Doomed Necromancer MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Cleric Mercenary
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers card advantage by turning graveyards into extensions of the hand, enabling creature resurrection.
  2. Can dramatically alter game tempo by cheating out high-cost creatures well ahead of their time.
  3. Resurrection can be well-timed post-opponent’s turn, avoiding common sorcery-speed removal threats.

Text of card

o B, oc T, Sacrifice Doomed Necromancer: Return target creature card from your graveyard to play.

"His sacrifice shall not be forgotten. Now toss his body over there with the others." —Phage the Untouchable


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Doomed Necromancer offers the strategic benefit of effectively transforming a card from your graveyard into a potent creature on the battlefield. This effectively turns your graveyard into a rich resource, giving you a form of card advantage as you’re able to bypass the cost and conditions of playing the creature directly from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana acceleration, Doomed Necromancer accelerates your resource availability by cheating out high-cost creatures ahead of schedule. This allows for a dynamic tempo shift, putting opponents on the back foot as they deal with threats earlier than standard gameplay would allow.

Instant Speed: Though the Necromancer’s activation isn’t at instant speed, the ability to resurrect creatures can be activated at the end of your opponent’s turn. This timing plays a crucial role, enabling you to utilize your mana efficiently during your turn and ensuring the reborn creature isn’t subjected to sorcery-speed removal before you can make use of it.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Utilizing the resurrection ability of Doomed Necromancer requires you to sacrifice it. This act can set you back if you’re short on creatures or need to maintain board presence for defense or other strategies.

Specific Mana Cost: For decks that run multiple colors, the specific need for both black mana and generic mana to cast Doomed Necromancer can present a stumbling block, potentially delaying your game plan or forcing a mulligan.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana and an activation cost that also disposes of the card, there are instances where the investment may not be the most mana-efficient way to bring a creature back from the graveyard, especially considering other lower-cost reanimation alternatives available.


Reasons to Include Doomed Necromancer in Your Collection

Versatility: Doomed Necromancer’s ability to reanimate any creature from your graveyard offers a flexible solution to a variety of in-game scenarios. It can be a key component in decks that quickly cycle through their library, acting as a bridge to bring back powerful creatures for a formidable board presence.

Combo Potential: The necromancer shines in combinations that exploit graveyard strategies. Whether you’re aiming to bring back a game-ending threat or looking to loop creatures with enter-the-battlefield effects, this card provides tactical depth to your gameplay and can be the linchpin in executing complex combos.

Meta-Relevance: As metagames evolve and graveyard-based strategies fluctuate in popularity, having Doomed Necromancer in your arsenal gives you a nimble response to shifts in the tournament scene. It can often outmaneuver graveyard-hate by acting swiftly and can catch opponents off-guard when they least expect a resurrected threat.


How to beat Doomed Necromancer

Doomed Necromancer offers MTG players the opportunity to bring creatures back from the graveyard directly onto the battlefield. This black creature card can become quite a menace if it’s allowed to unfold its full potential. To effectively counter this, one strategy is to focus on preemptive removal. Cards that can exile Doomed Necromancer before its ability is activated, like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, can be an optimal solution.

Another tactic is to oversee the graveyard itself. By using graveyard hate cards such as Relic of Progenitus or Leyline of the Void, you prevent Doomed Necromancer from having valid targets to resurrect. In games that revolve around counterplay, it’s essential to keep such answers in your deck to mitigate the threats that reanimator cards pose. Combating Doomed Necromancer successfully comes down to managing your resources effectively and disrupting your opponent’s strategies before they can establish control.


BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring the nuanced tactics of MTG requires a deep understanding of your deck and the evolving metagame. Doomed Necromancer is a card that promises thrilling twists and potent creature revivals, enhancing your in-game strategy. Through our in-depth exploration of its pros, cons, and comparisons, you’ve gained the insights necessary to judge its fit in your collection. Evaluate your deck’s needs and consider the role this versatile card could play. For those ready to add a layer of strategic reanimation to their game or looking to refine their graveyard interactions, Doomed Necromancer is a compelling choice. Ready for advanced tactics and deck optimization? Discover more with us to enrich your MTG journey.


Cards like Doomed Necromancer

Doomed Necromancer stands as a notable reanimation option in Magic: The Gathering, alongside esteemed peers like Animate Dead and Reanimate. Animate Dead, which also brings creatures back from the graveyard to the battlefield, offers a lower cost alternative. However, it comes with a drawback of slightly weakening the resurrected creature. In comparison, Doomed Necromancer resurrects without reducing the creature’s power, albeit at a higher three mana cost and the requirement of tapping and sacrificing Doomed Necromancer itself.

On the spectrum of reanimation spells, Zombify is another comparable card. Like Doomed Necromancer, Zombify brings a creature directly to the battlefield from the graveyard but as a straight-forward four mana sorcery without requiring a creature sacrifice. Exhume is yet another resurrection spell that can set a creature to rise from the grave, but it allows each player to do so, potentially giving an advantage to the opponent.

Each of these cards offer a strategic edge in reanimating powerful creatures, yet they cater to different game plans and resource management. Doomed Necromancer presents a balance between cost, effect, and flexibility, allowing players to choose the optimal moment for revival, making it a reliable choice in the reanimator’s arsenal.

Animate Dead - MTG Card versions
Reanimate - MTG Card versions
Zombify - MTG Card versions
Exhume - MTG Card versions
Animate Dead - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Reanimate - Tempest (TMP)
Zombify - Odyssey (ODY)
Exhume - Urza's Saga (USG)

Cards similar to Doomed Necromancer 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
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
Hypnotic Specter - 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)
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)
Hypnotic Specter - Magic Player Rewards 2006 (P06)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Doomed Necromancer MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught and World Championship Decks 2003, 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 Doomed Necromancer and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Doomed Necromancer Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2002-10-07 and 2021-07-23. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-10-07OnslaughtONS 1401997normalblackMark Brill
22003-08-07World Championship Decks 2003WC03 pk1402003normalgoldMark Brill
32007-07-13Tenth Edition10E 1372003normalblackVolkan Baǵa
42019-08-23Commander 2019C19 1112015normalblackVolkan Baǵa
52020-07-17Jumpstart Arena ExclusivesAJMP 1372015normalblackVolkan Baǵa
62020-08-07Double Masters2XM 882015normalblackVolkan Baǵa
72021-07-23Forgotten Realms CommanderAFC 982015normalblackVolkan Baǵa

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Doomed Necromancer has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-08-07 Because targets are chosen before costs are paid, Doomed Necromancer can't be the target of its own ability.

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