Necropouncer MTG Card


Necropouncer - New Phyrexia
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact — Equipment
Abilities Equip,Living weapon
Released2011-05-13
Set symbol
Set nameNew Phyrexia
Set codeNPH
Number147
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byCos Koniotis

Key Takeaways

  1. Necropouncer provides a way to gain card advantage and suprise your opponent from the graveyard.
  2. The card enables strategic resource acceleration in artifact-centric MTG decks.
  3. Instant speed unearth offers flexibility in battle strategy, allowing for sudden plays.

Text of card

Living weapon (When this Equipment enters the battlefield, put a 0/0 black Germ creature token onto the battlefield, then attach this to it.) Equipped creature gets +3/+1 and has haste. Equip


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Necropouncer presents an opportunity to recoup card advantage via its unearth ability, letting you play it from the graveyard for a tactical surprise. This gives you an edge by effectively increasing the number of threats your opponent must deal with.

Resource Acceleration: The artifact aspect of Necropouncer offers a strategic gain in resource acceleration when synergized with artifact-centric decks, potentially activating abilities or enhancing effects that rely on the number of artifacts you control.

Instant Speed: Despite not being an instant itself, Necropouncer’s unearth can be activated at instant speed, providing a surprise blocker or attacker during the most opportune moment and allowing for flexibility in your battle strategy.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Necropouncer grants a unique ability to resurrect a creature from your graveyard, it demands that you discard another card. This can be particularly challenging when your hand is running on empty, forcing tough decisions about resource management.

Specific Mana Cost: Necropouncer’s activation is locked behind a specific hybrid mana cost, which may not always align with your deck’s mana base. This makes it less versatile, potentially stranding it unused in your hand or battlefield if you’re unable to generate the necessary mana types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a requirement of six mana to unearth, Necropouncer’s cost is steep compared to other available options in the game. Considering MTG’s vast card pool, players might find more mana-efficient creatures or reanimation effects that provide greater flexibility and impact on the game state.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Necropouncer offers a unique dual function, serving both as an aggressive artifact creature and as a vehicle for creature recursion with its unearth ability. This allows it to adapt to various situations, be it pressuring opponents or reanimating key creatures at crucial moments.

Combo Potential: This card seamlessly fits into artifact and reanimator strategies, unlocking combos by bringing back creatures with enter-the-battlefield effects or by sacrificing it for value while it’s temporarily back from the graveyard.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where games can swing with keen graveyard interaction, Necropouncer provides an edge by making the most of any creature in your graveyard, ensuring you maintain threats on the board to combat various control and combo decks.


How to beat

Necropouncer is a card that presents a unique challenge in the MTG landscape. It’s notorious for its capability to rebound after being cast from a player’s hand and then offering creatures the essential haste to launch immediate attacks. Staying vigilant for artifact removal mechanics may just be your ticket to dismantling the threat posed by Necropouncer. Cards that specialize in targeting artifacts, such as Nature’s Claim or Abrade, can readily handle the pesky equipment before it becomes too much of an advantage for your opponent.

Moreover, counterplay strategies such as instant-speed removal become critical when facing creatures equipped with Necropouncer. By disrupting the synergy before the equipped creature can make an impact, you prevent your opponent from leveraging the hasty advantage. Keep in mind that spot removal like Doom Blade or Path to Exile provides an answer not just to Necropouncer but to the swiftness it bestows upon creatures as well.

Ultimately, the best strategy against Necropouncer involves preemptive measures and a solid grasp of timing your removal and counteractions effectively. Understand the tempo of your opponent, and be ready with a response to their plays, so Necropouncer’s potential is reduced substantially during the course of the game.


Cards like Necropouncer

The Necropouncer is a distinctive artifact creature card in Magic: The Gathering, joining the ranks of card choices that can swiftly speed up your board presence. It shares similarities with cards like Juggernaut, which also can’t be blocked by walls and has the potential for heavy damage. Necropouncer’s standout ability is its ‘unearth’ feature, providing you the chance to swing in for a surprise attack and reanimate it from the graveyard to catch opponents off-guard.

Another akin artifact creature is the Phyrexian Juggernaut. It poses a lethal threat due to its infect ability, though it requires a higher mana investment. The Necropouncer, with lower mana cost and unearth, offers a more versatile play at different game stages. Balustrade Spy flies over defenses as does the Necropouncer when unearthed, presenting an aerial threat. However, Spy’s ability to mill the opponent’s library makes it suitable for very particular strategies in contrast to Necropouncer’s general utility.

Assessing side by side, Necropouncer’s ability to leap from the graveyard into play makes it a formidable option for swiftly altering battle dynamics and taking adversaries by surprise in MTG, standing its ground in artifact creature selections.

Juggernaut - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Juggernaut - MTG Card versions
Balustrade Spy - MTG Card versions
Juggernaut - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Phyrexian Juggernaut - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Balustrade Spy - Gatecrash (GTC)

Cards similar to Necropouncer by color, type and mana cost

Clockwork Beast - MTG Card versions
Triskelion - MTG Card versions
Armageddon Clock - MTG Card versions
Mirror Universe - MTG Card versions
Sword of the Ages - MTG Card versions
Planar Gate - MTG Card versions
Urza's Avenger - MTG Card versions
Bronze Tablet - MTG Card versions
Celestial Sword - MTG Card versions
Voodoo Doll - MTG Card versions
Tetravus - MTG Card versions
Joven's Tools - MTG Card versions
Serpent Generator - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Sculpture - MTG Card versions
Workhorse - MTG Card versions
Well of Discovery - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Hulk - MTG Card versions
Feroz's Ban - MTG Card versions
Wurmcoil Engine - MTG Card versions
Brass Herald - MTG Card versions
Clockwork Beast - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Triskelion - March of the Machine Commander (MOC)
Armageddon Clock - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Mirror Universe - Legends (LEG)
Sword of the Ages - Legends (LEG)
Planar Gate - Legends (LEG)
Urza's Avenger - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Bronze Tablet - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Celestial Sword - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Voodoo Doll - Chronicles (CHR)
Tetravus - Rinascimento (RIN)
Joven's Tools - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Serpent Generator - Legends (LEG)
Flowstone Sculpture - Tempest (TMP)
Workhorse - The List (PLST)
Well of Discovery - Prophecy (PCY)
Phyrexian Hulk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Feroz's Ban - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Wurmcoil Engine - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Brass Herald - Commander Legends (CMR)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Necropouncer MTG card by a specific set like New Phyrexia, 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 Necropouncer and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Necropouncer has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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