Reaping the Graves MTG Card
2003-05-26 - Number 72
2010-11-08 - Number A47
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
| Abilities | Storm |
Text of card
Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand. Storm (When you play this spell, copy it for each spell played before it this turn. You may choose new targets for the copies.)
Cards like Reaping the Graves
Reaping the Graves steps into the scene of creature recovery in Magic: The Gathering as a unique sorcery. It draws a comparison to other reanimation spells such as Disentomb, which allows for the return of a single creature card from your graveyard to your hand. Reaping the Graves, however, scales with the number of creatures that went to your graveyard this turn, potentially offering a greater return on investment for decks revolving around creature sacrifice and death triggers.
Then, there’s the card Gruesome Encore, which targets creatures in an opponent’s graveyard, adds a twist to the traditional recovery by allowing you to snatch a creature and give it a final hurrah. Although Gruesome Encore offers more offensive utility, it does not provide the long-term advantage that stockpiling your hand with your creatures does, which is where Reaping the Graves shines.
Considering these elements, Reaping the Graves holds its ground when matched against similar MTG cards. It’s particularly suited for storm decks or those that can trigger multiple spells in a turn, ensuring that the graveyard becomes a resource rather than a resting place for creatures that have served their purpose.
Cards similar to Reaping the Graves by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Reaping the Graves. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Cycle Storm | Pauper | Cycle Storm | Dutch Pauper League - 2nd Leg |
 | Walls Combo | Pauper | Walls Combo | Pauper Challenge 32 2024-04-12 |
 | WUBRG | Pauper | Pauper Preliminary 2024-04-16 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Reaping the Graves excels at returning creatures from your graveyard to your hand, potentially pulling in multiple key cards with a single cast. This ability to recover assets gives players a robust means to maintain or swing card advantage in their favor, particularly in longer, grindier matches.
Resource Acceleration: This card isn’t directly about resource acceleration in terms of mana, but it can indirectly contribute to it. By retrieving creatures that ramp or untap lands, Reaping the Graves can play a pivotal role in growing your available resources rapidly and unexpectedly.
Instant Speed: One of the greatest strengths of Reaping the Graves is its instant speed, which offers flexibility and strategic depth. You can wait to play it until the last possible moment, potentially during the end step of your opponent’s turn after a board wipe, maximizing the number of creatures returned to your hand without losing the momentum on your own turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Reaping the Graves demands that you have a stream of creatures entering the graveyard to fully leverage its potential. This can be challenging if your deck’s strategy does not inherently involve creature sacrifice or if you’re facing an opponent who controls the pace of creature death.
Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Reaping the Graves, though moderate, includes a black mana requirement. This restriction can complicate deck building for those who prefer multi-color decks or those not committed to a black-mana strategy.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its cost set at three mana, Reaping the Graves may be considered less efficient in a fast-paced game where lower-cost alternatives could offer quicker solutions or where the mana could be allocated to more impactful spells.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Reaping the Graves offers flexibility in various deck types, particularly in those where recurring creatures from the graveyard is a key strategy. Its ability to return multiple creatures after a turn with several spells played makes it a valuable asset in any collection.
Combo Potential: With its storm ability, this card scales its effectiveness based on prior spells cast within the turn, pairing exceptionally well with strategies that involve casting numerous spells in a sequence to maximize creature return from the graveyard.
Meta-Relevance: In metagames that are heavy with removal, Reaping the Graves stands out by providing resilience against board wipes and targeted removal, enabling you to retain a presence on the board and sustain momentum in longer matches.
How to beat
Reaping the Graves is a potent card that lets players exploit the death of creatures by returning them to their owner’s hand. To counter this card effectively, it’s critical to limit the impact of creature deaths. Applying graveyard hate strategies can go a long way in mitigating the advantage Reaping the Graves can offer an opponent. Cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void can exile creatures before they ever hit the graveyard, nullifying the ability of Reaping the Graves to generate any value.
Another approach is to use counterspells to prevent Reaping the Graves from resolving in the first place. Holding up mana for a counterspell like Counterspell itself or Mystic Confluence when you suspect your opponent is waiting to play Reaping the Graves can be a solid strategy. It’s also useful to apply pressure and force your opponent to use their mana inefficiently, reducing their ability to take full advantage of their graveyard. This can be achieved by maintaining a strong board presence or using discard effects to remove Reaping the Graves from their hand before they even have a chance to use it.
Ultimately, while Reaping the Graves can be a powerhouse in the right deck, a well-timed piece of graveyard disruption or a counterspell can effectively neutralize this threat and secure your position in the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Reaping the Graves MTG card by a specific set like Scourge and Magic Online Theme Decks, 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 Reaping the Graves and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Reaping the Graves Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2003-05-26 and 2010-11-08. Illustrated by Ron Spencer.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2003-05-26 | Scourge | SCG | 72 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Ron Spencer | |
| 2 | 2010-11-08 | Magic Online Theme Decks | TD0 | A47 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Ron Spencer |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Reaping the Graves has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Reaping the Graves card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-06-07 | A copy of a spell can be countered like any other spell, but it must be countered individually. Countering a spell with storm won’t affect the copies. |
| 2013-06-07 | Spells cast from zones other than a player’s hand and spells that were countered are counted by the storm ability. |
| 2013-06-07 | The copies are put directly onto the stack. They aren’t cast and won’t be counted by other spells with storm cast later in the turn. |
| 2013-06-07 | The triggered ability that creates the copies can itself be countered by anything that can counter a triggered ability. If it is countered, no copies will be put onto the stack. |
| 2013-06-07 | You may choose new targets for any of the copies. You can choose differently for each copy. |