Crowd of Cinders MTG Card

Shadowmoor (SHM)
2008-05-02 - Number 63

Crowd of Cinders - Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)

Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)
2010-06-04 - Number 21

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Elemental
Abilities	Fear
Power	*
Toughness	*

Key Takeaways

Builds battlefield presence, its power escalating with each black permanent you control.
Demanding mono-black or black-heavy mana bases limits deck versatility.
Key asset for its fear ability and growth potential in black-centric metas.

Text of card

Fear Crowd of Cinders's power and toughness are each equal to the number of black permanents you control.

They envy the life-giving heat so much that they tear it from those who still possess it.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Crowd of Cinders is a card that can potentially swing the game by building a formidable presence on the battlefield. With its power and toughness increasing for each black permanent you control, this creature can quickly become a substantial threat, giving you the upper hand and effectively providing card advantage without the need to expend additional resources.

Resource Acceleration: In decks that are designed around black permanents, Crowd of Cinders can accelerate your game plan significantly. Given its synergistic nature, this creature rewards you for doing what your deck is intrinsically set to do, maximizing the efficiency of your other cards and helping to speed up your path to victory.

Instant Speed: While Crowd of Cinders isn’t cast at instant speed, it influences how opponents will play their instants. Knowing that it can grow with each black permanent, opponents might need to use instant-speed removal earlier than desired or risk facing an even larger threat later on. This creates a subtle shift in the pacing of the game, as opponents must consider whether to use their resources now or face potentially greater challenges.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The potency of Crowd of Cinders is tied to the number of black permanents on the field. This dependency can turn disadvantageous when facing removal-heavy decks or during games when establishing board presence is challenging.

Specific Mana Cost: Crowd of Cinders’ mana cost demands a heavy commitment to black mana, which can restrict its inclusion to mono-black or heavily black-focused multicolored decks, reducing its versatility in a diverse meta.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Crowd of Cinders may not always provide an efficient power-to-cost ratio, especially in the early game. With a casting cost of four mana, it competes with other powerful four-drops in the same slot, possibly hindering its playability in faster, more streamlined decks.

Reasons to Include Crowd of Cinders in Your Collection

Versatility: Crowd of Cinders thrives in decks that focus on the black color, as this creature’s power and toughness are each equal to the number of black permanents you control. Its fear ability makes it unblockable by nonblack creatures, which suits a variety of defensive and offensive strategies.

Combo Potential: When paired with cards that rapidly put black permanents onto the battlefield, Crowd of Cinders can become a formidable force quickly. This lends itself well to combo decks that can multiply its power to overwhelming levels in short order.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta filled with mono-black or heavy black decks, Crowd of Cinders can serve as an efficient and scalable threat. It matches well against decks without substantial black creature defenses, making it a valuable tool in specific metagame environments.

How to beat

Crowd of Cinders is an intriguing card in Magic: The Gathering, especially within decks that capitalize on the power of black mana. This haunting creature gets stronger for each black permanent you control, thus presenting a cumulative threat that must be addressed swiftly. It can become a game-ending force if left unchecked on the battlefield.

Dealing with Crowd of Cinders requires a strategic approach. Counterspells are effective before it hits the board, preventing the problem altogether. Once it’s in play, creature removal spells are your best bet – think along the lines of Path to Exile or Murder, which can handle the creature irrespective of its size. Managing the number of black permanents your opponent controls can also contain its power, so board wipes like Damnation or Wrath of God could be key. Artifact and enchantment removal can further eliminate buffs that may have been applied to Crowd of Cinders, mitigating the threat significantly.

The right combination of foresight and swift removal is essential when facing the escalating might of Crowd of Cinders. Recognizing the potential for exponential growth and acting decisively will ensure that it doesn’t overwhelm you in the shadowy depths of a black-mana-driven match.

Cards like Crowd of Cinders

Crowd of Cinders is a black creature card that thrives in decks themed around swamps. A member of the elemental family, its power and toughness are each equal to the number of black permanents you control, making it an adaptive threat on the battlefield. In the realm of Magic the Gathering, it draws a likeness to Nightmare, another creature that gains strength and toughness equal to the number of swamps you command. However, Nightmare stands as a singular entity without the need to diversify your permanents.

Taking a different route, we reflect on Squelching Leeches, which also benefits from the number of swamps controlled, but without tying its power to black permanents specifically. This card can be more predictable in mono-black decks but lacks the dynamic potential of Crowd of Cinders with a diverse board presence. Then there’s Nightmare Lash, an equipment that boosts a creature’s power and toughness for each swamp you possess, enabling any creature to become as threatening as a well-supported Crowd of Cinders.

These comparisons reveal that while similar in swamp synergy, cards like Nightmare and Squelching Leeches offer more consistency in power levels, whereas Crowd of Cinders can strategically outpace them in scenarios dense with black permanents. Thus, Crowd of Cinders holds its own as a valuable asset in Magic the Gathering, particularly in decks rich with dark and ominous forces.

Cards similar to Crowd of Cinders by color, type and mana cost

Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions

Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Crowd of Cinders MTG card by a specific set like Shadowmoor and Duels of the Planeswalkers, 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 Crowd of Cinders and other MTG cards: