Cradle to Grave MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2007-02-02
Set symbol
Set name	Planar Chaos
Set code	PLC
Number	67
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Dave Kendall

Key Takeaways

Efficient instant-speed removal lets players disrupt opponents’ strategies by targeting newly played creatures.
The low casting cost aligns with resourceful play, maintaining board development without major setbacks.
Strategic use of Cradle to Grave can shape gameplay, especially against creature-heavy decks in the metagame.

Text of card

Destroy target nonblack creature that came into play this turn.

"As the fell soil's appetite grows, it gulps down passersby upon their first footfall." —Ezrith, druid of the Dark Hours

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cradle to Grave provides the ability to remove a creature from play as it enters the battlefield, a crucial strategy for disrupting your opponent’s setup and maintaining control over the playing field. This fosters an opportunity to tip the scales in your favor, as you’re effectively dealing with threats before they become problematic.

Resource Acceleration: While Cradle to Grave doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration in the typical sense of generating additional mana or resources, its low casting cost ensures that it doesn’t set you back in your own gameplay. This allows you to continue developing your board without a major expense of resources, keeping the momentum on your side.

Instant Speed: The card’s instant speed nature stands as a tremendous asset. It lets you react swiftly to your opponent’s plays, offering flexibility in your response timings. The ability to decide the fate of a newly summoned creature on your opponent’s turn, without telegraphing your moves ahead of time, is a strategic boon that cannot be overstated.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Cradle to Grave’s playability is hampered as it necessitates players to discard a card. During tight gameplay situations, this prerequisite can put players at a resource disadvantage, impacting their ability to sustain card advantage over their opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Cradle to Grave demands a specific combination of mana, including black mana. This requirement could restrict the card’s incorporation into a variety of decks, limiting its adaptability and rendering it less effective across the diverse spectrum of MTG gameplay.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With other options available that provide similar or better effects at a lower cost, Cradle to Grave’s relatively elevated mana cost makes it a less attractive choice in a game where efficiency and economy of moves are key to victory.

Reasons to Include Cradle to Grave in Your Collection

Versatility: Cradle to Grave proves its worth by being able to seamlessly integrate into various deck themes, particularly those focusing on removal as a key tactic. Its ability to efficiently deal with creatures that have just entered the battlefield makes it a responsive and strategic inclusion.

Combo Potential: For decks that thrive on the graveyard interaction, this card offers excellent synergy. It enables strategies that revolve around ensuring opponents’ creatures don’t stick around, playing into setups that benefit from an opponent’s creatures being put directly into the graveyard.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment heavily saturated with creature-based strategies or decks that seek to exploit enter-the-battlefield effects, Cradle to Grave stands out as a relevant counter. Its design is adept at keeping pace with the ever-evolving metagame, where rapid creature removal can be crucial.

How to beat

Cradle to Grave is a unique card in the realm of Magic: The Gathering with its pinpoint creature removal capabilities. This card excels at targeting creatures that have just entered the battlefield, nullifying threats before they can impact the game. Unlike broader removal spells that don’t discriminate based on a creature’s summoning time, Cradle to Grave’s scope is narrowly focused, making its use highly strategic.

To counteract Cradle to Grave, savvy players often employ tactics such as baiting. By presenting less crucial creatures as the initial play, the spell’s potential is minimized. Another effective strategy is to use spell counters or protection spells in anticipation, defending your more valuable creatures from being targeted. Moreover, flashing in creatures during an opponent’s turn can circumvent the timing restriction that Cradle to Grave operates under, ensuring that your creature survives beyond the turn they’re played.

In essence, as you prepare for battle against decks that may run Cradle to Grave, consider the timing and value of the creatures you cast. A strategic approach to creature deployment can diminish the effectiveness of this card and help maintain your board presence within the complex dynamics of Magic: The Gathering.

Cards like Cradle to Grave

Cradle to Grave offers a unique approach to creature removal in Magic: The Gathering. Encompassing a feature that targets nonblack creatures that have entered the battlefield this turn, it bears similarity to cards like Fatal Push, which also thrives on timing to maximize its potential. Fatal Push has the flexibility to target creatures irrespective of their entry time but leverages its ‘Revolt’ mechanic if something was lost this turn.

Another parallel can be drawn with Go for the Throat, which unconditionally targets nonartifact creatures, offering more reliability but missing the immediacy of ‘Cradle to Grave’. Meanwhile, if we look at Unsummon, it doesn’t remove creatures but rather returns them to the owner’s hand and shares the concept of impacting creatures on the field at a precise moment. Lastly, there’s Dark Banishing, offering reliable exile for any nonblack creature without the entry-time limitation, albeit at a higher mana cost.

Hence, Cradle to Grave situates itself cleverly within the niche of timing-specific removal spells in Magic: The Gathering. While it does not have the broad targeting capabilities of some of its counterparts, it compensates with an efficient mana cost and the opportunistic play it offers to tactical players.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cradle to Grave MTG card by a specific set like Planar Chaos, 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 Cradle to Grave and other MTG cards: