Tormod's Cryptkeeper MTG Card

Tormod's Cryptkeeper - Modern Horizons 2

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Artifact Creature — Golem
Abilities	Vigilance
Released	2021-06-18
Set symbol
Set name	Modern Horizons 2
Set code	MH2
Power	3
Toughness	2
Number	239
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Greg Staples

Key Takeaways

Instant speed allows for timely graveyard disruption, crucial against decks that capitalize on graveyard synergy.
Demands a creature sacrifice, which can impact your board presence in critical moments of a match.
As a flexible and meta-relevant card, it’s a valuable addition to any player’s collection or sideboard.

Guide to Vigilance card ability

In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.

Text of card

Vigilance , Sacrifice Tormod's Cryptkeeper: Exile target player's graveyard.

It guards not a body, but a secret.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tormod’s Cryptkeeper affords strategic graveyard disruption, often denying opponents crucial recurring advantages from their graveyard strategies. This ensures you maintain an upper hand by preemptively nullifying potential threats that rely on graveyard synergy.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, this card can speed up your resource development by conserving your mana pool. Its negligible mana cost allows you to deploy other spells more freely, optimizing your overall mana usage throughout the game.

Instant Speed: Tormod’s Cryptkeeper operates at instant speed, making it a versatile tool in the arsenal of any MTG player. Its ability to exile all cards from a single graveyard without tapping ensures you can respond promptly to graveyard-dependent tricks or creature revival attempts, all during a time that is most inconvenient for your opponent.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Tormod’s Cryptkeeper necessitates the sacrifice of a creature as part of its activation cost. This could set you back in board presence, especially in a tightly contested game where each creature on the battlefield is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: To unlock its potential, this card demands one black mana. This can restrict its inclusion to primarily black decks or those with a reliable mana base tailored to accommodate black mana without disrupting the deck’s overall mana curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When considering the resources allocated for a graveyard removal effect, Tormod’s Cryptkeeper’s three mana cost may be on the higher side. Other contemporaneous cards may offer similar effects at a lower mana investment, potentially making them more appealing options in a game that values efficiency and tempo.

Reasons to Include Tormod’s Cryptkeeper in Your Collection

Versatility: Tormod’s Cryptkeeper is a staple for any collection due to its ability to disrupt graveyard strategies, a common component across various formats. It can easily slot into sideboards or even main decks that require graveyard control, without any color restrictions.

Combo Potential: As a zero-cost artifact, Tormod’s Cryptkeeper can be instrumental in artifact-based combos or strategies. It can be sacrificed for free, triggering abilities that rely on artifacts going to the graveyard while purging an opponent’s graveyard at the same time.

Meta-Relevance: In formats where players frequently utilize their graveyards, such as Legacy, Commander, or Modern, Tormod’s Cryptkeeper serves as an excellent countermeasure. Its presence alone can deter opponents from executing their graveyard-dependent combos, making it a highly relevant card for competitive play.

How to beat

Tormod’s Cryptkeeper is a notable card in MTG due to its ability to exile a player’s entire graveyard with just a single tap and no mana cost. This can significantly disrupt strategies that rely on graveyard interactions, such as reanimation or flashback spells. To effectively counter Tormod’s Cryptkeeper, consider the timing of its activation. It’s pivotal to bait out the activation before committing key cards to the graveyard.

In addition, using cards that can destroy or neutralize artifacts will render Tormod’s Cryptkeeper ineffective. Cards with instant-speed artifact removal such as Abrade or Nature’s Claim can be strategically played in response to its activation, or preemptively if you anticipate a gameplay reliant on graveyard resources.

Lastly, diversifying your strategy to be less dependent on the graveyard will naturally minimize the impact of Tormod’s Cryptkeeper on your game. Broadening your tactical approach can ensure that you have multiple avenues to victory, lessening the potential setback that comes from graveyard disruption. Crafting a well-rounded deck with multiple strategies is always a savvy approach to staying one step ahead in MTG.

Cards like Tormod's Cryptkeeper

In the vast arsenal of graveyard management tools within Magic: The Gathering, Tormod’s Cryptkeeper is a noteworthy warrior. It shares its lineage with the iconic Tormod’s Crypt, a zero-cost artifact renowned for its graveyard exiling ability. Yet, Tormod’s Cryptkeeper brings its own flavor to the table with a sacrifice mechanic that’s activated from the playing field, adding more strategic depth compared to its ancestor’s immediate but one-time use.

Nihil Spellbomb stands out as another relative, offering a similar graveyard exile effect combined with card draw when sacrificed with black mana. However, unlike the straightforward approach of Tormod’s Cryptkeeper, the Spellbomb requires an additional mana to exploit its full potential. Relic of Progenitus also comes into play here, boasting versatility with its ability to exile individual cards or clear entire graveyards while also providing the upside of drawing a card.

A thorough comparison reveals that Tormod’s Cryptkeeper epitomizes a sweet spot for players seeking reliable grave-hate with a utility body on the board. It may not have the card advantage of its kin, yet its presence generates strategic opportunities, maintaining a balanced state in games where resurrection and graveyard synergy are ever-present threats.

Cards similar to Tormod's Cryptkeeper by color, type and mana cost

Arena of the Ancients - MTG Card versions

Scale of Chiss-Goria - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tormod's Cryptkeeper MTG card by a specific set like 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 Tormod's Cryptkeeper and other MTG cards: