Geralf's Mindcrusher MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Zombie Horror
Abilities	Mill,Undying
Released	2012-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Dark Ascension
Set code	DKA
Power	5
Toughness	5
Number	37
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Steven Belledin

Key Takeaways

Undying ability allows Geralf’s Mindcrusher to aggressively mill, posing a repeat threat.
Contributes to resource acceleration by enabling graveyard-based plays.
Demands blue mana commitment, restricting multicolor deck flexibility.

Text of card

When Geralf's Mindcrusher enters the battlefield, target player puts the top five cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. Undying (When this creature dies, if it had no +1/+1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control with a +1/+1 counter on it.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Geralf’s Mindcrusher adds depth to your game by its formidable ‘undying’ ability. This enables the creature to return to the battlefield after death with an additional +1/+1 counter, allowing for repeated milling of the opponent’s deck. Such a mechanic not only thins out the opponent’s resources but also increases your chances of encountering their key strategies, giving you an undeniable edge in the match.

Resource Acceleration: While indirectly, Geralf’s Mindcrusher can contribute to resource acceleration. Each milling can potentially discard cards with flashback or other graveyard interaction from the opponent’s deck, which if under your control, can expedite the utilization of your graveyard as an extended resource, thereby accelerating your play options.

Instant Speed: Although Geralf’s Mindcrusher is not an instant itself, the strategic implications it brings can affect both players at instant speed. With every entry and exit from the battlefield, this creature puts an opponent’s top cards into their graveyard. In metagames heavy with graveyard synergy, this can disrupt an adversary’s instant-speed graveyard plays, which typically hinge on specific cards being readily available in the graveyard. Moreover, by pressing the necessity for instant-speed responses to its presence, Geralf’s Mindcrusher ups the ante for timely interaction.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The ability of Geralf’s Mindcrusher to mill cards from your opponent’s library can be quite powerful, but it begs consideration of your own hand. Without a healthy number of cards, activating its undying mechanic to the fullest could mean compromising your hand, which might not always be preferable.

Specific Mana Cost: With a necessity for two blue mana in its casting cost, Geralf’s Mindcrusher demands a commitment to blue mana resources. This requirement can restrict deck-building choices, particularly for those seeking to play diverse mana color combinations or include this card in a multicolor deck.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Boasting a six-mana cost to get Geralf’s Mindcrusher onto the battlefield, its summoning demand can be somewhat burdensome compared to other creatures. While its effect is significant, in faster-paced games, the mana investment can lead to a loss in tempo, potentially putting players at a critical disadvantage.

Reasons to Include Geralf’s Mindcrusher in Your Collection

Versatility: Geralf’s Mindcrusher offers a dual threat as both a sizeable body on the board and a reliable mill engine. It can adapt to various strategies, fitting well in mill-focused decks or any blue-centric build that appreciates a creature able to disrupt an opponent’s library.

Combo Potential: Each undying trigger from Geralf’s Mindcrusher allows you to delve further into your opponent’s deck, pairing remarkably well with mechanics that capitalize on card types in graveyards, such as delve or flashback, for heightened synergy within your deck’s design.

Meta-Relevance: With graveyards being an increasingly important resource in the current gameplay landscape, having a creature that can repeatedly deplete an opponent’s options from their library makes Geralf’s Mindcrusher a card to consider, depending on the prevalence of graveyard-based strategies in the meta.

How to beat

Geralf’s Mindcrusher is a formidable blue creature that challenges players with its undying ability and potent mill capability. When it enters the battlefield or dies, the Mindcrusher allows a player to target an opponent and put the top five cards of their library into their graveyard. This ability can significantly diminish an opponent’s resources, edging them closer to a loss through deck depletion.

To counter this card effectively, one strategy involves utilizing graveyard manipulation. Cards like Tormod’s Crypt can exile an opponent’s graveyard, mitigating the impact of Geralf’s Mindcrusher’s milling effect. Additionally, instant-speed removal spells like Path to Exile can permanently deal with the Mindcrusher before its undying ability can trigger, ensuring it won’t return to the battlefield.

Relying on creatures with hexproof or shroud can also prevent the Mindcrusher from targeting specific creatures upon death or cast, thus limiting its utility. Furthermore, leaning into strategies that benefit from having cards in your own graveyard, such as utilizing the delve or threshold mechanics, can turn the milling downside into a tactical advantage for you against Geralf’s Mindcrusher.

Cards like Geralf's Mindcrusher

Geralf’s Mindcrusher is a distinctive creature card in MTG, resonating with the mill strategy where the aim is to deplete the opponent’s library. It earns a comparative glance with other mill archetype staples such as Consuming Aberration. While Geralf’s Mindcrusher offers the ability to mill cards twice thanks to undying, Consuming Aberration has the potential to mill exponentially as it triggers whenever you cast a spell.

Another card worth considering is Jace’s Mindseeker, a flyer that mills upon entering the battlefield, which can lead to immediate value. However, it lacks the recurring impact of Geralf’s Mindcrusher’s undying mechanic. Glimpse the Unthinkable is an example of a non-creature spell with a one-time but significant milling effect, which contrasts with the repeatable use that Geralf’s Mindcrusher offers.

Assessing Geralf’s Mindcrusher in the pantheon of MTG mill cards, its resilience and recurring mill ability place it in a solid position for players looking to relentlessly attack an opponent’s library. The value of undying and the sizable body of the Mindcrusher make it a formidable presence in the right deck.

Consuming Aberration - MTG Card versions

Glimpse the Unthinkable - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Geralf's Mindcrusher by color, type and mana cost

Sun Quan, Lord of Wu - MTG Card versions

Arcanis the Omnipotent - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Geralf's Mindcrusher MTG card by a specific set like Dark Ascension, 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 Geralf's Mindcrusher and other MTG cards: