Magus of the Bridge MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Wizard
Power 4
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Transforms creature deaths into a strategic advantage by generating zombie tokens on the board.
  2. Enhances graveyard-centric decks with its ability for consistent token generation and combos.
  3. Requires mindful deck construction, including mana base considerations and late-game strategies.

Text of card

Whenever a nontoken creature is put into your graveyard from the battlefield, create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token. When a creature is put into an opponent's graveyard from the battlefield, exile Magus of the Bridge.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Magus of the Bridge thrives in a game where creature control is pivotal. With its ability to bring creatures back from the graveyard every time another creature dies, you can consistently build a presence on the board, transforming each creature loss into a new opportunity for dominance.

Resource Acceleration: In the resource-intensive world of deck building, the Magus of the Bridge offers a distinct advantage. By capitalizing on the natural life cycle of creatures—summoning, utilizing, and inevitably losing them—you essentially create creature-based resource acceleration. Each creature’s end becomes the catalyst for another’s beginning, allowing for a fluid and dynamic approach to managing your on-field assets.

Instant Speed: While Magus of the Bridge operates at sorcery speed, the strategy it enables can be performed with instant speed precision. By using other instant-speed sacrifice outlets or death-triggered abilities, you can transform the battlefield on the fly, taking full advantage of the windows of opportunity created by the natural flow of the game. This leads to a more robust and reactive gameplay experience, ensuring that every creature’s demise is the prelude to your inexorable march to victory.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Magus of the Bridge has a steep activation cost, necessitating you to part with a creature card from your hand. This can be burdensome during late game scenarios when your hand might be running low on cards, hence reducing your strategic options.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both black and colorless mana, Magus of the Bridge calls for a dedicated mana base, which may not easily fit into multi-colored deck strategies. Players running decks with a tight color curve might find it challenging to reliably cast this card, especially early in the game.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a four mana cost, Magus of the Bridge is considered high for its effects, particularly when you compare it to other creatures or spells that could potentially provide more value or versatility for the same or lower mana investment. This can be particularly noticeable in fast-paced games where efficiency is key to outpacing an opponent.


Reasons to Include Magus of the Bridge in Your Collection

Versatility: Magus of the Bridge offers strategic diversity for deck builders, functioning well in various archetypes from graveyard-centric to creature-based strategies, thanks to its ability to generate zombie tokens.

Combo Potential: This card excels in combination with self-mill or sacrifice setups, fueling powerful synergies that capitalize on consistent token generation for overwhelming board presence or combo finishes.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state rich with graveyard interaction, Magus of the Bridge becomes a significant threat. It can quickly become a linchpin in decks designed to exploit such interactions, enabling them to stay competitive in evolving metagames.


How to beat

Magus of the Bridge is a card that has captured the attention of Magic: The Gathering players for its ability to bring creatures back from the graveyard. This unique characteristic challenges opponents to find effective ways to counter its significant board presence impact. Unlike straightforward removal spells, conquering Magus of the Bridge requires a more nuanced approach, focusing on graveyard disruption. Cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void offer a proactive solution, preventing cards from hitting the graveyard altogether and neutralizing the Magus’s strength. Direct exile effects such as Path to Exile ensure that the Magus does not trigger its own ability nor does it get a chance to be reanimated again.

Strategic use of bounce spells or counterspells can also provide a temporary reprieve or prevent the card from entering the battlefield in the first place. Sideboard choices that mitigate graveyard-centric strategies are essential when facing decks that leverage Magus of the Bridge’s capabilities. These tools highlight the importance of preparing your deck for a diverse MTG meta, acknowledging that a powerful strategy can be mitigated with the right card choices and anticipatory play.


Cards like Magus of the Bridge

Magus of the Bridge is a unique creature card that has piqued the interest of players in Magic: The Gathering. Resembling the famous enchantment Bridge from Below, it brings a similar flavor to gameplay but as a creature. Magus of the Bridge activates its ability when creatures go to the graveyard, creating a 2/2 zombie token. This mirrors Bridge from Below’s ability to capitalize on creature deaths but with the Magus, it’s the player’s creatures that need to die.

Comparatively, Undead Augur from recent sets has a kindred spirit with the Magus, rewarding players when zombies die by drawing them a card, although it doesn’t create tokens. Nether Traitor offers another point of comparison, as a creature that easily returns from the graveyard to the battlefield, fostering a synergistic relationship with Magus of the Bridge to perpetuate zombie token generation.

While Bridge from Below operates solely from the graveyard and loses potency if a creature enters its owner’s graveyard, Magus of the Bridge does not share this drawback, instead adding a robust creature to the battlefield that can turn the tide with consistent token generation. This makes the Magus a valued inclusion in MTG decks focusing on creature sacrifice and recursion strategies.

Bridge from Below - MTG Card versions
Undead Augur - MTG Card versions
Nether Traitor - MTG Card versions
Bridge from Below - Future Sight (FUT)
Undead Augur - Modern Horizons (MH1)
Nether Traitor - Time Spiral (TSP)

Cards similar to Magus of the Bridge by color, type and mana cost

Nettling Imp - MTG Card versions
Royal Assassin - MTG Card versions
Plague Rats - MTG Card versions
El-Hajjâj - MTG Card versions
Frozen Shade - MTG Card versions
Scathe Zombies - MTG Card versions
Sorceress Queen - MTG Card versions
Wall of Bone - MTG Card versions
Lost Soul - MTG Card versions
Mindstab Thrull - MTG Card versions
Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions
Strongarm Thug - MTG Card versions
Razortooth Rats - MTG Card versions
Ghastly Remains - MTG Card versions
Lord of the Undead - MTG Card versions
Deepwood Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Dross Prowler - MTG Card versions
Nim Lasher - MTG Card versions
Nim Abomination - MTG Card versions
Vesper Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Nettling Imp - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Royal Assassin - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Plague Rats - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
El-Hajjâj - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Frozen Shade - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Scathe Zombies - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Sorceress Queen - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Wall of Bone - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Lost Soul - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Mindstab Thrull - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Mischievous Poltergeist - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Strongarm Thug - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Razortooth Rats - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Ghastly Remains - Legions (LGN)
Lord of the Undead - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Deepwood Ghoul - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Dross Prowler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Lasher - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Abomination - Darksteel (DST)
Vesper Ghoul - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Magus of the Bridge 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 Magus of the Bridge and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Magus of the Bridge Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-06-18 and 2021-06-19. Illustrated by Bryan Sola.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12021-06-18Modern Horizons 2MH2 3442015normalblackBryan Sola
22021-06-18Modern Horizons 2MH2 922015normalblackBryan Sola
32021-06-19Modern Horizons 2 PromosPMH2 92s2015normalblackBryan Sola

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Magus of the Bridge has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Magus of the Bridge 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 A token's owner is the player who created it, which may be different from the player who controls it or, in some weird cases, different than the player under whose control it entered the battlefield.
2021-06-18 Neither ability cares who controlled the creature that died, only which graveyard it was put into. This means that if an opponent controls a creature you own, its death causes Magus of the Bridge's first ability to trigger, not its second.
2021-06-18 Unlike its namesake, Bridge from Below, the Magus's abilities work only while it's on the battlefield. They do not work while it is in your graveyard.

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