Command the Dreadhorde MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Command the Dreadhorde offers massive card advantage, returning multiple creatures and planeswalkers from the graveyard.
  2. The spell acts as resource acceleration by using life to reclaim creatures and planeswalkers, bypassing mana costs.
  3. Playing Command the Dreadhorde demands careful timing to maximize its game-altering effects and board state control.

Text of card

Choose any number of target creature and/or planeswalker cards in graveyards. Command the Dreadhorde deals damage to you equal to the total mana value of those cards. Put them onto the battlefield under your control.

Liliana seized the reins of Bolas's vast army, gritting her teeth behind the Chain Veil.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Command the Dreadhorde is a powerhouse when it comes to reclaiming lost resources from your graveyard. This impactful spell gives you the ability to bring back a multitude of creatures and planeswalkers, setting the stage for a dominant position by swinging the number of assets in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating resources in the traditional sense, Command the Dreadhorde can be considered a form of acceleration by effectively bypassing the casting cost of multiple cards. By paying life instead of mana for each permanent you return, you can deploy a significant threat or advantage much earlier than you could by casting these cards individually.

Instant Speed: Although Command the Dreadhorde is a sorcery, understanding the right moment to deploy it can mimic the benefits of an instant by dramatically altering the board state in your turn. Timing its cast right after an opponent’s sweeper or before a critical attack can catch adversaries unprepared and unable to respond effectively, giving you an edge in the battle of wits and strategy.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Command the Dreadhorde doesn’t directly require a discard, it necessitates a steep payment in life points, which can be just as taxing. If your life total is too low, playing this card might be as perilous as running out of hand resources.

Specific Mana Cost: This spell asks for a precise mana assembly of black and generic, potentially making it clunky in multicolored decks that might not consistently yield the necessary black mana, especially under pressure.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of six mana, it can be slow to get into play. In the rapidly shifting battlefield of Magic, there exist alternatives that allow you to reanimate creatures or return cards from graveyards at a lower expense, potentially offering more agility to your strategy during crucial turns.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Command the Dreadhorde offers a dynamic tool for any deck, enabling the use of any graveyard as a resource. This provides players with a swath of strategic options, whether it’s returning impactful creatures, pivotal planeswalkers, or a combination of both to swiftly swing the game in their favor.

Combo Potential: Imagine the surprise on an opponent’s face when you orchestrate a perfect comeback by leveraging life as a resource to reanimate a game-winning synergy. The card’s inherent combo potential with life-gain strategies can result in unexpected and rewarding wins.

Meta-Relevance: In a constantly evolving metagame, having a card that can single-handedly reverse the tide of battle is invaluable. Particularly in games that extend into the late phase, Command the Dreadhorde can provide the edge needed to outmaneuver control decks and claim victory.


How to beat

Command the Dreadhorde is an attention-grabbing card that can turn the tides of a Magic: The Gathering game by allowing a player to select any number of creature and planeswalker cards from any graveyard and put them onto the battlefield under their control, with life total being an investment for such a potent ability. To counteract this strategic maneuver, consider employing graveyard disruption tactics or incorporating cards that can exile opponents’ graveyards, inhibiting their ability to harness this formidable spell effectively.

Adding instant-speed removal to your deck can prove advantageous too. This enables you to respond swiftly to the creatures and planeswalkers resurrected by this spell, maintaining control over the board state. Additionally, holding up countermagic specifically for pivotal spells like Command the Dreadhorde can be a game-saving move. By anticipating and preparing for this heavyweight in your opponent’s roster, you can safeguard your position and lead yourself closer to victory.

Prudent life total management is essential as well, as Command the Dreadhorde’s cost can backfire on the caster. Applying pressure to keep their life points in check might restrain them from fully leveraging the power of this card, or even deter them from casting it altogether, securing your upper hand throughout the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Delving into the depths of MTG, each card selection can be a pivotal turn in your game strategy. With Command the Dreadhorde, the balance between potentially vast board presence and life point preservation is a tactical dance every MTG enthusiast should explore. While this card’s risk-reward nature may seem daunting, its capacity to turn a losing game into a triumphant victory is undeniable. For those who dare to wield its power, mastering Command the Dreadhorde could become the keystone of many a deck. Are you ready to tap into its potential and command legions at the edge of defeat? Learn more with us and transform your gameplay into a conquest of strategic genius.


Cards like Command the Dreadhorde

Command the Dreadhorde stands out as a powerful card in MTG, offering a unique mechanism for players to seize creatures or planeswalkers from any graveyard at the expense of their life equal to the total converted mana cost. In the realm of mass reanimation spells, it’s closely related to the notorious Rise of the Dark Realms. However, while Rise brings back all creatures from all graveyards with no life cost, it comes at a heftier mana investment.

Comparatively, Bond of Revival echoes Command the Dreadhorde’s ability to revive, but narrowly targets one creature and grants it haste. It’s less versatile but more mana-efficient. Zombify and Unburial Rites join the mix as alternatives that also resurrect creatures, albeit on a single-target basis and without the life payment, making them safer but less potentially game-changing options than Command the Dreadhorde.

Each of these alternatives has its own merits, but Command the Dreadhorde’s potential to swing a game is unparalleled, assuming the player can manage the steep life cost. Its risk-reward nature and strategic depth make it a standout choice for players looking to make a dramatic impact on the battlefield.

Rise of the Dark Realms - MTG Card versions
Bond of Revival - MTG Card versions
Zombify - MTG Card versions
Unburial Rites - MTG Card versions
Rise of the Dark Realms - MTG Card versions
Bond of Revival - MTG Card versions
Zombify - MTG Card versions
Unburial Rites - MTG Card versions

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Rain of Daggers - MTG Card versions
Poison Arrow - MTG Card versions
Corrupt - MTG Card versions
Morbid Hunger - MTG Card versions
Haunting Voyage - MTG Card versions
Zombie Apocalypse - MTG Card versions
Nightmare Incursion - MTG Card versions
Beseech the Queen - MTG Card versions
Stolen Grain - MTG Card versions
Blood Tribute - MTG Card versions
Essence Feed - MTG Card versions
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Grave Exchange - MTG Card versions
Assassin's Strike - MTG Card versions
Undercity Plague - MTG Card versions
Sip of Hemlock - MTG Card versions
Spiteful Blow - MTG Card versions
Reign of the Pit - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Command the Dreadhorde MTG card by a specific set like War of the Spark and War of the Spark Promos, 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 Command the Dreadhorde and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Command the Dreadhorde Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-05-03 and 2019-05-04. Illustrated by Daarken.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-05-03War of the SparkWAR 822015NormalBlackDaarken
22019-05-04War of the Spark PromosPWAR 82s2015NormalBlackDaarken

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Command the Dreadhorde has restrictions

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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Command the Dreadhorde card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2019-05-03 Command the Dreadhorde deals damage to you before the creature and planeswalker cards are put onto the battlefield, but if this brings your life total to 0 or less, those creatures and planeswalkers enter the battlefield before you lose the game. Any abilities they have that trigger when they enter the battlefield won’t resolve if you lose the game, but their static abilities (such as that of Platinum Angel) may help you survive with 0 or less life.
2019-05-03 If a card in a graveyard has in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.
2019-05-03 In a multiplayer game, if a player leaves the game, all cards that player owns leave as well. If you leave the game, the creatures and planeswalkers you control from Command the Dreadhorde’s effect are exiled.

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