Grave Consequences MTG Card


Grave Consequences - Judgment
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant
Released2002-05-27
Set symbol
Set nameJudgment
Set codeJUD
Number67
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byTim Hildebrandt

Key Takeaways

  1. Delivers card advantage by selectively recovering cards from the graveyard at crucial moments.
  2. Flexibly disrupts opponents while aiding your strategies via instant-speed interaction.
  3. Challenges include a specific mana requirement and a potential cost to hand size.

Text of card

Each player may remove any number of cards in his or her graveyard from the game. Then each player loses 1 life for each card in his or her graveyard. Draw a card.

"You call *that* a nightmare?" —Braids, dementia summoner


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Grave Consequences provides a unique twist on card advantage by allowing players to dig through their library and potentially retrieve key cards from their graveyard. This function offers both selection and recovery, giving a strategic edge during gameplay.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting mana, this card can indirectly accelerate resources by recouping valuable cards from the graveyard that could enhance your board state or hand. It’s a strategic form of resource management that caters to longer-term planning.

Instant Speed: Instantaneous playability means you can leverage Grave Consequences at the most opportune moments. Whether it’s disrupting an opponent’s strategy at the end of their turn or in response to an action that targets your graveyard, the flexibility offered by instant speed cannot be understated.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Grave Consequences necessitates discarding a card to activate its ability, which might not always align with your hand management strategy, particularly when your hand is dwindling or when each card held is vital for upcoming turns.

Specific Mana Cost: With its requirement for black mana, this card may not seamlessly fit into all deck builds. Players running multicolored decks or those without a focus on black mana may find it challenging to allocate resources for Grave Consequences without compromising their mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sitting at three mana, one might argue that Grave Consequences could be costly when compared to other cards offering graveyard manipulation or card advantage. This can impact its viability in fast-paced games where mana efficiency is crucial.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Grave Consequences is a card that offers flexibility and can be slotted into a variety of deck archetypes. This unassuming instant can act as graveyard manipulation, life preservation, or card draw depending on your needs at the moment.

Combo Potential: This card thrives in synergistic environments. It can be intelligently paired with graveyard-centric strategies, enabling you to return specific cards to your deck or prepare for potent reanimation spells.

Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to disrupt opponents’ graveyard strategies, Grave Consequences is particularly useful in formats where such tactics are prevalent. Its dual nature also caters to strategies that benefit from life gain or cycling through the deck, ensuring it remains a relevant choice in constantly evolving metagames.


How to beat

Grave Consequences is a unique card in MTG, known for its interaction with players’ graveyards. This card forces each player to choose three cards in their graveyard and then perform one of two actions – either shuffle those into their library with a life gain or put them on the bottom of their library if they opt out. Such flexibility can both aid an opponent and disrupt your strategy if you rely on graveyard synergy.

Dealing with this specific card requires strategic graveyard management and timely graveyard hate. Including cards that exile graveyards, such as Bojuka Bog or Rest in Peace, can neuter the benefits Grave Consequences provides to an opponent. Additionally, utilizing shuffle effects like Echo of Eons ensures your graveyard won’t have critical components when Grave Consequences is played. Moreover, running instant-speed removal or counterspells like Negate or Dispel allows you to deal with Grave Consequences before it can affect the game state. Understanding when to use your resources is key to reducing the impact of this card on your gameplay.

Ultimately, adaptability is paramount when facing Grave Consequences. By anticipating and countering opponents’ graveyard reliance, you ensure that Grave Consequences doesn’t lead to your downfall.


Cards like Grave Consequences

Grave Consequences is a unique piece in the intricate puzzle of graveyard interaction spells within Magic: The Gathering. It can be likened to cards such as Nihil Spellbomb or Bojuka Bog, which also target graveyards. Where Grave Consequences shines is through its flexibility, offering the player the choice of multiple actions. Unlike the Spellbomb or the Bog, it doesn’t automatically exile graveyard contents, but it can still disrupt opposing strategies and manage graveyards efficiently.

Another parallel can be drawn with the card Morality Shift. While Morality Shift offers a comprehensive exchange between the library and graveyard, Grave Consequences gives a player insight into their opponents’ graveyards, potentially rearranging their own for strategic setup. The element of choice with Grave Consequences creates opportunities for on-the-fly tactics, which Morality Shift does not provide, as it has a set, large-scale effect.

Analysing these similarities and differences, Grave Consequences stands out for its nuanced graveyard management and the strategic depth it brings to gameplay. It’s a formidable option for players wanting to keep their adversaries on their toes and subtly prepare their own game plan.

Nihil Spellbomb - MTG Card versions
Bojuka Bog - MTG Card versions
Morality Shift - MTG Card versions
Nihil Spellbomb - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Bojuka Bog - Worldwake (WWK)
Morality Shift - Judgment (JUD)

Cards similar to Grave Consequences by color, type and mana cost

Word of Command - MTG Card versions
Terror - MTG Card versions
Simulacrum - MTG Card versions
Transmutation - MTG Card versions
Headstone - MTG Card versions
Soul Rend - MTG Card versions
Wicked Reward - MTG Card versions
Urborg Justice - MTG Card versions
Imps' Taunt - MTG Card versions
Rapid Decay - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Edict - MTG Card versions
Tainted Pact - MTG Card versions
Toxic Stench - MTG Card versions
Doom Blade - MTG Card versions
Go for the Throat - MTG Card versions
Cast Down - MTG Card versions
Smother - MTG Card versions
Hero's Demise - MTG Card versions
Sickening Shoal - MTG Card versions
Chill Haunting - MTG Card versions
Word of Command - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Terror - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Simulacrum - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Transmutation - Legends (LEG)
Headstone - Homelands (HML)
Soul Rend - Mirage (MIR)
Wicked Reward - Visions (VIS)
Urborg Justice - Weatherlight (WTH)
Imps' Taunt - Tempest (TMP)
Rapid Decay - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Diabolic Edict - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Tainted Pact - Odyssey (ODY)
Toxic Stench - Judgment (JUD)
Doom Blade - Magic 2012 (M12)
Go for the Throat - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Cast Down - Commander Legends (CMR)
Smother - Worldwake (WWK)
Hero's Demise - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Sickening Shoal - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Chill Haunting - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Grave Consequences MTG card by a specific set like Judgment, 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 Grave Consequences and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Grave Consequences has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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