Infernal Caretaker MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Cleric
Abilities	Morph
Released	2003-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Legions
Set code	LGN
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	76
Frame	1997
Layout	normal
Border	black
Illustred by	Christopher Moeller

Key Takeaways

Infernal Caretaker provides card advantage, resurrecting creatures for strategic maneuvers and resource acceleration.
Its instant speed capability allows tactical responses during opponents’ turns, maintaining control and adaptability.
However, the card requires specific mana and a discard, which could limit its utility in diverse deck types.

Text of card

Morph (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for . Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.) When Infernal Caretaker is turned face up, return all Zombie cards from all graveyards to their owners' hands.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Infernal Caretaker lets you bring creatures back from your graveyard directly to the battlefield. This effect not only means you’re getting multiple entities with a single card but also enables you to reclaim valuable assets that may have been lost earlier in the duel.

Resource Acceleration: By reintroducing creatures that may produce or interact with mana, the Infernal Caretaker can indirectly contribute to your mana pool’s growth. This can allow for more significant plays sooner than your opponent may anticipate.

Instant Speed: The ability to perform this action at instant speed offers significant tactical advantages. It allows you to wait until the most opportune moment during your opponent’s turn to disrupt their strategy, perhaps in response to removal, sweeps, or other critical plays. This responsiveness ensures you maintain tempo and adaptiveness in the face of an evolving game state.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Engaging in play with Infernal Caretaker requires that you discard a creature card, which could deplete your hand and weaken your overall position if you’re short on cards.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Infernal Caretaker is quite particular, necessitating both black and colorless mana, which can restrict its inclusion to specific archetypes that can readily produce the needed mana combination.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a four-mana value to activate its ability, some players may find Infernal Caretaker less appealing when looking for graveyard recursion options, as there exist other cards that can bring creatures back from the graveyard for a lower cost. Additionally, the mana spent on Infernal Caretaker could have been allocated to cards with more immediate board impact.

Reasons to Include Infernal Caretaker in Your Collection

Versatility: Infernal Caretaker offers unique flexibility in gameplay, easily fitting into decks that capitalize on graveyard strategies. Its ability to bring back creature cards with the Cleric type from the graveyard to your hand means it can be useful in a variety of situations.

Combo Potential: This card is a gem when it comes to combo potential, working seamlessly with decks that leverage sacrifice or self-mill strategies. It can be a key piece in recurring Cleric-centric combos, providing a repeatable source of card advantage.

Meta-Relevance: For players keen on keeping up with the ever-changing MTG meta, Infernal Caretaker can be quite pivotal. In metagames where graveyard interaction is prevalent, having this card at your disposal keeps you one step ahead, granting resilience against control tactics that target creatures on the board.

How to beat

Infernal Caretaker is an intriguing card that players in Magic: The Gathering might encounter. It leverages graveyard mechanics, granting players the chance to return Cleric creatures from their graveyard to their hand. Facing this card, one might feel compelled to disrupt the delicate balance it tries to create.

To outmaneuver this strategy, focus on graveyard disruption. Cards such as Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void can prevent creatures from hitting the graveyard altogether, thus nullifying Infernal Caretaker’s ability. Additionally, instant speed removal like Path to Exile can exile key creatures in response to the caretake’s ability, ensuring they don’t return to hand and that your opponent’s plans are stifled.

Embracing counter-play, it’s also wise to hold onto creature removal or graveyard hate until just before your opponent plans to trigger the Caretaker’s effect. By doing so, you maximize the impact of your disruption, stretching your resources and potentially leaving your adversary with a dead card in hand. Through strategic play and a keen sense of timing, you can overcome the challenges posed by the Infernal Caretaker.

Cards like Infernal Caretaker

Infernal Caretaker is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering, reminiscent of other creature cards that possess enter-the-battlefield effects. When paralleled with Nekrataal, both cards offer players immediate board impact upon arrival. However, Infernal Caretaker leans towards utility with its ability to retrieve multiple Cleric cards from the graveyard, as opposed to Nekrataal’s singular creature destruction.

Morbid Opportunist presents another comparison with its capability to draw cards, albeit triggered by different game conditions. While Morbid Opportunist emphasizes incremental advantage through creature death, Infernal Caretaker’s strength lies in its one-time graveyard retrieval effect. Merchant of the Vale, featuring flexibility via its Adventure mechanic, is another card worth examining. It provides both a creature and the ability to repeatedly cycle cards from the hand to the graveyard, potentially setting up Infernal Caretaker’s graveyard recovery ability.

Ultimately, while similar in their card advantage aspirations, Infernal Caretaker differentiates itself in MTG with its specialized focus on a tribal type and graveyard interactions, offering a strategic niche for deck builders keen on optimizing synergy between creature types and graveyard mechanics.

Morbid Opportunist - Innistrad: Midnight Hunt (MID)

Cards similar to Infernal Caretaker by color, type and mana cost

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Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions

Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)

Demon of Catastrophes - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Infernal Caretaker MTG card by a specific set like Legions, 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 Infernal Caretaker and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Infernal Caretaker has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2004-10-04	The trigger occurs when you use the Morph ability to turn the card face up, or when an effect turns it face up. It will not trigger on being revealed or on leaving the battlefield.