Sepulchral Primordial MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Avatar
Abilities Intimidate
Power 5
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Sepulchral Primordial swings games by reanimating multiple creatures for a significant advantage.
  2. Imposing mana costs and black color specificity may limit its deck inclusion options.
  3. It has proven utility and synergy, making it a valuable card for diverse MTG strategies.

Text of card

Intimidate When Sepulchral Primordial enters the battlefield, for each opponent, you may put up to one target creature card from that player's graveyard onto the battlefield under your control.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sepulchral Primordial offers a distinct card advantage with its ability to reanimate creatures from all opponents’ graveyards. This can often lead to significant swings in board presence without depleting your hand.

Resource Acceleration: While not a direct source of mana acceleration, Sepulchral Primordial can cheat in high-cost creatures for free, effectively giving you access to powerful effects and a formidable board state without the hefty mana cost.

Instant Speed: Although it is not an instant itself, Sepulchral Primordial interacts favorably with cards that operate at instant speed. Reanimating creatures that have ‘flash’ or other instant-speed effects can catch opponents by surprise and disrupt their strategies.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Sepulchral Primordial does not have a discard requirement of its own, its inclusion in a deck may necessitate having support cards or mechanics that help fill the graveyard. This can lead to situations where you’re discarding valuable cards to enable its ability, which might not always be ideal.

Specific Mana Cost: Sepulchral Primordial requires a specific triple black mana cost in its casting cost. This can be restrictive for some multicolor decks and might limit its playability solely to black-focused or heavy black decks with sufficient mana fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a seven mana cost to cast, Sepulchral Primordial leans towards the more expensive end of the spectrum. In fast-paced games, reaching the required mana to cast this card can be challenging. Plus, there are other creatures with reanimation effects that come into play much sooner, potentially offering a more immediate impact on the game.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Sepulchral Primordial offers a dynamic range of applications, seamlessly integrating into reanimator strategies or acting as a powerful standalone threat in control decks. Its ability to animate an opponent’s creatures from their graveyard can turn the tide in a variety of game states.

Combo Potential: This card is a centerpiece in combos that focuses on recurring its enter-the-battlefield effect, multiplying its value exponentially. Integrating with cards like Panharmonicon or Conjurer’s Closet, it capitalizes on the potential for mass graveyard reanimation.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where players frequently utilize their graveyards as resources, Sepulchral Primordial gains increased importance. It can disrupt graveyard-based strategies while providing a significant presence on the board, making it a strategic choice in diverse playing environments.


How to beat

Sepulchral Primordial can be quite the game-changer on the battlefield, reanimating creatures from all opponents’ graveyards. But how do you turn the tide against this towering behemoth? Graveyard hate is your ally here. Consider using cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void to keep graveyards clean and Sepulchral Primordial’s ability irrelevant. Alternately, instant-speed removal like Path to Exile or Sudden Death can address the creature directly before its impact becomes too great.

Counterspells are also effective when dealing with this Intimidate-endowed giant. Holding up a Mana Leak, Negate, or even the classic Counterspell ensures that Sepulchral Primordial doesn’t hit the board to begin with. Additionally, sometimes the best offense is a good defense. Ensuring you have creatures that match or exceed its power can deter an opponent from attacking and gives you time to find a more permanent solution to the Primordial threat.

To sum up, while Sepulchral Primordial promises immense value and a potentially game-ending effect, a strategy of preventing graveyard interaction, ready removal, and efficient countering can neutralize this advantage. Maneuvering around this Leviathan requires foresight and precise action, but with the right tools and timing, you can keep it from dominating the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

The intricate tactics of MTG reward players who adeptly manage their resources and anticipate their opponents’ moves. Whether seduced by the allure of reanimation power that Sepulchral Primordial brings or crafting a deck that’s resilient against such looming threats, the knowledge to maneuver these strategies is vital. As you refine your deck with this formidable card, consider the symmetry of cards that synergize with its abilities, and don’t overlook the necessity of having answers for your opponent’s threats. We invite you to delve deeper into the vast world of MTG with us and enhance your repertoire. Discover more strategic insights and expand your collection with deliberate choices to fortify your position in every duel.


Cards like Sepulchral Primordial

Sepulchral Primordial stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a powerful creature card, echoing the abilities of other notable cards meant to disrupt graveyards. It bears resemblance to Diluvian Primordial in its ability to offer additional value from casting spells, but Sepulchral Primordial is distinct with its focus on creatures. While Diluvian Primordial allows you to cast instant or sorcery spells from opponents’ graveyards for free, Sepulchral Primordial targets creature cards and brings them under your dominion, which changes the battlefield dynamic significantly.

Animate Dead, while not a creature itself, serves a similar purpose by retrieving creatures from any graveyard. This enchantment comes with a lower mana cost but doesn’t provide the substantial body that Sepulchral Primordial brings to the table. The difference in board presence and the ability to select from each opponent’s graveyard make Sepulchral Primordial a greater threat, especially in multiplayer formats.

While each card has its own niche, Sepulchral Primordial grants you a considerable advantage with its intimidating presence combined with the potential for multi-creature reanimation, carving its own unique place in the MTG card hierarchy. Its usage in commander decks often swings games, showcasing its potential for high impact.

Diluvian Primordial - MTG Card versions
Animate Dead - MTG Card versions
Diluvian Primordial - Gatecrash (GTC)
Animate Dead - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)

Cards similar to Sepulchral Primordial by color, type and mana cost

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Lord of the Pit - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Minion of Tevesh Szat - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Minion of Leshrac - Ice Age (ICE)
Cateran Overlord - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Deathbringer Regent - Commander 2021 (C21)
Black Dragon - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (AFR)
Reaper of Night // Harvest Fear - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Zombie Brute - Legions (LGN)
Patron of the Nezumi - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Pus Kami - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Tresserhorn Skyknight - Coldsnap (CSP)
Lim-Dûl the Necromancer - Time Spiral (TSP)
Phage the Untouchable - Conspiracy (CNS)
Ebon Dragon - From the Vault: Dragons (DRB)
Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet - Zendikar (ZEN)
Sheoldred, Whispering One - Multiverse Legends (MUL)
Butcher of Malakir - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)
Sutured Ghoul - Magic 2012 (M12)
Abhorrent Overlord - Theros Promos (PTHS)
Fell Shepherd - Commander 2013 (C13)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sepulchral Primordial MTG card by a specific set like Gatecrash and Zendikar Rising Commander, 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 Sepulchral Primordial and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sepulchral Primordial Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2013-02-01 and 2020-09-25. Illustrated by Stephan Martiniere.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12013-02-01GatecrashGTC 752003normalblackStephan Martiniere
22020-09-25Zendikar Rising CommanderZNC 542015normalblackStephan Martiniere

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sepulchral Primordial has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2013-01-24 The creature cards enter the battlefield simultaneously.
2013-01-24 You can choose a number of targets up to the number of opponents you have, one target per opponent.

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