Graf Harvest MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Graf Harvest grants Menace, offering strategic combat benefits and board control.
  2. It leverages graveyard resources to create 2/2 Zombie tokens, enhancing field presence.
  3. Its specific mana cost and card type exclusivity require careful deck construction.

Text of card

Zombies you control have menace. (They can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.) , Exile a creature card from your graveyard: Put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Graf Harvest enhances your board presence by providing your creatures with Menace, making it more challenging for opponents to effectively block them. This often results in prolonged on-board advantage, as your opponents need at least two creatures to block each of yours, potentially leading to favorable trades and board dominance.

Resource Acceleration: By granting you the ability to exile a creature card from your graveyard to create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token, Graf Harvest works as a resource accelerator, repurposing spent resources into fresh pressure on the battlefield.

Instant Speed: Although not an instant itself, Graf Harvest grants Zombies you control a passive ability that is always ‘on’ without requiring any mana or further actions from you once it’s on the field. This implicit threat can affect how an opponent plays their game, similar to having an instant at the ready.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Graf Harvest demands you to exile a creature card from your graveyard to activate its ability, which might deplete your resources more quickly than anticipated, especially in strategies not focused on graveyard recursion.

Specific Mana Cost: This enchantment requires a specific black mana to cast, which can restrict its inclusion to decks that run black or have a reliable mana base to accommodate its color requirement.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its mana value of one black, Graf Harvest provides a static ability that impacts only your Zombies. It might be overshadowed by other cards in the one-mana slot that offer more versatility or immediate board presence.


Reasons to Include Graf Harvest in Your Collection

Versatility: Graf Harvest can be a key card in any zombie-themed deck or a deck that revolves around creature strategies. Its low mana cost makes it easily slip into your curve, providing an immediate impact on the game by giving all your creatures menace.

Combo Potential: This enchantment plays well with decks focusing on swarm strategies, amplifying the threat of an overwhelming board presence. Moreover, the option to exile a creature from your graveyard to create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token creates synergies with self-mill or graveyard-based strategies.

Meta-Relevance: Given that creature-heavy decks consistently have a place in various MTG metas, Graf Harvest can become a staple in your collection. It’s particularly valuable in metas where evading blockers is crucial. The continuous generation of zombies can also help maintain board presence against control decks that rely on removal spells.


How to beat

Graf Harvest, a unique enchantment from the world of MTG, provides a boost to your creatures with its ability to give them menace, making it harder for your opponent to block effectively. It’s similar to enchantments like Goblin War Drums from earlier sets, which grant a similar effect, though without the additional utility of creating Zombies. To counteract the strategical advantage it presents, it’s crucial to implement removal spells such as Naturalize or Disenchant that can directly target and remove enchantments from the battlefield. This negates the menacing edge it gives to an opponent’s creatures.

Another approach is to focus on creature control through spells like Board Wipe, which can clear out multiple threats regardless of their abilities. Alternatively, having enough blockers to navigate around the menace trait or using spot removal spells such as Fatal Push to take out key creatures before the combat phase are solid tactics. Furthermore, leveraging counter spells when Graf Harvest is played can nip the problem in the bud, ensuring it never becomes a thorn in your side.

Overall, overcoming the challenge posed by Graf Harvest involves a combination of direct enchantment removal, strategic creature control, and preventative measures, maintaining a balanced field and avoiding the pitfalls of an overrun defense.


BurnMana Recommendations

If Graf Harvest has captured your curiosity with its ability to empower your undead legions and navigate through enemy lines, you’re on track to tweaking a formidable deck. Using the menace attribute strategically can shift your games in your favor, transforming simple zombies into significant threats. Combining Graf Harvest with other creature-enhancing cards or graveyard manipulation tactics can amplify its effectiveness. Understanding and overcoming its shortcomings will also sharpen your gameplay. For those intrigued by the nuances of synergy and battlefield control, delving deeper into Graf Harvest strategies could be your next winning move. We invite you to continue your MTG journey with us, unlocking the full potential of your decks one card at a time.


Cards like Graf Harvest

Graf Harvest enhances the zombie archetype in MTG, offering a new twist on creature abilities. Resembling the potent enchantment Endless Ranks of the Dead, both cards augment your zombie horde but in distinct ways. Whereas Endless Ranks of the Dead can potentially double your zombie count each turn, Graf Harvest focuses on increasing the offensive capabilities of your undead army by providing menace, ensuring they are harder to block effectively.

Another parallel can be drawn with Death Baron, a creature that not only gives your zombies a stat boost but also adds deathtouch, making every zombie a lethal threat. Graf Harvest, while not increasing power or toughness, instead makes engaging your zombies in combat a more daunting task for the opponent. We also see similarities with Zombie Apocalypse, which brings zombies back from the graveyard while Graf Harvest offers a continuous in-game advantage rather than a one-time effect.

Evaluating these, Graf Harvest holds its own as it augments zombie decks’ strategy by making zombies more evasive and offering a late-game utility with its Exile feature, allowing players to further swell their ranks. Its unique qualities position it as a versatile choice for zombie enthusiasts seeking to diversify their strategy in MTG.

Endless Ranks of the Dead - MTG Card versions
Death Baron - MTG Card versions
Zombie Apocalypse - MTG Card versions
Endless Ranks of the Dead - Innistrad (ISD)
Death Baron - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Zombie Apocalypse - Dark Ascension Promos (PDKA)

Cards similar to Graf Harvest by color, type and mana cost

Paralyze - MTG Card versions
Unholy Strength - MTG Card versions
Evil Presence - MTG Card versions
Weakness - MTG Card versions
Imprison - MTG Card versions
Thrull Retainer - MTG Card versions
Torture - MTG Card versions
Death Watch - MTG Card versions
Leshrac's Rite - MTG Card versions
Sadistic Glee - MTG Card versions
Sarcomancy - MTG Card versions
Tortured Existence - MTG Card versions
Volrath's Motion Sensor - MTG Card versions
Sicken - MTG Card versions
Darkest Hour - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Reclamation - MTG Card versions
Dread of Night - MTG Card versions
Withering Hex - MTG Card versions
Genju of the Fens - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Link - MTG Card versions
Paralyze - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Unholy Strength - Duel Decks Anthology: Divine vs. Demonic (DVD)
Evil Presence - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Weakness - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Imprison - Legends (LEG)
Thrull Retainer - Masters Edition (ME1)
Torture - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Death Watch - Visions (VIS)
Leshrac's Rite - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Sadistic Glee - Tempest (TMP)
Sarcomancy - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Tortured Existence - Stronghold (STH)
Volrath's Motion Sensor - Unglued (UGL)
Sicken - Urza's Saga (USG)
Darkest Hour - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Phyrexian Reclamation - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Dread of Night - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Withering Hex - Onslaught (ONS)
Genju of the Fens - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Vampiric Link - Planar Chaos (PLC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Graf Harvest MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon and Jumpstart 2022, 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 Graf Harvest and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Graf Harvest Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by Lake Hurwitz.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-07-22Eldritch MoonEMN 902015normalblackLake Hurwitz
22022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 4212015normalblackLake Hurwitz
32023-03-21Shadows over Innistrad RemasteredSIR 1142015normalblackLake Hurwitz

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Graf Harvest has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

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