Butcher of Malakir MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 15 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Vampire Warrior
Abilities Flying
Power 5
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Butcher of Malakir leverages card advantage by doubling creature sacrifices on the opponent’s side.
  2. Its presence accelerates resource dominance, hastening victory with a powerful 5/4 flying creature.
  3. Despite no instant speed, it mimics the effect, instantly altering the state of the game.

Text of card

Flying Whenever Butcher of Malakir or another creature you control is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, each opponent sacrifices a creature.

His verdict is always guilty. His sentence is always death.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Butcher of Malakir Mtg card is a powerhouse when it comes to gaining card advantage. Each time it destroys an opponent’s creature, it forces your opponent to sacrifice another creature, potentially tipping the balance of the game in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: As a massive 5/4 flyer, Butcher of Malakir puts you ahead in terms of battlefield presence. This rapid acceleration of resources can effortlessly put you in a commanding position, substantially fast-tracking your progress in the game.

Instant Speed: Even though it doesn’t have instant speed, the Butcher of Malakir’s effect is similar to those found on instant spells. As a result, the moment it hits the table, it significantly impacts the game state, potentially clenching the win for you.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Butcher of Malakir doesn’t require a basic sacrifice to cast. However, its effect depends on other creatures being sent to the graveyard from the battlefield. If you’re running low on creatures to sacrifice or can’t assure regular creature flow to the graveyard, the card’s potential might be underutilized.

Specific Mana Cost: The Butcher of Malakir has a particular mana cost requirement, which includes two black mana. This requirement might cause a restriction in deck building around it, making it specific to decks with a substantial amount of black mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a staggering seven mana cost, this vampire warrior can be quite an expense to your mana pool. It’s a high cost, especially considering there might be alternative creatures or cards that could provide better value for a lower price. Despite its potent ability, the high mana cost curtails its universal application.


Reasons to Include Butcher of Malakir in Your Collection

Versatility: Butcher of Malakir holds a high place in decks with a focus on sacrifice and reanimation techniques. Its built-in mechanism to make opponents sacrifice creatures every time a creature on your side dies makes it a valuable piece in a variety of builds.

Combo Potential: Teamed with cards that can take advantage of creature deaths, such as Blood Artist or Dictate of Erebos, Butcher of Malakir helps to establish powerful combinations. Your opponents will be in constant peril, trying to keep their creatures alive while yours keep returning.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where powerful creatures dominate, Butcher of Malakir’s ability to thin enemies’ ranks can provide a significant advantage. If the meta-game sways towards mid-range decks with plenty of meaty creatures, its relevance only increases.


How to beat

Butcher of Malakir is a potent card in MTG distinguished by its ability to force opponents to sacrifice a creature each time a creature of the player controlling Butcher of Malakir is sent to the graveyard. Despite this, savvy players have numerous strategic methods to neutralize or even take advantage of this powerful card.

One of the prominent strategies revolves around using cheap spells that exile target creature, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares. This effectively removes Butcher of Malakir from the game, circumventing its ability and often leaving the opposing player without a key piece on the board.

Alternatively, deploying mechanics such as Hexproof and Indestructible can help players to protect their creatures from being forced to be sacrificed. Cards with these abilities, like Slippery Bogle or Darksteel Myr, are immune to Butcher of Malakir’s effect, providing a potent defense.

In conclusion, despite the apparent power of Butcher of Malakir, there exists a multitude of strategies within MTG to counteract this threat and continue on a path to victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

The Butcher of Malakir is a formidable card that can redefine battlefields with its relentless sacrifice-inducing ability. Whether you’re intensifying your vampire theme or commanding an army that capitalizes on creature deaths, this card offers a strategic edge. As you contemplate linking synergies or sculpting your deck, consider the Butcher for its meta-altering prowess. Are you ready to dominate with a strategy that pressures your opponent with each creature fall? Embrace the insights shared and integrate the Butcher of Malakir into your arsenal for an enhanced MTG experience. Dive deeper with us and dominate the game.


Cards like Butcher of Malakir

Within the thrilling realm of Magic: The Gathering, Butcher of Malakir finds counterparts and competitors in cards like Dictate of Erebos and Grave Pact. The said cards share the mechanic of forcing opponents to sacrifice a creature whenever one of your creatures goes to the graveyard.

Butcher of Malakir, a vampire warrior card, stands out with its flying ability and relatively high power and toughness. The powerful Dictate of Erebos is a classic favorite in the MTG community, as it has flash and imposes the same forced sacrifice effect. However, Dictate of Erebos doesn’t serve as a creature itself, and hence lacks the first-hand contribution Butcher of Malakir provides on the battlefront.

Grave Pact is another excellent inclusion in this comparison. It boasts the forced sacrifice ability similar to Butcher of Malakir, but it doesn’t have the added advantage of the decent creature that the Butcher is. Also, the casting cost of Grave Pact tends to be restrictive.

To sum up, an in-depth look at the unique attributes and benefits of each card places Butcher of Malakir as an impressive choice within creature cards in Magic: The Gathering, particularly for its dual creature and forced sacrifice traits.

Dictate of Erebos - MTG Card versions
Grave Pact - MTG Card versions
Dictate of Erebos - Journey into Nyx (JOU)
Grave Pact - Stronghold (STH)

Cards similar to Butcher of Malakir by color, type and mana cost

Lord of the Pit - MTG Card versions
Minion of Tevesh Szat - MTG Card versions
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Eater of Hope - MTG Card versions
Scourge of Nel Toth - MTG Card versions
Dread Defiler - MTG Card versions
Lord of the Pit - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Minion of Tevesh Szat - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Minion of Leshrac - Ice Age (ICE)
Cateran Overlord - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Deathbringer Regent - Commander 2021 (C21)
Black Dragon - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (AFR)
Reaper of Night // Harvest Fear - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Zombie Brute - Legions (LGN)
Tresserhorn Skyknight - Coldsnap (CSP)
Lim-Dûl the Necromancer - Time Spiral (TSP)
Phage the Untouchable - Conspiracy (CNS)
Ebon Dragon - From the Vault: Dragons (DRB)
Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet - Zendikar (ZEN)
Sheoldred, Whispering One - Multiverse Legends (MUL)
Sutured Ghoul - Magic 2012 (M12)
Abhorrent Overlord - Theros Promos (PTHS)
Fell Shepherd - Commander 2013 (C13)
Eater of Hope - Midnight Hunt Commander (MIC)
Scourge of Nel Toth - Commander 2015 (C15)
Dread Defiler - Oath of the Gatewatch Promos (POGW)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Butcher of Malakir MTG card by a specific set like Worldwake and Commander 2011, 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 Butcher of Malakir and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Butcher of Malakir Magic the Gathering card was released in 15 different sets between 2010-02-05 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by Jason Chan.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12010-02-05WorldwakeWWK 532003normalblackJason Chan
22011-06-17Commander 2011CMD 752003normalblackJason Chan
32013-03-15Duel Decks: Sorin vs. TibaltDDK 182003normalblackJason Chan
42014-11-07Commander 2014C14 1382015normalblackJason Chan
52015-08-28Duel Decks: Zendikar vs. EldraziDDP 472015normalblackJason Chan
62015-11-13Commander 2015C15 1182015normalblackJason Chan
72017-06-09Commander AnthologyCMA 502015normalblackJason Chan
82017-08-25Commander 2017C17 1032015normalblackJason Chan
92018-06-08Commander Anthology Volume IICM2 602015normalblackJason Chan
102020-09-26The ListPLST WWK-532003normalblackJason Chan
112021-09-24Midnight Hunt CommanderMIC 1072015normalblackJason Chan
122021-11-19Crimson Vow CommanderVOC 1232015normalblackJason Chan
132022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 7412015normalblackJason Chan
142023-05-08From Cute to BrutePCTB 152003normalblackJason Chan
152023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 1872015normalblackJason Chan

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Butcher of Malakir has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2010-03-01 If multiple creatures you control (possibly including Butcher of Malakir itself) are put into their owners' graveyards at the same time, Butcher of Malakir's triggered ability will trigger that many times.
2010-03-01 If you and an opponent each control a Butcher of Malakir and a creature is put into a graveyard, a chain reaction happens. First the ability of one player's Butcher will trigger, causing each opponent to sacrifice a creature. That sacrifice causes the ability of the other player's Butcher to trigger, and so on.
2010-03-01 If you control more than one Butcher of Malakir and a creature you control is put into a graveyard, each of those Butchers' abilities will trigger. Each opponent will sacrifice a creature each time one of those abilities resolves.
2010-03-01 When the triggered ability resolves, first the player whose turn it is (if that player is an opponent) chooses which creature they will sacrifice, then each other opponent in turn order does the same, then all chosen creatures are sacrificed at the same time.

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