Tomb Hex MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Abilities	Landfall
Released	2010-02-05
Set symbol
Set name	Worldwake
Set code	WWK
Number	69
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Izzy

Key Takeaways

Tomb Hex offers crucial instant speed removal, perfect for disrupting opponents during their turn.
Its discard requirement is a notable downside, introducing a potential setback for the player.
Flexibility and meta-relevance make Tomb Hex a strategic pick for creature-heavy match-ups.

Text of card

Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn. Landfall — If you had a land enter the battlefield under your control this turn, that creature gets -4/-4 until end of turn instead.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tomb Hex’s ability to potentially remove a creature from the board, thus disrupting your opponent’s game plan, can translate into a tangible card advantage. This is especially true if used to eliminate a creature with an aura attached, or one that’s key to an opponent’s combo.

Resource Acceleration: While Tomb Hex itself doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration, its relatively low mana cost allows you to efficiently manage your resources. This enables you to keep up the pressure on your opponents or hold up mana for other crucial spells in your arsenal.

Instant Speed: The instant speed nature of Tomb Hex is a significant strategic asset. It gives you the flexibility to react to your opponent’s moves during their turn or at the end of it, which can catch an adversary off-guard and disrupt their strategy, possibly leading to a crucial turning point in the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Tomb Hex means you’ll have to sacrifice another card from your hand. This can set you back, especially in the late game where every card counts. Discarding as an additional cost could mean losing key pieces that are crucial for your game strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Tomb Hex’s casting cost requires black mana, which restricts its inclusion to black-centric or multicolored decks capable of generating this type of mana. Players running decks without black mana sources will find Tomb Hex incompatible with their deck’s strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost that might be considered steep for its effect, players may find Tomb Hex less attractive when considering other options. Comparable spells in the game tend to offer either more significant impact or come at a lower cost, making them more efficient choices for deck building and in-match utility.

Reasons to Include Tomb Hex in Your Collection

Versatility: Tomb Hex is a flexible option for nearly any black deck. Its ability to act as both early-game disruption and late-game removal means it can help control the board throughout different stages of play.

Combo Potential: This card thrives in decks that capitalize on graveyard mechanics. Due to its instant speed, Tomb Hex can be a strategic piece, enabling surprise interactions and triggering abilities at unexpected moments.

Meta-Relevance: Tomb Hex becomes a valuable asset against decks that rely on creature-based strategies. In environments where key creatures drive an opponent’s win condition, the ability to remove them efficiently can shift the game in your favor.

How to beat

Tomb Hex poses a unique challenge as a removal option in Magic the Gathering. With its ability to target and weaken an opponent’s creature, this card can be a roadblock for players aiming to maintain a strong board presence. Understanding its nuances is crucial for formulating a strategy to counteract its effects.

To navigate around Tomb Hex, consider the timing of its activation. Since it often hinges on having a certain threshold of cards in the opponent’s graveyard, managing graveyard size can be instrumental. Graveyard hate cards that exile cards from the graveyard can disrupt the setup for Tomb Hex’s enhanced effect. Also, using instant-speed spells that boost your creature’s toughness during combat can prevent the diminished power from being lethal.

Moreover, diversifying threats ensures that losing one creature won’t cripple your strategy. Including hexproof or indestructible creatures in your deck guarantees resilience against targeted removal like Tomb Hex. By planning for its appearance and adjusting your plays accordingly, you can effectively diminish the impact of Tomb Hex on your path to victory.

Cards like Tomb Hex

The world of Magic: The Gathering is vast, and among its myriad of cards, Tomb Hex stands as a noteworthy spell in black’s arsenal. When assessing its characteristics and utility, it’s important to compare it with similar cards in the game. Contagion Clasp is one such card that also deals with negative counters, capable of affecting any creature on the board. However, unlike Tomb Hex, which is an instant and targets only one creature, Contagion Clasp’s effect can be recurring, thanks to its proliferate ability.

Grasp of Darkness is another card that can serve as a point of comparison. This spell offers a greater immediate impact by giving a creature -4/-4 until the end of turn. While Grasp of Darkness favours a broader range of targets and doesn’t rely on conditional tapping like Tomb Hex does, both cards excel in different strategic scenarios. Another noteworthy mention is Dead Weight, an enchantment that permanently weakens a creature by -2/-2. While it’s not an instant, its continuous effect can be a key advantage in prolonged battles.

Tomb Hex, with its specific requirement for a tapped target, offers a unique moment of opportunity for players. Its instant speed allows for reactive play during an opponent’s turn, which can be a pivotal move in the game. With these comparisons, Tomb Hex displays its own merit as a tactical removal within Magic: The Gathering, tailor-made for exploiting an opponent’s actions.

Cards similar to Tomb Hex by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tomb Hex MTG card by a specific set like Worldwake, 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 Tomb Hex and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Tomb Hex has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2010-03-01	Having more than one land enter the battlefield under your control this turn provides no additional benefit.
2010-03-01	Once the spell resolves, having a land enter the battlefield under your control provides no further benefit.
2010-03-01	The effect of this spell’s landfall ability replaces its normal effect. If you had a land enter the battlefield under your control this turn, only the landfall-based effect happens.
2010-03-01	The landfall ability checks for an action that has happened in the past. It doesn’t matter if a land that entered the battlefield under your control previously in the turn is still on the battlefield, is still under your control, or is still a land.
2010-03-01	Whether you had a land enter the battlefield under your control this turn is checked as this spell resolves, not as you cast it.