Svogthos, the Restless Tomb MTG Card
2005-10-07 - Number 283
2011-06-17 - Number 289
2012-09-07 - Number 81
2018-06-08 - Number 270
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
: Add to your mana pool. : Until end of turn, Svogthos, the Restless Tomb becomes a black and green Plant Zombie creature with "This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of creature cards in your graveyard." It's still a land.
Cards like Svogthos, the Restless Tomb
Diving into the diverse world of land cards in Magic: The Gathering, Svogthos, the Restless Tomb holds a unique position. It draws parallels to other animated lands such as Mishra’s Factory. Mishra’s Factory has the ability to become a creature, but unlike Svogthos, it offers a fixed power and toughness. Svogthos, on the other hand, derives its power and toughness from the number of creature cards in your graveyard, giving it a potentially fluctuating scale of strength.
Another card that echoes the animate land mechanic is Mutavault, which turns into a creature with all creature types. However, the key difference here is that Mutavault possesses consistent stats whenever it’s animated, as opposed to the variable might of Svogthos. Mutavault’s adaptability comes at the cost of not potentially reaching the same towering levels of power and toughness that Svogthos can achieve in the right deck.
These comparisons shed light on the versatile and strategic role Svogthos, the Restless Tomb can play within a graveyard-centric deck. Its capacity to evolve in strength throughout the game can surprise opponents and turn the tides in a player’s favor, situating Svogthos as a dynamic option for decks that benefit from graveyard synergy.
Cards similar to Svogthos, the Restless Tomb by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Svogthos, the Restless Tomb provides an alternative angle on card advantage. Instead of drawing cards, it leverages graveyard resources by turning itself into a creature that gets stronger with more creature cards in your graveyard. This can be particularly useful in strategies that fill the graveyard, allowing you to capitalize on cards that have already served their purpose.
Resource Acceleration: As a land, Svogthos doesn’t directly accelerate your resources in the conventional sense of providing additional mana. However, it contributes to your mana base without costing a spell slot. This flexibility ensures that you’re not sacrificing development on the board while still having a potent threat available.
Instant Speed: The unique ability of Svogthos to become a creature can be activated at instant speed, providing strategic depth to gameplay. This allows players to make the transformation during the combat step or at the end of an opponent’s turn, maintaining the surprise element and making it harder for opponents to plan their blocks or removal spells effectively.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Svogthos, the Restless Tomb demands careful graveyard management, which can lead to tough decisions about which creatures to discard if you use effects that populate your graveyard for its activation.
Specific Mana Cost: The activation cost requires both black and green mana, which can pose a challenge in multicolored decks that may not always have the right mana combination available.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: To animate Svogthos, the Restless Tomb, a considerable investment is required, scaling with the number of creatures in your graveyard. This can be inefficient in the early game or when facing graveyard disruption, potentially hindering your momentum when compared with other lands or creatures that offer more immediate board presence.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Svogthos, the Restless Tomb serves as both a land and a creature in the game, ensuring that it can be an asset in multiple scenarios. This dual utility allows for a seamless inclusion in a variety of deck archetypes, particularly those that capitalize on land synergies or creature-based strategies.
Combo Potential: With its ability to become a creature with power and toughness equal to the number of creature cards in your graveyard, this card creates dynamic combo opportunities. It thrives in synergy with graveyard mechanics, such as dredge or delve, and strategies that involve creature sacrifice for greater board control.
Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves and the meta shifts, Svogthos, the Restless Tomb remains a consistent player, offering resilience against board wipes and removal spells. Especially effective in eternal formats, its enduring presence can offer you a significant competitive edge.
How to beat
Svogthos, the Restless Tomb is a unique land card in Magic the Gathering that can turn into a formidable creature. Its strength and toughness are equal to the number of creature cards in your graveyard, making it a potentially overwhelming threat in the late game. When up against Svogthos, it’s crucial to manage graveyards effectively. Cards like Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze can remove creatures from graveyards, diminishing Svogthos’s power.
Additionally, land destruction spells or effects that specifically target nonbasic lands, such as Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin, can directly handle Svogthos before it becomes a creature. Ensnaring Bridge can prevent it from attacking if your hand is low. Timing is also key; try to disrupt Svogthos when transformed, possibly when your opponent lacks the mana to reactivate it. Balance graveyard control and targeted removal to keep Svogthos in check and maintain the upper hand in your match.
Ultimately, recognizing the potential of Svogthos, the Restless Tomb, and implementing preventive measures early in the game can ensure it remains just another land on the battlefield rather than the relentless tomb awakening to defeat you.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Svogthos, the Restless Tomb MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica: City of Guilds and Commander 2011, 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 Svogthos, the Restless Tomb and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Svogthos, the Restless Tomb Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2005-10-07 and 2018-06-08. Illustrated by Martina Pilcerova.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2005-10-07 | Ravnica: City of Guilds | RAV | 283 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Martina Pilcerova | |
| 2 | 2011-06-17 | Commander 2011 | CMD | 289 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Martina Pilcerova | |
| 3 | 2012-09-07 | Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari | DDJ | 81 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Martina Pilcerova | |
| 4 | 2018-06-08 | Commander Anthology Volume II | CM2 | 270 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Martina Pilcerova |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Svogthos, the Restless Tomb has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Svogthos, the Restless Tomb card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2005-10-01 | While animated, Svogthos’s power and toughness changes each time a creature card enters or leaves its controller’s graveyard. |
| 2008-08-01 | A noncreature permanent that turns into a creature can attack, and its abilities can be activated, only if its controller has continuously controlled that permanent since the beginning of their most recent turn. It doesn’t matter how long the permanent has been a creature. |
| 2009-10-01 | Activating the ability that turns it into a creature while it’s already a creature will override any effects that set its power and/or toughness to a specific number. However, any effect that raises or lowers power and/or toughness (such as the effect created by Giant Growth, Glorious Anthem, or a +1/+1 counter) will continue to apply. |