Master of Death MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Zombie Wizard
Abilities Surveil
Power 3
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. A consistent resource through graveyard return, Master of Death enhances a player’s strategic options each turn.
  2. Demands deck flexibility with specific mana requirements and a card discard condition to maximize its potential.
  3. Crucial for decks leveraging graveyard mechanics, its adaptability makes it a meta-relevant powerhouse.

Text of card

When Master of Death enters the battlefield, surveil 2. At the beginning of your upkeep, if Master of Death is in your graveyard, you may pay 1 life. If you do, return it to your hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Master of Death offers a strategic edge by allowing you to selectively retrieve it from your graveyard to your hand each turn. This recurring mechanism ensures a consistent flow of options for players, greatly enhancing your hand’s resources over the course of a match.

Resource Acceleration: By returning to your hand repeatedly, Master of Death acts as a catalyst for graveyard-based synergies, fueling your engine for an accelerated gameplay. This enables more efficient execution of your strategy by effectively reusing the same card multiple times.

Instant Speed: While the card itself doesn’t inherently operate at instant speed, its synergies often interact with spells and abilities that do. This creates dynamic opportunities during gameplay to respond to opponents’ actions, by leveraging the graveyard as an extension of your hand at critical moments.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Master of Death demands that you discard a card if you wish to resurrect it from your graveyard. This can be a strategic setback if you’re already dealing with a depleted hand, making the revival ability less appealing.

Specific Mana Cost: To cast Master of Death, your deck needs both blue and black mana. This requirement potentially narrows compatibility, primarily impacting players who do not run a blue-black combination or a multicolored mana base in their decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, including two specific colors, Master of Death’s initial deployment may compete with other pivotal cards at the same cost point. In many scenarios, players might prefer laying down a game-changing creature or enabler that impacts the board immediately rather than setting up future graveyard plays.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Master of Death serves as a flexible piece in graveyard-centric decks or as recurring threat management. Its ability to return to your hand each upkeep ensures you always have an asset ready for various strategic plays.

Combo Potential: This card can be a key component in combos that capitalize on the concept of death and rebirth, such as those involving sacrifice outlets or graveyard synergies. It works remarkably well with cards that benefit from, or trigger upon, creatures entering the graveyard or battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where graveyard strategies proliferate, Master of Death retains its value. The meta often dictates a need for adaptable creatures capable of multiple roles, and this card’s persistent board presence makes it a stalwart addition against an array of opposing tactics.


How to beat

Master of Death brings a unique persistence to the battlefield of Magic: The Gathering. As a card that offers players the ability to return it from the graveyard to their hand each upkeep at the cost of just one life, it can be daunting to face off against. It creates a recurring threat that demands a more nuanced strategy than simply removing it from play.

To effectively counter Master of Death, consider using exile effects or graveyard hate cards such as Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void. These cards prevent Master of Death from tracing its path back to a player’s hand. Additionally, employing counterspells can be an effective preventive measure, ensuring that Master of Death never hits the field in the first place.

Moreover, redirecting the game’s focus away from the graveyard and towards immediate threats can reduce Master of Death’s impact. Ultimately, while Master of Death offers a resilient challenge, strategic card choices and targeted removals can mitigate its influence on the game and keep your opposition’s advantage in check.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastery of Death can prove to be a true gem in the right MTG deck configuration. With its potential to resurrect from the graveyard, this card promises to keep your options open and your opponents on their toes. Building a deck that capitalizes on such graveyard manipulation can greatly advance your gameplay. If your deck thrives on intricate strategies involving the graveyard, incorporating Master of Death can be a game-changer. Unlock new levels of synergy and dominate the battlefield with strategic resurrection plays. Let us guide you through integrating this powerhouse into your arsenal and refining your strategy for commanding wins.


Cards like Master of Death

Master of Death stands out in the realm of creature cards with its unique blend of utility and resilience. This card invites comparison to other persisting creatures, such as Bloodghast which also boasts the ability to return from the graveyard to the battlefield. However, Master of Death adds the versatile twist of deciding whether to return it at the cost of paying one life during your upkeep, versus Bloodghast’s condition of landfall.

Prized Amalgam is another creature that echoes this return-from-graveyard theme, automatically resurrecting whenever another creature makes the same journey from graveyard to battlefield. Although Prized Amalgam’s return is not optional and lacks the direct control provided by Master of Death, it requires no life payment. Squee, Goblin Nabob also deserves mention, with its ability to return to hand from the graveyard, ensuring its continual presence. Yet it still falls short of the immediate board impact Master of Death offers when it reenters the battlefield.

Analyzing these comparisons, Master of Death carves its niche with a balance of control and persistence, making it an intriguing choice for decks looking to leverage graveyard strategies. Its inherent flexibility tends to augment its value among creature cards capable of making recurring appearances during a game.

Bloodghast - MTG Card versions
Prized Amalgam - MTG Card versions
Squee, Goblin Nabob - MTG Card versions
Bloodghast - Zendikar (ZEN)
Prized Amalgam - Shadows over Innistrad Promos (PSOI)
Squee, Goblin Nabob - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)

Cards similar to Master of Death by color, type and mana cost

Mundungu - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Infiltrator - MTG Card versions
Urborg Phantom - MTG Card versions
Urborg Drake - MTG Card versions
Dralnu's Pet - MTG Card versions
Shadowmage Infiltrator - MTG Card versions
Psychatog - MTG Card versions
Satoru Umezawa - MTG Card versions
Nightveil Specter - MTG Card versions
Urborg Emissary - MTG Card versions
Dimir Cutpurse - MTG Card versions
Dimir Doppelganger - MTG Card versions
Cemetery Puca - MTG Card versions
Gravelgill Duo - MTG Card versions
Wasp Lancer - MTG Card versions
Shore Snapper - MTG Card versions
Harbor Bandit - MTG Card versions
Bane Alley Broker - MTG Card versions
Siren of the Silent Song - MTG Card versions
Jorubai Murk Lurker - MTG Card versions
Mundungu - Visions (VIS)
Phyrexian Infiltrator - The List (PLST)
Urborg Phantom - Invasion (INV)
Urborg Drake - Invasion (INV)
Dralnu's Pet - Planeshift (PLS)
Shadowmage Infiltrator - Masters 25 (A25)
Psychatog - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Satoru Umezawa - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Promos (PNEO)
Nightveil Specter - GRN Guild Kit (GK1)
Urborg Emissary - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Dimir Cutpurse - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Dimir Doppelganger - GRN Guild Kit (GK1)
Cemetery Puca - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Gravelgill Duo - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Wasp Lancer - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Shore Snapper - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Harbor Bandit - Magic 2013 (M13)
Bane Alley Broker - Gatecrash (GTC)
Siren of the Silent Song - Born of the Gods (BNG)
Jorubai Murk Lurker - Magic 2015 (M15)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Master of Death MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos 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 Master of Death and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Master of Death Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2021-06-18 and 2024-02-09. Illustrated by John Stanko.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 913352015normalblackJohn Stanko
22021-06-18Modern Horizons 2MH2 4652015normalblackJohn Stanko
32021-06-18Modern Horizons 2MH2 2052015normalblackJohn Stanko
42021-06-19Modern Horizons 2 PromosPMH2 205s2015normalblackJohn Stanko
52024-02-09Murders at Karlov Manor CommanderMKC 2162015normalblackJohn Stanko

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Master of Death has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PennyLegal

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