Deathbellow War Cry MTG Card


Deathbellow War Cry - Theros Beyond Death
Mana cost
Converted mana cost8
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Released2020-01-24
Set symbol
Set nameTheros Beyond Death
Set codeTHB
Number294
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byJosh Hass

Key Takeaways

  1. Gives immediate board advantage by summoning multiple Minotaur creatures without separate mana costs.
  2. Enables potent combos and instant-speed interactions with newly summoned Minotaur creatures.
  3. Requires strategic mana management due to its specific and high mana cost.

Text of card

Search your library for up to four Minotaur creature cards with different names, put them onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.

Deathbellow Canyon echoes with the roars of minotaurs calling each other to battle.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Deathbellow War Cry significantly impacts the board by tutoring not just one, but several Minotaur creatures from your deck and putting them directly onto the battlefield. This creates an immediate presence and potentially swings the momentum in your favor as you bypass the need to draw and cast each Minotaur individually.

Resource Acceleration: Even though Deathbellow War Cry itself does not directly produce additional resources, it effectively acts as resource acceleration by deploying multiple creatures without the need for separate mana investments. This allows for other cards in hand to be played sooner than they would be otherwise, as your available mana can be allocated elsewhere.

Instant Speed: While Deathbellow War Cry is not an instant-speed spell, it prepares the stage for powerful instant-speed interactions in your next phases. By summoning an army of Minotaurs, you enable quick and decisive moves that can exploit instant-speed tricks or abilities inherent to the creatures you’ve summoned, capitalizing on the element of surprise and opponent’s unpreparedness.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Deathbellow War Cry doesn’t actually have a discard requirement, but its steep mana value can demand significant investment, potentially leaving you with fewer cards in hand as you pour resources into casting it.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a specific mana arrangement—four red—which can be restrictive and often requires a dedicated deck build around Minotaurs or heavy red mana ramp to play it effectively.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an eight mana cost, Deathbellow War Cry is on the higher end of the spectrum when compared to other tribal support cards, making it a risky play that demands careful timing and adequate resource management.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Deathbellow War Cry fits into multiple Minotaur-themed decks acting as a tutor and a powerful enabler, broadening its use across various play styles that hinge upon tribal synergies.

Combo Potential: This card can summon an entire lineup of Minotaurs, each with their own synergistic abilities, laying the groundwork for devastating combos that can turn the tide of the game.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where tribal decks are gaining traction, having Deathbellow War Cry in your collection can enhance your deck’s competitive edge, often leading to explosive turns that opponents might struggle to recover from.


How to beat

Overcoming Deathbellow War Cry in Magic: The Gathering hinges on disrupting your opponent’s ability to muster a lethal Minotaur army. Essential to thwarting this strategy is an apt use of counter spells, removals, or control mechanisms. Focus on suppressing your adversary’s Minotaur synergy before it can escalate; this involves leveraging instant-speed removals like Fatal Push or Path to Exile to dispose of key creatures post-summoning but pre-battle.

A potent method entails controlling the stack, where a well-timed Dovin’s Veto or Negate can neutralize the tribal call before it resolves. It’s also wise to manage the battlefield itself. Utilize sweeping clearances like Wrath of God to reset the board when your opponent overextends. Alternatively, keep their mana sources in check through land destruction or taxation effects to prevent Deathbellow War Cry from being played altogether. Remember, awareness and preemption are your greatest allies in combatting this formidable enchantment.

In summary, fending off the stampede summoned by Deathbellow War Cry requires proactive countermeasures and strategic oversight, ensuring your opponent’s Minotaurs never rally to full strength. Cards that target the player’s strategies rather than individual threats are key in maintaining control of the game.


Cards like Deathbellow War Cry

Deathbellow War Cry stands out in the pantheon of Minotaur-honoring spells in MTG. It’s a unique tutor and ramp card rolled into one, summoning a herd of Minotaur creatures directly onto the battlefield. In comparison, cards like Eladamri’s Call allow you to search for a creature card and add it to your hand, but lack the direct play advantage that Deathbellow War Cry provides. Moreover, Eladamri’s Call is limited to just one creature, rather than a potentially game-ending four that Deathbellow War Cry could unleash.

Resembling Deathbellow War Cry in function is the card Conflux, which fetches a creature of each color from your library but places them into your hand instead of onto the battlefield. While Conflux offers a broader selection, it’s the immediacy of Deathbellow War Cry’s impact that sets it apart. We must also mention Shared Summoning, offering the ability to search for two creatures. Though this card can be cast at instant speed, it can’t deploy them directly into play like Deathbellow War Cry does.

In essence, Deathbellow War Cry carves a unique niche for itself among creature-tutoring spells, providing Minotaur enthusiasts a powerful tool for quickly overwhelming opponents with a formidable force.

Eladamri's Call - MTG Card versions
Conflux - MTG Card versions
Eladamri's Call - Planeshift (PLS)
Conflux - Conflux (CON)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Deathbellow War Cry MTG card by a specific set like Theros Beyond Death, 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 Deathbellow War Cry and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Deathbellow War Cry has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

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