Shadowheart, Cleric of Graves MTG Card


Enhances card advantage and maintains a strong hand, crucial for sustaining control over the game. It serves as a powerful resource accelerator, allowing for rapid board presence and strategic depth. Involves trade-offs like a harsh discard requirement and restrictive mana costs that limit versatility.
Shadowheart, Cleric of Graves - Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Elf Cleric
Abilities Deathtouch,Lifelink
Released2022-07-07
Set symbol
Set nameAlchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate
Set codeHBG
Power 4
Toughness 4
Number10b
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byCristi Balanescu

Text of card

Deathtouch, lifelink At the beginning of your end step, Shadowheart, Cleric of Graves deals 1 damage to each player.


Cards like Shadowheart, Cleric of Graves

Shadowheart, Cleric of Graves brings unique capabilities to the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. It shares similarities with other graveyard-centric cards like Priest of the Blood Rite, which also provides a player with a sizeable creature token. However, Shadowheart pushes it further by offering graveyard manipulation, allowing for the return of other creature cards, thereby maximizing late-game value.

Another card with a kindred spirit to Shadowheart is the ever-popular Reassembling Skeleton. This card also rises from the graveyard, but does so on a smaller scale as a mere 1/1 creature. Shadowheart provides a heftier strategic advantage with its larger stat line and the ability to impact the board state more substantially. Then there’s Dutiful Attendant, a creature that offers a similar, yet one-time use effect, to return a target creature card from your graveyard to your hand—a modest comparison to Shadowheart’s recurring potential.

Ultimately, when examining these cards together, Shadowheart stands out for players seeking to harness the power of the grave. Its ability to repeatedly cycle through your creature cards places it as a considerable option in strategies revolving around graveyard synergies.

Priest of the Blood Rite - MTG Card versions
Reassembling Skeleton - MTG Card versions
Dutiful Attendant - MTG Card versions
Priest of the Blood Rite - MTG Card versions
Reassembling Skeleton - MTG Card versions
Dutiful Attendant - MTG Card versions

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Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Shadowheart, Cleric of Graves shines in decks focused on card utility. The ability to sift through your deck and bring out key pieces cannot be overstated. This provides you with a decided edge as it helps maintain a steady hand size, ensuring you’re never without options.

Resource Acceleration: Additionally, this card acts as a catalyst for ramping up your resources. By potentially returning target creature cards from your graveyard to the battlefield, it accelerates your board presence. This can lead to overwhelming your opponent with a formidable lineup much faster than usual.

Instant Speed: Shadowheart’s flexibility is a significant advantage. The capability to act at instant speed means you can adapt to the unfolding game and respond to threats efficiently. Raising creatures from your graveyard on an opponent’s turn can turn the tide of battle in your favor unexpectedly, making it a strategic asset in any match.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Shadowheart, Cleric of Graves requires a card to be discarded to activate its ability. This condition can prove detrimental, particularly for players who are already clinging to a minimal hand size and can’t afford to lose additional resources.

Specific Mana Cost: A precise mana cost in deck construction is demanded by this card, including both black and white mana. This necessity may restrain its integration, making it a tough fit in decks that don’t run both colors or lack sufficient mana fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The requirement of four mana to cast Shadowheart, Cleric of Graves is considered high by many players, especially when weighed against the cost-efficiency of other options available within the same mana range. Decks that aim for speed or those that want to remain mana-efficient might find this card less appealing.


Reasons to Include Shadowheart, Cleric of Graves in Your Collection

Versatility: Shadowheart, Cleric of Graves can seamlessly fit into various deck archetypes, particularly ones that capitalize on creature-based strategies or graveyard synergy. The ability to reanimate creatures adds a new layer of flexibility to gameplay.

Combo Potential: This card offers abundant combo possibilities, whether it’s fueling sacrifice engines or enabling intricate interactions with death-triggered effects. The Cleric’s skill set is primed for decks that thrive on such intricacies.

Meta-Relevance: Given that player graveyards often become resources in many competitive formats, Shadowheart’s ability to exploit this aspect makes it a valuable asset in the current meta. Its recurrence from the graveyard ensures its relevance in prolonged matches.


How to Beat

Shadowheart, Cleric of Graves, carves a unique niche as a potent reanimation spell in your opponent’s arsenal. What separates Shadowheart from other reanimation tools like Unearth or Zombify is its specific focus on Cleric creatures, which, in the right deck, can be a game-changer. Unlike the broad-resurrecting spells, Shadowheart requires a more targeted strategy to nullify.

Countering Shadowheart hinges on keeping Clerics out of graveyards or disrupting the reanimation process directly. Graveyard hate cards such as Relic of Progenitus or Tormod’s Crypt are excellent preventative measures. Consider also running disruption spells like Counterspell or Thoughtseize, which nix the ability before it ever hits the table. Adaptive playstyles that focus on exiling graveyard targets or preemptively removing key pieces become essential when facing a deck centered around Shadowheart, Cleric of Graves.

By understanding the mechanics of Shadowheart, players can effectively tailor their deck to handle this powerful card. Employing graveyard control and direct disruption will ensure that this Cleric of Graves doesn’t overwhelm the battlefield with its specialized reanimation strategy.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Shadowheart, Cleric of Graves MTG card by a specific set like Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate, 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 Shadowheart, Cleric of Graves and other MTG cards:

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