The Fallen MTG Card
1994-08-01 - Number 53
1995-07-01 - Number 38
2007-09-10 - Number 69
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Zombie |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Text of card
During its controller's upkeep, The Fallen does 1 damage to each opponent it has previously damaged.
Magic often masters those who cannot master it.
Cards like The Fallen
The Fallen is an intriguing card from the world of Magic: The Gathering, reminiscent of other cards that capitalize on graveyard interaction. Analogous to The Fallen, Nighthowler benefits from the number of creature cards in all graveyards, granting it a power and toughness bonus. Unlike The Fallen, Nighthowler lacks the direct damage ability, focusing purely on combat strength.
Further comparison reveals Mortivore, which similarly grows stronger with graveyard stockpiles. Mortivore’s power and toughness are dynamically updated with the graveyard’s state, yet it also diverges from The Fallen, as it has the regenerate ability rather than dealing direct damage. Then there’s Bonehoard, an Equipment that boosts equipped creature’s power and toughness in proportion to all graveyards’ creature cards count. Though it’s flexible and can be attached to any creature, it does not have the inherent creature status or damage-dealing effect of The Fallen.
Assessing the distinctive aspects of these cards, The Fallen holds a unique position in Magic: The Gathering. With its ability to impact life totals outside of combat, The Fallen maintains its relevance and offers strategic depth for players keen on leveraging graveyard content beyond mere creature enhancement.
Cards similar to The Fallen by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When discussing The Fallen, it’s evident the card provides a unique edge in card economy. Extracting multiple cards from an opponent’s graveyard can incrementally tilt the match in your favor, setting up for strategic plays while disrupting their game plan.
Resource Acceleration: The Fallen isn’t typically known for direct resource acceleration. However, by effectively negating potential threats or key pieces from an opponent’s resources, it can give you indirect acceleration by limiting their options and possibly delaying their strategy.
Instant Speed: Although The Fallen operates at sorcery speed, its impact on the game makes it a formidable card to include in your arsenal. The ability to selectively target cards in your opponent’s graveyard at a critical moment can substantially alter the momentum of a game, making every cast of The Fallen a power play.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Fallen demands players to discard another card to fully utilize its abilities. This can lead to a strategic setback, particularly when your hand is already depleted or each card you possess is vital for your game plan.
Specific Mana Cost: Deck construction can be constrained by The Fallen’s requirement for both black and blue mana. This can create a challenge for those wanting to integrate it into a multi-colored strategy, potentially limiting its compatibility and overall utility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that can be considered steep for its effects, players might find that The Fallen doesn’t offer the best value. Alternatives with lower casting costs or more impactful effects might be favored, especially in formats where mana efficiency is key to victory.
Reasons to Include The Fallen in Your Collection
Versatility: The Fallen offers a level of adaptability that can be an asset to multiple deck archetypes. Given its ability to deal damage over time, it seamlessly integrates into strategies that focus on incremental advantage.
Combo Potential: As a card that has direct interaction with an opponent’s life total, The Fallen has significant potential in combination with other cards that capitalize on life loss or damage-based triggers, thereby creating powerful synergy in the right deck.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where games tend to extend into longer battles, The Fallen gains value. Its consistent damage output becomes increasingly relevant, taking advantage of stalled board states and pressuring opponents who are unprepared for sustained life total attacks.
How to beat
The Fallen is a unique card that can present a challenge on the battlefield, but with the right strategy, it can be managed effectively. This particular card requires specific conditions to truly shine, so preventing those conditions is key to mitigating its impact. An ideal tactic is to control the graveyard, as The Fallen’s strength increases with more creatures in the graveyards.
Running cards that exile creatures from graveyards, like Bojuka Bog or Relic of Progenitus, diminishes The Fallen’s potential power. Alternatively, playing a deck with fewer creatures and more non-creature spells could starve The Fallen of the resources it needs to thrive. If The Fallen makes it onto the board, direct removal spells or those that can return it back to the hand are effective ways to deal with it.
Ultimately, understanding the moment to disrupt your opponent’s strategy plays a crucial role in overcoming The Fallen’s capabilities. Keep graveyards clean, removal at the ready, and this card’s influence will surely wane, allowing you to maintain control of the game’s pace and progress towards victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase The Fallen MTG card by a specific set like The Dark and Chronicles, 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 The Fallen 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The The Fallen Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1994-08-01 and 2007-09-10. Illustrated by Jesper Myrfors.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1994-08-01 | The Dark | DRK | 53 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Jesper Myrfors | |
| 2 | 1995-07-01 | Chronicles | CHR | 38 | 1993 | Normal | White | Jesper Myrfors | |
| 3 | 2007-09-10 | Masters Edition | ME1 | 69 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Jesper Myrfors |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where The Fallen has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering The Fallen card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | It stops damaging players and forgets which players it damaged when it leaves the battlefield. |
| 2007-09-16 | If The Fallen phases out and back in, it remembers which players it has dealt damage to this game. |
| 2007-09-16 | The Fallen’s ability causes it to deal damage only to opponents of its current controller. If The Fallen has dealt damage to you, and then you gain control of it, you won’t be damaged during your upkeep. |
| 2007-09-16 | The effect isn’t cumulative. When it resolves, The Fallen deals 1 damage to each opponent previously dealt damage by it, regardless of how many times The Fallen dealt damage to that opponent before. |