Diregraf Horde MTG Card
2021-09-24 - Number 96
2022-01-28 - Number 96
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Zombie |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Key Takeaways
- Diregraf Horde’s draw-discarding aids in quickly refining hands and card strategy during gameplay.
- The card’s exile effect disrupts opponents’ graveyard-based plans, giving a tactical edge.
- Instant-speed spells complement Diregraf Horde’s abilities, facilitating disruptive plays.
Text of card
When Diregraf Horde enters the battlefield, create two 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens with decayed. When you do, exile up to two target cards from graveyards. (A creature with decayed can't block. When it attacks, sacrifice it at end of combat.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Diregraf Horde brings value by allowing you to discard up to two cards, and then draw that many cards. This enables you to filter through your deck, finding the resources you need faster and potentially outpacing your opponent in card quality.
Resource Acceleration: Upon entering the battlefield, Diregraf Horde allows you to exile up to two target cards from graveyards. This is not direct mana acceleration, but it does hinder strategies that rely on graveyard resources, potentially accelerating your position by setting your opponent back.
Instant Speed: Although Diregraf Horde itself is not an instant, it synergizes well with instant-speed spells. It allows you to disrupt your opponent’s graveyard at a crucial moment, and its card filtering ability ensures that your hand remains stocked with instants and other cards to use at the most strategic times.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Diregraf Horde comes with the downside of having to discard a card. This can put you at a disadvantage, especially in the later stages of the game when maintaining card advantage is crucial. Players need to weigh the cost of discarding potentially valuable cards against the benefits that Diregraf Horde brings to the battlefield.
Specific Mana Cost: Featuring a specific mana cost that includes double black, Diregraf Horde might not seamlessly fit into every deck. This requirement restricts its inclusion primarily to mono-black or two-color decks that can reliably generate the necessary black mana. Multicolor decks may find this mana requirement a bit too constraining when trying to maintain a smooth mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Diregraf Horde’s five mana cost places it on the higher end of the mana curve. There are cards with lower mana costs that offer similar or better effects, making Diregraf Horde a less attractive option in some scenarios. The mana investment might not always be justified considering other available cards that could effectively shape the game’s outcome with a lower mana commitment.
Reasons to Include Diregraf Horde in Your Collection
Versatility: Diregraf Horde can easily find a place in decks that are tuned for graveyard interactions or that require zombie tribal synergies.
Combo Potential: The self-mill ability of Diregraf Horde helps set up potent graveyard combos, while also providing a stream of zombie tokens for various sacrifice or engine strategies.
Meta-Relevance: In metagames where creature-based decks prevail, Diregraf Horde can serve both as a solid blocker and as a source of continuous creature advantage, making it a smart addition to related strategies.
How to beat
Diregraf Horde presents a noteworthy challenge on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. As a creature that generates additional value through its zombie tokens upon entering the battlefield or dying, it makes for a resilient opponent. To effectively counter Diregraf Horde, one strategy is to utilize exile effects. Cards like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares can remove Diregraf Horde from the game without triggering its death ability, thereby preventing the generation of zombie tokens.
Another approach involves managing the graveyard. Graveyard removal spells like Tormod’s Crypt can disrupt the synergy Diregraf Horde relies on, especially in decks that focus on graveyard mechanics to maximize zombie token production. Using counterspells like Counterspell or Cancel at the right moment can prevent Diregraf Horde from hitting the field in the first place, shutting down its ability to affect the game.
Managing threats like Diregraf Horde requires anticipation and keen knowledge of opponent’s potential strategies. By employing targeted removal or strategic counters, one can maintain control over the game and mitigate the impact of potent cards like Diregraf Horde.
Cards like Diregraf Horde
Diregraf Horde stands out among zombie-themed cards in Magic: The Gathering. It’s akin to other cards like Moan of the Unhallowed that create multiple zombie tokens. While Moan of the Unhallowed has a flashback ability giving it a second life, Diregraf Horde’s strength is in its significant board presence, spawning two zombie tokens and enabling a player to dig three cards deep into their deck to potentially discard a creature.
Ghoulcaller’s Chant is another card that synergizes well with zombie strategies, allowing the retrieval of not one, but two zombies from the graveyard to your hand, offering a different angle of resource advantage. Despite lacking the immediate board impact of Diregraf Horde, the chant provides long-term value. Unbreathing Horde is a different beast, arriving as a potentially massive zombie that can persist through damage, unlike the disposable tokens from Diregraf Horde. Although it doesn’t offer card selection, it more than makes up for it in sheer resilience.
Evaluating the utility and gameplay impact of Diregraf Horde within its category, it’s evident that it delivers a versatile blend of token generation and self-mill that can activate various strategies within the zombie archetype in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Diregraf Horde by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Diregraf Horde MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Innistrad: Double Feature, 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 Diregraf Horde and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Diregraf Horde Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-09-24 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Alex Negrea.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-09-24 | Innistrad: Midnight Hunt | MID | 96 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alex Negrea | |
| 2 | 2022-01-28 | Innistrad: Double Feature | DBL | 96 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alex Negrea |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Diregraf Horde has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Diregraf Horde card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-09-24 | Decayed does not create any attacking requirements. You may choose not to attack with a creature that has decayed. |
| 2021-09-24 | Decayed does not grant haste. Creatures with decayed that enter the battlefield during your turn may not attack until your next turn. |
| 2021-09-24 | Decayed represents a static ability and a triggered ability. "Decayed" means "This creature can't block" and "When this creature attacks, sacrifice it at end of combat." |
| 2021-09-24 | Once a creature with decayed attacks, it will be sacrificed at end of combat, even if it no longer has decayed at that time. |
