Undead Augur MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Zombie Wizard
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Undead Augur provides consistent card advantage, vital for outstripping opponents in card quantity.
  2. Demands thoughtful play due to mana specificity and potential hand size reduction.
  3. Excels in zombie-centric strategies, solidifying its role in themed decks.

Text of card

Whenever Undead Augur or another Zombie you control dies, you draw a card and you lose 1 life.

"To see past the veil of death, cross it." —*The Red Book of Mezdrithalik*


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Undead Augur ensures consistent card draw by giving you the opportunity to draw a card whenever Undead Augur or another Zombie you control dies. This advantage is invaluable in outpacing your opponent with an increased hand size.

Resource Acceleration: Although Undead Augur itself doesn’t directly produce additional mana, the card advantage it provides can lead to accelerated resource development. Drawing extra cards increases the likelihood of hitting land drops and accessing more mana to deploy threats.

Instant Speed: While Undead Augur is not an instant, its ability triggers at any time, providing flexibility similar to instant speed. Whether it’s during your turn or in response to your opponent’s actions, the card draw happens immediately, keeping your resources replenished.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One notable drawback of Undead Augur is its requirement for you to discard cards, which can be particularly detrimental when your hand size is already diminished. This aspect of the card forces players to make tough decisions about card economy, which can sometimes lead to unfavorable trade-offs in the midst of a game.

Specific Mana Cost: Undead Augur demands a specific mana combination to play, limiting its integration in multicolored decks. Its black mana cost means it fits primarily within mono-black or black-inclusive decks, potentially restricting its broader use in a diverse range of deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Concerning mana efficiency, Undead Augur’s cost is seen as relatively steep for its effect. While the card offers valuable death-triggered card draw, there are alternatives in the realm of MTG that may provide similar benefits at a lower cost, thereby questioning the card’s cost-effectiveness in fast-paced or highly competitive settings.


Reasons to Include Undead Augur in Your Collection

Versatility: Undead Augur slots effortlessly into various deck builds, serving particularly well in those that capitalize on creature synergy. Its ability to draw cards upon the death of a Zombie means it can turn the demise of your creatures into an advantage, weaving seamlessly into both aggressive and control strategies.

Combo Potential: This card offers excellent combo potential, combining well with sacrifice outlets and other abilities that involve sending Zombies to the graveyard. When paired with other graveyard-focused cards, Undead Augur can be a core component in powerful draw engines, furthering your game plan with each creature lost.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where Zombies are a popular or formidable archetype, Undead Augur becomes a critical asset. It keeps your hand filled with resources, ensuring you maintain pressure on the opponent and recover quickly from board wipes or single-target removals that are recurrent in many competitive metas.


How to beat

Undead Augur is a key player in decks that thrive on zombie synergy in MTG. Its ability to let the player draw a card upon the death of a zombie makes it a cornerstone in maintaining a player’s hand for offensive strategies. However, like all cards, it can be countered effectively. One strategy is to remove the zombies from play without them dying, such as through exile effects or with cards like Path to Exile. This way, the advantage of card draw is negated since the zombies are not dying, but instead being placed in exile.

Moreover, utilizing cards that restrict or punish card draw can be a good counter to the Undead Augur’s strength. Look for effects that make opponents lose life when they draw or put a limit on the number of cards they can hold. Cards like Narset, Parter of Veils or Spirit of the Labyrinth can suppress the number of cards drawn, mitigating the advantage Undead Augur provides. A focused deck on graveyard hate can also inhibit the Augur’s impact by preventing zombies from returning to the battlefield or removing cards from a graveyard directly.

To conclude, overcoming the endurance and card advantage that Undead Augur offers demands a strategy focused on exile, card draw limitations, or graveyard disruption. When playing against a deck featuring the Augur, keep these tactics in mind to help disrupt your opponent’s undead engine.


BurnMana Recommendations

Enhancing your MTG experience involves understanding both the strengths and weaknesses of any card, like the Undead Augur. Despite its niches in zombie decks, every card has counterplays. Our comprehensive analyses highlight the dynamics of each card in play. If you’re keen on integrating Undead Augur into your arsenal, embracing its full potential requires strategizing around its cons. We invite you to delve deeper into the strategies that can optimize its performance and mitigate its limitations, thereby fortifying your deck’s resilience. Discover in-depth insights and elevate your gameplay by joining us as we unravel the secrets to mastering the art of the undead in MTG.


Cards like Undead Augur

Undead Augur is a key card in zombie tribal decks in MTG, offering not just creature presence but valuable card draw as well. This is an advantage shared with cards like Grim Haruspex, which also converts the death of creatures into a card draw opportunity. However, the Augur specifically synergizes with other zombies, creating more targeted and reliable card advantage in the right deck.

Much like Midnight Reaper, another creature that allows a player to draw a card when a creature dies, Undead Augur does it with less life loss but more tribal cohesion. In decks dedicated to undead themes, it stands out for its dual role as enabler and beneficiary of zombie strategies. While Midnight Reaper draws from any nontoken creatures demise, Undead Augur rewards players exclusively for sticking to the zombie archetype.

Thus, in the scope of synergy-driven decks, particularly zombies, the Undead Augur holds its ground as a cornerstone card. It’s the combination of tribal affiliation and card draw based on intrinsic zombie interactions that marks its value, distinguishing it significantly from non-tribal alternatives within the game.

Grim Haruspex - MTG Card versions
Midnight Reaper - MTG Card versions
Grim Haruspex - MTG Card versions
Midnight Reaper - MTG Card versions

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Erg Raiders - MTG Card versions
Cyclopean Mummy - MTG Card versions
Cuombajj Witches - MTG Card versions
Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions
Bog Imp - MTG Card versions
Wall of Corpses - MTG Card versions
Blighted Shaman - MTG Card versions
Rabid Rats - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Bat - MTG Card versions
Ravenous Rats - MTG Card versions
Flesh Reaver - MTG Card versions
Bloodcurdler - MTG Card versions
Nantuko Shade - MTG Card versions
Piper of the Swarm - MTG Card versions
Black Knight - MTG Card versions
Shepherd of Rot - MTG Card versions
Swarm of Rats - MTG Card versions
Skullsnatcher - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Undead Augur MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Modern Horizons, 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 Undead Augur and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Undead Augur Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2019-06-14 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Sara Winters.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 912711997NormalBlackSara Winters
22019-06-14Modern HorizonsMH1 1122015NormalBlackSara Winters
32021-06-18Modern Horizons 1 TimeshiftsH1R 151997NormalBlackSara Winters
42021-08-26Jumpstart: Historic HorizonsJ21 3962015NormalBlackSara Winters
52021-09-24Midnight Hunt CommanderMIC 1302015NormalBlackSara Winters
62022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 4822015NormalBlackSara Winters

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Undead Augur has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2019-06-14 If Undead Augur dies at the same time as one or more other Zombies you control, Undead Augur's ability triggers for each of them.

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