Skull of Orm MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact

Key Takeaways

  1. Skull of Orm grants repeated enchantment retrieval, vital for enchantment-focused deck strategies.
  2. Requires a steep mana investment for activation, potentially impacting game tempo.
  3. A versatile choice that keeps relevant through diverse metagames with enchantment synergies.

Text of card

o5, oc T: Bring one enchantment card from your graveyard to your hand.

Though lifeless, the Skull still possessed a strange power over the flow of magic.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Skull of Orm provides a strategic edge by allowing the retrieval of enchantments from your graveyard. This recycling capability can tip the scales in your favor by consistently replenishing your hand with powerful spell options and effectively diminishing the depletion of your resources over the course of a match.

Resource Acceleration: By returning enchantments to your hand, Skull of Orm eliminates the need to draw or search for those effects again, speeding up your gameplay. This can lead to faster deployment of your strategy by reusing impactful enchantments that could accelerate your mana or enhance your creatures.

Instant Speed: Although the activation of Skull of Orm is not at instant speed, the ability to use it during your main phase ensures that you have full access to your mana pool. This enables you to plan your turns efficiently and maximize the usability of your resources, while keeping your options open for other instant speed interactions during your opponent’s turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To utilize Skull of Orm’s ability, you must also sacrifice a card from your hand, which can deplete your valuable resources, especially if you’re already behind in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Activating Skull of Orm requires a specific and somewhat hefty mana investment—three mana of any color and two blue. This can limit the card’s inclusion to decks that heavily feature blue mana or have a versatile mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Because retrieving an enchantment costs three generic and two blue mana each time, this card can be costly when trying to maintain tempo against opponents. More recent cards offer similar or better effects for less, affecting this card’s viability in current meta.


Reasons to Include Skull of Orm in Your Collection

Versatility: Skull of Orm offers the ability to recur enchantments from your graveyard to your hand, a utility that fits seamlessly into any deck built around enchantment synergies or that uses enchantments as key pieces.

Combo Potential: This card opens the door to numerous combo possibilities, enabling players to repeatedly leverage powerful enchantments with enter-the-battlefield triggers or that have been sacrificed or discarded earlier in the game.

Meta-Relevance: Given the flux of enchantment-heavy strategies in various formats, Skull of Orm’s capacity to repeatedly regain key pieces makes it a resilient threat against removal-heavy decks and a valuable asset in long drawn-out matches.


How to beat

The Skull of Orm is an intriguing artifact that dives deep into the world of recurring enchantments from the graveyard in Magic: The Gathering. To effectively counteract this relic’s persistent ability, denial of grave-based strategies becomes paramount. One might consider leveraging the power of artifact destruction cards like Naturalize or Disenchant to directly dispatch the Skull of Orm. Another savvy tactic is to apply graveyard disruption, for instance, through cards like Rest in Peace or Tormod’s Crypt, which can nix the target enchantments before they ever have the chance to make a return appearance.

Moreover, incorporating strategies that preemptively manage the stack or the ability to utilize spells is also a clever approach. Counterspells serve as a means to foil the initial casting or any attempt to activate its abilities, thus denying this advantage before it can materialize. Additionally, redirecting the tempo of the game with swift aggro tactics can outpace the slower, methodical advantage the Skull of Orm seeks to provide. Ultimately, the key to subverting the Skull of Orm’s influence lies in a mixture of immediate responses and strategic forethought to stifle the card’s revival capabilities.


Cards like Skull of Orm

Skull of Orm stands out as an artifact steeped in history and unique properties amongst Magic: The Gathering’s vast array of cards. It shares similarities with other cards that allow for the retrieval of enchantments from the graveyard back to the player’s hand. Crystal Chimes is a clear contestant, which, for three mana and its sacrifice, enables a player to return all enchantment cards from their graveyard to their hand. Though Crystal Chimes demands a higher cost, the potential for a massive enchantment recall can be game-altering.

Another comparison can be drawn with Argivian Find, offering pinpoint precision by targeting a single enchantment card in the graveyard for retrieval at a low cost. It excels in the early game, where mana efficiency is paramount. Yet, unlike Skull of Orm, Argivian Find doesn’t offer ongoing utility, as it is a one-use only instant. Then there’s Hanna, Ship’s Navigator, whose recurring ability echoes that of Skull of Orm, but with the added flexibility of retrieving either an artifact or an enchantment, making her a versatile option in the late game.

When pitted against its counterparts, Skull of Orm may seem less efficient due to its activation cost, but its potential for repeated use without self-sacrifice keeps it as a relevant tool for enchantment-heavy decks in Magic: The Gathering’s gameplay.

Crystal Chimes - MTG Card versions
Argivian Find - MTG Card versions
Hanna, Ship's Navigator - MTG Card versions
Crystal Chimes - Urza's Saga (USG)
Argivian Find - Weatherlight (WTH)
Hanna, Ship's Navigator - Invasion (INV)

Cards similar to Skull of Orm by color, type and mana cost

Celestial Prism - MTG Card versions
Sunglasses of Urza - MTG Card versions
Ebony Horse - MTG Card versions
Runed Arch - MTG Card versions
Arena of the Ancients - MTG Card versions
Bösium Strip - MTG Card versions
Clay Pigeon - MTG Card versions
Ashnod's Altar - MTG Card versions
Jalum Tome - MTG Card versions
Static Orb - MTG Card versions
Patchwork Gnomes - MTG Card versions
The Stasis Coffin - MTG Card versions
Captain's Hook - MTG Card versions
Wall of Spears - MTG Card versions
Spellweaver Helix - MTG Card versions
Scale of Chiss-Goria - MTG Card versions
Lightning Coils - MTG Card versions
Vedalken Shackles - MTG Card versions
Oblivion Stone - MTG Card versions
Gem of Becoming - MTG Card versions
Celestial Prism - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Sunglasses of Urza - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Ebony Horse - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Runed Arch - Ice Age (ICE)
Arena of the Ancients - Chronicles (CHR)
Bösium Strip - Weatherlight (WTH)
Clay Pigeon - Unglued (UGL)
Ashnod's Altar - The Brothers' War Retro Artifacts (BRR)
Jalum Tome - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Static Orb - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Patchwork Gnomes - Odyssey (ODY)
The Stasis Coffin - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Captain's Hook - Rivals of Ixalan Promos (PRIX)
Wall of Spears - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Spellweaver Helix - Mirrodin (MRD)
Scale of Chiss-Goria - Mirrodin (MRD)
Lightning Coils - Mirrodin (MRD)
Vedalken Shackles - Kaladesh Inventions (MPS)
Oblivion Stone - Commander 2011 (CMD)
Gem of Becoming - Magic 2013 (M13)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Skull of Orm MTG card by a specific set like The Dark and Eighth Edition, 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 Skull of Orm and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Skull of Orm Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1994-08-01 and 2003-07-28. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11994-08-01The DarkDRK 1091993normalblackTom Wänerstrand
22003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 313★2003normalblackDaren Bader
32003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 3132003normalwhiteDaren Bader

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Skull of Orm has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2004-10-04 Can bring back any enchantment.

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