies. In essence, it turns each creature’s demise into a draw opportunity, keeping your hand stocked with options and maintaining pressure on your opponent.

Defeating this recurring draw engine requires a strategy that limits the number of creature deaths. Focus on exile or bounce effects to avoid triggering Deathreap Ritual’s ability. Cards like Path to Exile can remove creatures from play without sending them to the graveyard, bypassing the morbid condition. Alternatively, countering Deathreap Ritual before it hits the battlefield with spells like Cancel can nip the problem in the bud. Control the flow of the game with minimal creature exchanges, and seek to dismantle the enchantment through disenchant effects or by applying pressure that forces the opponent to respond, potentially sacrificing their enchantment for a more pertinent answer.

Stunting your opponent’s card draw and maintaining a strategic approach to creature management puts you in a solid position to outmatch the advantages Deathreap Ritual offers in Magic: The Gathering.


BurnMana Recommendations

Embarking on your MTG journey with Deathreap Ritual in your arsenal brings a unique edge in card advantage. Its potency in maintaining a full grip of cards turns every creature’s end into your strategic gain. As you ponder its place in your deck, consider how it can magnify strategies that thrive on the cycle of life and death in MTG. It’s essential to wield it wisely, integrating it with cards that ensure its conditions are met to truly exploit its power. We encourage you to delve deeper into the synergy and tactics that can turn Deathreap Ritual into a linchpin of victory. Sharpen your skills and deck-building prowess with us as you journey to master the art of resource advantage.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Deathreap Ritual MTG card by a specific set like Conspiracy and Vintage 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 Deathreap Ritual and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Deathreap Ritual Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 2014-06-06 and 2024-06-14. Illustrated by Steve Argyle.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12014-06-06ConspiracyCNS 442003NormalBlackSteve Argyle
22014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 2502015NormalBlackSteve Argyle
32018-08-09Commander 2018C18 1742015NormalBlackSteve Argyle
42019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 14142015NormalBlackSteve Argyle
52020-08-07Double Masters2XM 1942015NormalBlackSteve Argyle
62020-09-26The ListPLST C18-1742015NormalBlackSteve Argyle
72022-04-29New Capenna CommanderNCC 3362015NormalBlackSteve Argyle
82024-06-14Modern Horizons 3 CommanderM3C 2592015NormalBlackSteve Argyle

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Deathreap Ritual has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PennyLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2020-08-07 If a creature didn't die before a turn's end step begins, Deathreap Ritual's ability doesn't trigger at all. The creature may have died before Deathreap Ritual entered the battlefield, however.
2020-08-07 You draw one card when the ability resolves, not one card per creature that died during the turn.