Plaguecrafter MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Human Shaman
Power 3
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Plaguecrafter’s entrance often results in a beneficial 2-for-1 trade by forcing sacrifices on the battlefield.
  2. Using Plaguecrafter strategically can hinder the opponent’s progression, giving you an upper hand.
  3. Despite its drawbacks, Plaguecrafter’s versatility in dealing with indestructible creatures makes it valuable.

Text of card

When Plaguecrafter enters the battlefield, each player sacrifices a creature or planeswalker. Each player who can't discards a card.

"My power is generosity, in a way. I give my survivors an appreciation for their lives."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Plaguecrafter is designed to disrupt the opponent’s board, often resulting in a 2-for-1 scenario. When this creature enters the battlefield, each player, including yourself, must sacrifice a creature or planeswalker if they can. This attrition strategy typically works to your advantage by removing opponents’ key creatures while utilizing your expendable ones, balancing the scales in your favor and potentially netting you a significant advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Although Plaguecrafter itself does not directly provide resource acceleration, its ability to clear the board can indirectly accelerate your game plan. By forcing opponents to sacrifice valuable creatures or planeswalkers, you can substantially set back their game progression, offering you the opportunity to advance your board state unimpeded.

Instant Speed: While Plaguecrafter operates at sorcery speed, its instant-like impact on the board cannot be overstated. The immediate requirement for each player to sacrifice on its entry echoes the benefits of instant speed interaction by drastically altering the board state in your favor, often during your main phase. Timing this play can be as critical as any instant, leading to key strategic victories against opponents.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Plaguecrafter is the potential impact on your own hand. When it enters the battlefield, each player must sacrifice a creature or planeswalker. If you can’t, you’ll have to discard a card. This can put you at a disadvantage if your hand is already running low on cards or if you’re required to part with a crucial spell.

Specific Mana Cost: Deck flexibility can be a challenge with Plaguecrafter due to its specific mana cost. Requiring one black mana in its total cost, it’s naturally slotted into black or black-inclusive decks, potentially limiting its applicability in a multicolored or less flexible mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When compared to other three-mana creatures, Plaguecrafter’s stats are not particularly impressive, with a 3/2 body that can be underwhelming in combat. There are other cards with lower mana costs that offer similar or better removal effects without the potential downside of affecting your own board state or hand.


Reasons to Include Plaguecrafter in Your Collection

Versatility: Plaguecrafter is an excellent addition to any collection due to its ability to affect the board no matter the opponent’s creature status. It forces a sacrifice, which is a robust mechanism that can bypass indestructible creatures or those with protection.

Combo Potential: This card works wonders in decks that capitalize on death triggers or want to recycle creatures for repeated effects. Plaguecrafter’s enter the battlefield effect can be combined with cards that return creatures from the graveyard to hand or battlefield, maximizing its impact.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where players lean on powerful planeswalkers or creature-heavy strategies, Plaguecrafter becomes a valuable tool. It can clear away blockers, pressure control deck’s key creatures, or eliminate a problematic planeswalker when the opponent is creature-less.


How to beat

Plaguecrafter is a formidable card in Magic: The Gathering that can turn the tides of the game by forcing each player to sacrifice a creature or planeswalker. This can be especially disruptive if you’re on the receiving end. To tackle this challenge, strategic planning and card choice are essential. A method worth considering is to ensure you always have expendable creatures on the board. This can be achieved by playing cards that generate token creatures or those with low value that won’t sting when sacrificed.

Another effective strategy is to use cards with “enter the battlefield” effects or creatures that give you benefits when they die. By doing so, you transform what would have been a disadvantageous sacrifice into an opportunity to further your own game plan. Cards such as Doomed Dissenter that generate a token upon death can mitigate the loss caused by Plaguecrafter’s ability. Additionally, having instant-speed removal spells can clear out Plaguecrafter before its effect resolves, saving your more valuable creatures or planeswalkers from being sacrificed.

Overall, the key to beating Plaguecrafter lies in smart deck construction and in-game tactics that account for potential sacrifices, making the impact of such a powerful card far less devastating.


BurnMana Recommendations

The dance of MTG strategy unfolds with cards like Plaguecrafter, where tactical prowess meets the in-game crusade of wits. Understanding its dynamics can shift the balance, gifting you the upper hand in a match. We encourage you to integrate the insights garnered around Plaguecrafter into your library of tactics, refining your deck to withstand and conquer. Whether seeking to exploit its full potential or aiming to combat it effectively, knowledge is your greatest ally. Join our legion of MTG enthusiasts; learn, adapt, and outplay. Your next triumph in the Magic the Gathering arena awaits, fueled by insight and perfected through practice.


Cards like Plaguecrafter

Plaguecrafter brings its own brand of havoc to the battlefield, similar to that of its counterparts like Fleshbag Marauder and Merciless Executioner in Magic: The Gathering. All three creatures have the devious ability to cause each player to sacrifice a creature. However, Plaguecrafter has a sinister edge – if the opponent has no creatures, they’re forced to discard a card, creating an additional layer of strategy.

Another nuanced comparison can be made with the card Diabolic Edict. While it shares the same sacrifice triggering effect, it’s an instant and only targets a single opponent, offering a different tactical approach. On the flip side, it lacks the flexibility and potential card advantage that Plaguecrafter’s secondary ability provides.

When evaluating the intricacies of these sacrifice-inducing cards, Plaguecrafter stands out due to its potential to affect the board state more extensively and double as a discard effect, proving it to be a valuable asset in one’s MTG arsenal.

Fleshbag Marauder - MTG Card versions
Merciless Executioner - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Edict - MTG Card versions
Fleshbag Marauder - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Merciless Executioner - Fate Reforged (FRF)
Diabolic Edict - Tempest (TMP)

Cards similar to Plaguecrafter by color, type and mana cost

Nettling Imp - MTG Card versions
Royal Assassin - MTG Card versions
El-Hajjâj - MTG Card versions
Frozen Shade - MTG Card versions
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Strongarm Thug - MTG Card versions
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Lord of the Undead - MTG Card versions
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Nim Abomination - MTG Card versions
Vesper Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Hypnotic Specter - MTG Card versions
Dusk Imp - MTG Card versions
Severed Legion - MTG Card versions
Nettling Imp - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Royal Assassin - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
El-Hajjâj - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Frozen Shade - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Scathe Zombies - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Sorceress Queen - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Lost Soul - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Mindstab Thrull - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Mischievous Poltergeist - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Strongarm Thug - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Razortooth Rats - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Ghastly Remains - Legions (LGN)
Lord of the Undead - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Deepwood Ghoul - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Dross Prowler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Abomination - Darksteel (DST)
Vesper Ghoul - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Hypnotic Specter - Magic Player Rewards 2006 (P06)
Dusk Imp - Tenth Edition (10E)
Severed Legion - Tenth Edition (10E)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Plaguecrafter MTG card by a specific set like Guilds of Ravnica and Commander 2019, 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 Plaguecrafter and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Plaguecrafter Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 2018-10-05 and 2024-01-12. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-10-05Guilds of RavnicaGRN 822015normalblackAnna Steinbauer
22019-08-23Commander 2019C19 1262015normalblackAnna Steinbauer
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 7352015normalblackAnna Steinbauer
42019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 11162015normalborderlessJunji Ito
52020-09-26The ListPLST GRN-822015normalblackAnna Steinbauer
62021-07-23Forgotten Realms CommanderAFC 1072015normalblackAnna Steinbauer
72022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 722015normalblackzizero
82024-01-12Ravnica RemasteredRVR 892015normalblackAnna Steinbauer

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Plaguecrafter has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2018-10-05 As Plaguecrafter's ability resolves, first the player whose turn it is chooses a creature or planeswalker they control, then each other player in turn order does the same, knowing the choices made before them. Then all the chosen permanents are sacrificed at the same time. Next, each player in the same order who couldn't sacrifice a permanent chooses a card in hand without revealing it, then the chosen cards are discarded at the same time.
2018-10-05 Each player chooses a permanent to sacrifice from among the creatures and planeswalkers they control. You don't choose which type of permanent any other player has to sacrifice.
2018-10-05 Plaguecrafter can be the creature its controller sacrifices for its own ability. Don't be like Plaguecrafter; always wear personal protective equipment when performing dangerous work.

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