Necropotence MTG Card


With Necropotence, draw cards at a bargain, exchanging one life per card for a strong hand each turn. Its instant speed allows for significant strategic plays, filling your hand at the perfect moment. Despite mana costs and discard rules, it remains a game-changer in various deck types.
Card setsReleased in 14 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Text of card

Skip your draw phase. If you discard a card from your hand, remove that card from the game. : Pay 1 life to set aside the top card of your library. At the beginning of your next discard phase, put that card into your hand. Effects that prevent or redirect damage cannot be used to counter this loss of life.


Cards like Necropotence

Necropotence stands as a pillar in Magic: The Gathering’s pantheon of powerful card advantage engines. It draws parallels with Yawgmoth’s Bargain, which also allows players to pay life for cards. Yet, Necropotence’s once per turn restriction is absent in Yawgmoth’s Bargain, providing instant access to a new hand, although at a higher mana cost.

Meanwhile, Greed offers a similar, albeit more controlled, life-for-cards trade. It requires an additional mana investment for each card, significantly slowing the potential for an overwhelming advantage that Necropotence can provide. Dark Confidant also brings a steady stream of additional cards for life but is creature-based, carrying inherent risks of removal or inability to sustain longer card-drawing sequences compared to the enchantment-based Necropotence.

Ultimately, Necropotence’s unique restriction, where drawn cards are exiled until the end phase, distinctively challenges players to strategize differently, compared to the immediate gratification provided by other similar cards. Despite the limitations, its potential to fill a player’s hand continually underscores its enduring status as a formidable and game-shaping card within Magic: The Gathering.

Yawgmoth's Bargain - MTG Card versions
Greed - MTG Card versions
Dark Confidant - MTG Card versions
Yawgmoth's Bargain - MTG Card versions
Greed - MTG Card versions
Dark Confidant - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Necropotence. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
DoomsdayDoomsday VintageDoomsdayVintage Challenge 32 2024-04-11
Paradoxical OutcomeParadoxical Outcome VintageParadoxical OutcomeVintage Preliminary 2024-04-12
Beseech StormBeseech Storm VintageBeseech StormVintage Challenge 32 2024-04-11

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Necropotence stands out as an iconic card that provides unmatched card advantage. By paying only one life for each card, it offers players the extraordinary ability to refuel their hand each turn, setting the stage for decisive plays and maintaining a steady flow of resources.

Resource Acceleration: While it doesn’t directly produce mana or tokens, Necropotence accelerates your access to resources by ensuring you have a full hand of cards to play. This consistent flow of options allows for an aggressive and strategic buildup of your board presence throughout the game.

Instant Speed: Necropotence’s ability works at the speed of life payment, which means you can use it at the end of your opponent’s turn. This facilitates a strategy where you spend life to fill your hand right before your turn starts, keeping your options versatile and reactionary tactics ready for whatever your opponent throws your way.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the limiting factors of Necropotence is its discard mechanic. This can force players to discard any cards they would draw for as long as Necropotence is on the battlefield, which can be a double-edged sword, particularly if you’re trying to maintain a healthy hand size.

Specific Mana Cost: Necropotence has a strict color requirement of triple black mana in its casting cost, making it challenging to incorporate into multicolored decks that might not have a heavy black mana base. This constraint can limit the card’s flexibility and utility across a diverse range of decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although deemed powerful, Necropotence does come with a relatively high mana cost for its card advantage ability. It demands three black mana, which can set back your other plays, especially during the early game phases where mana resources are crucial for setting up one’s board presence.


Reasons to Include Necropotence in Your Collection

Versatility: Necropotence offers unparalleled card advantage by allowing you to exchange life for cards, a powerful trade-off that can benefit a wide array of deck archetypes, from aggressive black decks to control strategies seeking to maintain their hand size.

Combo Potential: With the ability to draw multiple cards in one turn, Necropotence can be the linchpin in setting up game-winning combos. It’s particularly effective in decks that seek to assemble specific card combinations or that can mitigate the life loss through life gain mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames where the right card at the right time can determine victory, Necropotence becomes an indispensable tool, providing consistent access to your deck’s resources. Its presence can dictate the pace of the game, ensuring that you’re never at a disadvantage when it comes to hand size.


How to beat

Necropotence is a legendary enchantment in Magic: The Gathering that stands as one of the most powerful card-drawing engines. To successfully counter this card, players should focus on tactics that either prevent the player from paying life to draw, limit hand size, or capitalize on the diminished life total. Employing artifacts such as Cursed Totem or strategies involving cards like Chains of Mephistopheles can disrupt the draw ability, requiring strategic pivots.

Running enchantment removal like Disenchant is crucial, as taking Necropotence off the board quickly minimizes the advantage it provides. You may also consider using cards like Thoughtseize to disrupt your opponent’s hand, thereby minimizing the impact of the cards they draw. Furthermore, aggressive strategies that amplify pressure on life totals can force a Necropotence player into a precarious position, where drawing extra cards could lead to their defeat.

Lastly, it’s vital to keep your life total healthy and prioritize threats effectively. Necropotence users will be drawing many cards, so maintaining a balance between pressure and resource management is key to turning the tides in your favor against this iconic card.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of Necropotence is crucial in mastering MTG. This card’s remarkable ability to replenish your hand cannot be overlooked, but it comes with certain challenges to navigate. Deck-builds around Necropotence are powerful, yet they require finesse and strategic insight. Acknowledging its influence on game dynamics, consider whether its unique playstyle aligns with your strategy. Should you decide to harness its potential, delve deeper into tactics that complement it. For those looking to encounter this MTG cornerstone or find effective counters, we shed light on strategies that elevate your game. Learn more and embrace Necropotence’s undeniable impact on the battlefield.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Necropotence MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age and Pro Tour Collector Set, 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 Necropotence and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Necropotence Magic the Gathering card was released in 12 different sets between 1995-06-03 and 2023-09-08. Illustrated by 5 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11995-06-03Ice AgeICE 1541993NormalBlackMark Tedin
21996-05-02Pro Tour Collector SetPTC ll1541993NormalGoldMark Tedin
31997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 1821997NormalWhiteMark Tedin
42001-12-01DeckmastersDKM 71997NormalBlackMark Tedin
52008-09-22Masters Edition IIME2 1071997NormalBlackMark Tedin
62009-08-28From the Vault: ExiledV09 92003NormalBlackDave Kendall
72014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 1302015NormalBlackDave Kendall
82016-06-10Eternal MastersEMA 982015NormalBlackDave Kendall
92017-11-17Iconic MastersIMA 982015NormalBlackDave Kendall
102022-11-02Secret Lair 30th Anniversary Countdown KitSLC 19952015NormalBorderlessRafal Wechterowicz
112023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting TalesWOT 742015NormalBorderlessKuregure
122023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine Art SeriesAWOE 802015Art seriesBorderless
132023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting TalesWOT 312015NormalBorderlessAbigail Larson
142023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting TalesWOT 942015NormalBorderlessKuregure

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Necropotence has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricBanned
LegacyBanned
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernBanned
VintageRestricted
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
GladiatorLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2017-11-17 If a discarded card isn’t put into your graveyard (due to an effect such as that of Obstinate Baloth) or leaves your graveyard (perhaps because another effect returned it to your hand), it won’t be exiled.
2017-11-17 If you discard a card with madness and wish to cast it, Necropotence’s ability won’t exile that card. If you don’t wish to cast it, you choose whether it ends up exiled or in your graveyard.
2017-11-17 Necropotence’s last ability creates a delayed triggered ability that will put the exiled card into your hand. That ability still triggers even if Necropotence is removed from the battlefield before your end step.