The Underworld Cookbook MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact
Abilities Food

Key Takeaways

  1. The Underworld Cookbook enables strategic discarding for Food token creation, desirable in graveyard-play decks.
  2. Food tokens from the Cookbook aid in life gain and enable powerful artifact and sacrifice interactions.
  3. Ability to operate at instant speed offers flexibility and can shape unforeseen game outcomes.

Text of card

, Discard a card: Create a Food token. (It's an artifact with ", , Sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life.") , , Sacrifice The Underworld Cookbook: Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Underworld Cookbook offers the utility to discard a card to create a Food token, an advantageous mechanic in graveyard-centric decks. It synergizes with strategies that benefit from having certain cards in the graveyard while sustaining your hand with the potential to retrieve a creature if four Foods are sacrificed.

Resource Acceleration: Through its Food tokens, the card can indirectly accelerate your resources. Food tokens can be sacrificed for life or utilized in other synergistic ways, such as with cards that leverage artifact or sacrifice mechanisms for gaining mana or creating powerful interactions.

Instant Speed: While the Cookbook itself is an artifact that operates at sorcery speed, the creation and sacrifice of Food tokens can often be done at instant speed, allowing flexibility in response to gameplay. This grants you the ability to make strategic decisions on the fly based on the evolving state of the game. Moreover, the card’s ability to be accessible whenever necessary makes it a versatile piece in various game scenarios.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Underworld Cookbook demands that a player discards a card to activate its ability. This may hamper your strategic plans, especially during tight scenarios where every card in hand counts.

Specific Mana Cost: One key aspect to keep in mind is that The Underworld Cookbook requires a specific build around to maximize its potential due to its tailored mana cost for activation.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When compared to other artifacts in the realm of MTG, The Underworld Cookbook’s activation cost might be on the steeper side. Players often weigh its cost against the tangible benefits it brings to the battlefield, considering alternate options that could be more cost-effective.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Underworld Cookbook offers a unique advantage by allowing players to discard a card to create Food tokens, which can be a great way to manage your hand and benefit from artifacts simultaneously.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks focusing on graveyard strategies, enabling users to recur discarded cards or capitalize on the Food tokens through various synergies.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where life gain tactics and resource management are important, The Underworld Cookbook provides an edge by furnishing a consistent flow of artifacts and potential card advantage, making it a relevant addition to specific deck archetypes.


How to beat

The Underworld Cookbook offers a unique angle in MTG as a cornerstone in various graveyard-centric decks. It enables players to utilize their discarded cards as resources, converting them into creatures or spells that can turn the tide of battle. Its ability allows for a consistent discarding mechanism, while also providing the option to retrieve creature cards, thereby offering both a source of fuel for other graveyard synergies and a form of card advantage.

To counter this artifact, it is vital to disrupt the graveyard interaction it thrives on. Using cards that exile the graveyard, like Tormod’s Crypt or Relic of Progenitus, can leave the Cookbook without any ingredients to work with. Direct artifact removal, such as Abrade or Nature’s Claim, can eliminate the need to deal with the Cookbook’s consequences altogether. Keep in mind controlling the timing of activating these effects is key—timing them right before the opponent attempts to utilize their graveyard can maximize their impact. By curbing the graveyard or the Cookbook itself, you essentially shut down the engine before it revs up, maintaining a solid stance in your match.

In conclusion, strategic graveyard management and timely artifact interaction are significant approaches to overcoming the strategic depth that The Underworld Cookbook can bring to the playing field of MTG.


BurnMana Recommendations

As we explore The Underworld Cookbook and its impact on MTG, it’s clear that the card presents unique strategic options for deck builders. Whether you’re interested in enhancing your graveyard dynamics or creating a steady flow of resources with Food tokens, this artifact offers intriguing possibilities. Understanding its full potential within different archetypes could give you the upper hand in your next duel. To delve into advanced strategies and optimize your deck’s performance around such distinctive cards, keep engaging with the game’s intricacies. At BurnMana, we offer insights and expert guidance to refine your gameplay. Discover new combos, upgrade your MTG tactics, and tailor your deck to perfection with us. Enhance your collection and harness the power of The Underworld Cookbook to its fullest.


Cards like The Underworld Cookbook

Delving into the world of artifact cards in Magic the Gathering, The Underworld Cookbook stands out for its unique ability to both discard and recur cards from the graveyard. By offering players a means to transform unwanted cards into fresh opportunities, it shares some thematic and functional similarities with cards such as Codex Shredder and Ghoulcaller’s Bell. Each of these artifacts provides a strategic advantage through careful manipulation of the players’ libraries and graveyards.

Moreover, The Underworld Cookbook invites comparison with Perpetual Timepiece, as both facilitate larger graveyard strategies by cycling cards from hand or library to the graveyard. The Underworld Cookbook, on the one hand, directly trades cards for a flavorful food token, enriching decks centered around sacrifice mechanics or feeding on graveyard resources. Perpetual Timepiece, by contrast, offers a more passive approach to stocking the graveyard and protecting key components from exile with its shuffle-back ability.

The multifaceted utility of The Underworld Cookbook underscores its potential in various MTG formats, bridging the gap between discard outlets and graveyard synergies. Whether fueling a reanimation strategy or enabling an Aristocrats-style deck, it provides a niche function that can be pivotal to winning strategies.

Codex Shredder - MTG Card versions
Ghoulcaller's Bell - MTG Card versions
Perpetual Timepiece - MTG Card versions
Codex Shredder - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Ghoulcaller's Bell - Innistrad (ISD)
Perpetual Timepiece - Kaladesh (KLD)

Cards similar to The Underworld Cookbook by color, type and mana cost

Glasses of Urza - MTG Card versions
Wooden Sphere - MTG Card versions
Sol Ring - MTG Card versions
Iron Star - MTG Card versions
Library of Leng - MTG Card versions
Black Vise - MTG Card versions
Urza's Chalice - MTG Card versions
Ivory Cup - MTG Card versions
Brass Man - MTG Card versions
Mana Vault - MTG Card versions
Soul Net - MTG Card versions
The Rack - MTG Card versions
Helm of Chatzuk - MTG Card versions
Obelisk of Undoing - MTG Card versions
Feldon's Cane - MTG Card versions
Throne of Bone - MTG Card versions
Meekstone - MTG Card versions
Crystal Rod - MTG Card versions
Thran Foundry - MTG Card versions
Cursed Scroll - MTG Card versions
Glasses of Urza - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Wooden Sphere - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Sol Ring - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Iron Star - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Library of Leng - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Black Vise - Revised Edition (3ED)
Urza's Chalice - Masters Edition (ME1)
Ivory Cup - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Brass Man - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Mana Vault - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Soul Net - Fifth Edition (5ED)
The Rack - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Helm of Chatzuk - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Obelisk of Undoing - Rinascimento (RIN)
Feldon's Cane - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Throne of Bone - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Meekstone - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Crystal Rod - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Thran Foundry - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Cursed Scroll - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase The Underworld Cookbook MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons 2 and Modern Horizons 2, 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 The Underworld Cookbook and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The The Underworld Cookbook Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2021-06-18 and 2021-06-18. Illustrated by Joe Slucher.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12021-06-18Modern Horizons 2MH2 4341997normalblackJoe Slucher
22021-06-18Modern Horizons 2MH2 2402015normalblackJoe Slucher

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where The Underworld Cookbook has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-06-18 The Underworld Cookbook's last ability can target any creature card in your graveyard, not just one discarded with its first ability. For example, if a Granite Gargoyle you control dies after being dealt damage by Lightning Axe, you could use The Underworld Cookbook to make a delicious Gargoyle entrée.

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