Barrow Witches MTG Card
2019-10-04 - Number 77
2020-09-26 - Number ELD-77
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Warlock |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Key Takeaways
- Provides card advantage by retrieving knights, crucial for maintaining battlefield and hand resources.
- Fosters resource acceleration and can set up commanding plays through synergistic knight effects.
- Though not instant-speed, Barrow Witches’ ability provides a form of valuable resource recursion.
Text of card
When Barrow Witches enters the battlefield, return target Knight card from your graveyard to your hand.
"Taste the sweetness, breath for breath. Keep the balance, death for death." —Barrow witch incantation
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Barrow Witches lets you return a target Knight card from your graveyard to your hand, ensuring you maintain card resources on the battlefield and in your hand.
Resource Acceleration: By bringing back Knights with enter-the-battlefield effects, Barrow Witches can indirectly speed up your resource gain, setting up potent plays for subsequent turns.
Instant Speed: Although not an instant, the retrieval ability of Barrow Witches acts as resource recursion which can be as valuable as an instant in the right deck, especially when strategizing for your next move.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The ability of Barrow Witches to retrieve a Knight card from your graveyard comes with the cost of potentially discarding a valuable card in scenarios where your graveyard lacks a target.
Specific Mana Cost: Barrow Witches require a precise combination of three black mana and one colorless, limiting its flexibility and potentially causing consistency issues in multi-colored decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a total of four mana, Barrow Witches’ summoning cost might be considered steep compared to other creatures with similar power and toughness, especially when their ability is conditional and requires a deck built around Knights.
Reasons to Include Barrow Witches in Your Collection
Versatility: Barrow Witches offer a unique flexibility for decks that focus on recurring creatures from the graveyard. Their ability to retrieve a Knight card upon entering the battlefield makes them fit seamlessly in Knight tribal or black-based midrange decks.
Combo Potential: These witches synergize well with other cards that benefit from creatures entering or leaving the battlefield. Pair them with sacrifice outlets or cards that care about casting from the graveyard to maximize their potential.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where long games are common, the Barrow Witches shine by recurring key pieces. They help maintain card advantage, allowing you to repeatedly use your most critical Knights, ensuring that you’re never without a play late in the game.
How to beat Barrow Witches
Barrow Witches present a unique challenge on the battlefield with their ability to retrieve a Knight card from your graveyard back to your hand. This ability not only offers a card advantage to your opponent but also potentially grants them repetitive use of powerful Knight creatures throughout the game.
To counteract this effect, it’s important to disrupt the graveyard synergies that make Barrow Witches a threat. Utilizing graveyard hate cards such as Tormod’s Crypt or Scavenging Ooze can effectively nullify the witches’ comeback mechanic by removing the desired Knight targets before the witches’ effect triggers.
Additionally, keeping the board clear of Knight creatures limits the witches’ impact, making spot removal spells or board wipes essential when facing a deck that leverages their ability. By understanding the key interactions and having answers ready for these graveyard strategies, players can mitigate the influence of Barrow Witches in the game and maintain the upper hand.
Cards like Barrow Witches
Barrow Witches is a creature card that finds its place in black-centric or graveyard-reliant decks in Magic the Gathering. It bears resemblance in function to similar creature cards that also provide retrieval from the graveyard capabilities. For instance, Gravedigger is another notable creature with the same effect, allowing you to return a creature card from your graveyard to your hand when it enters the battlefield.
Comparatively, we have Witch of the Moors, which while it doesn’t retrieve cards from the graveyard, does contribute to the deck’s synergy by providing a regular life-drain mechanic, which can be invaluable in a long-drawn-out game. On the other hand, Order of Midnight provides a cheaper alternative with a flying ability, though it returns the targeted card straight to the battlefield in its adventure mode. However, it lacks Barrow Witches’ ability to strengthen your board presence with its own creature body.
In summary, while each of these cards carries its own advantages and situational benefits, Barrow Witches stands out with its straightforward graveyard recursion ability, coupled with a solid body to affect the board, making it a reliable choice in decks that seek to maximize the use of their graveyard as a resource.
Cards similar to Barrow Witches by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Barrow Witches MTG card by a specific set like Throne of Eldraine and The List, 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 Barrow Witches and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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 Barrow Witches Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-10-04 and 2019-10-04. Illustrated by Alex Brock.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2019-10-04 | Throne of Eldraine | ELD | 77 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alex Brock | |
| 2 | The List | PLST | ELD-77 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alex Brock |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Barrow Witches has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
