Gravewaker MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gravewaker is an exceptional card when it comes to reclaiming valuable creatures from the graveyard. It significantly tips the scales in your favor over the course of a game, as it continuously recycles potent creatures back into play, ensuring a persistent threat your opponents must reckon with.

Resource Acceleration: Although Gravewaker itself isn’t a direct source of mana acceleration, its ability to return creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield can indirectly lead to resource advantage, especially if the revived creatures have abilities that generate additional mana or untap lands.

Instant Speed: The flying behemoth can activate its formidable ability at instant speed, presenting a tactical advantage that keeps opponents guessing. You can end your turn without committing to a play, then resurrect a creature in response to your opponent’s actions, or during their end step to maximize your mana efficiency and strategic options.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Gravewaker demands a card to be discarded to trigger its ability. This cost might strain your hand, particularly if you’re already managing your resources tightly or in need of maintaining a sizeable hand for defensive purposes.

Specific Mana Cost: It requires a precise combination of mana to cast, featuring both generic and black mana. This can potentially restrict its inclusion exclusively to black-aligned or multicolor decks geared towards mana diversity.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that is on the upper end of the mana curve, Gravewaker can be a slower play in fast-paced games. When speed is of the essence, its six-mana cost can be a significant hindrance, especially considering alternatives that could mobilize your graveyard with more immediacy and possibly at a lower mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Gravewaker boasts a unique flexibility, finding a comfortable spot in decks focused on graveyard manipulation and creature recursion. Its ability to resurrect creatures from the graveyard directly to the battlefield makes it a formidable inclusion in various decks across different formats.

Combo Potential: With its resurrection ability, Gravewaker acts as a linchpin in numerous combos, particularly in conjuncture with sacrificial and enter-the-battlefield mechanics. It excels in strategies where creatures dying and re-entering the fray are pivotal to the deck’s success.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where creature-based strategies prevail, Gravewaker shines by consistently bringing back key pieces that opponents may have already dealt with, thereby ensuring a sustained board presence and pressure on the opponent.

How to beat Gravewaker

Gravewaker is an ominous creature card with a powerful ability to return creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield. This reanimation effect poses a strategic threat, as it provides continuous value over time, making it vital to have a plan to counteract Gravewaker’s influence. To combat this card, graveyard disruption is key. Tools such as Tormod’s Crypt can exile a graveyard entirely, nullifying Gravewaker’s potential. Additionally, Rest in Peace can stop creatures from hitting the graveyard in the first place, providing a preventative measure.

Direct removal, like Murder or Doom Blade, can effectively deal with Gravewaker itself, while counterspells such as Negate or Essence Scatter can prevent it from hitting the board. However, be mindful of timing your removal, as Gravewaker’s six-mana activation cost provides a window where your opponent might be vulnerable to disruption. Managing resources wisely and keeping pressure on the opponent’s life total can limit their opportunities to fully leverage Gravewaker’s abilities. Even if Gravewaker takes flight on the battlefield, a well-timed piece of removal or graveyard hate can swiftly clip its wings and secure your upper hand.