Premature Burial MTG Card

Time Spiral (TSP)
2006-10-06 - Number 125

Premature Burial - Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)

Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)
2021-03-19 - Number 131

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Sorcery

Key Takeaways

Enables creature revival directly from the graveyard, significantly altering gameplay dynamics.
Demands careful management of hand and mana resources, impacting its in-game efficacy.
Comparable enchantments offer alternative revival methods but Premature Burial retains unique benefits.

Text of card

Destroy target nonblack creature that came into play since your last turn ended.

"This soil knows well the taste of the dead. Give it the hunger for a living meal, and it can become a deadly ally." —Ezrith, druid of the Dark Hours

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Facilitates the rebirth of a powerful creature from your graveyard, effectively expand your hand by bypassing the need to draw that creature again.

Resource Acceleration: Puts a creature into play possibly earlier than normal casting conditions allow, accelerating your board presence against opponents.

Instant Speed: Can surprise an opponent by bringing back a creature during their turn or in response to an action, adding a strategic layer to your gameplay.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Premature Burial necessitates the discarding of a card in addition to its mana cost, which could prove to be a setback when your hand is already depleted or if the game state requires you to maintain card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Premature Burial requires a specific combination of mana types, making it less flexible and potentially difficult to cast on curve, especially in multi-colored decks where mana resources are strained.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the ability to reanimate a creature from the graveyard can be powerful, Premature Burial’s mana cost is on the higher end. There are other resuscitation spells available that offer similar or better effects at a lower cost, potentially leaving Premature Burial outpaced by more mana-efficient alternatives.

Reasons to Include Premature Burial in Your Collection

Versatility: Premature Burial provides strategic flexibility by offering an alternative way to put creatures onto the battlefield. This enchantment can bypass traditional casting costs, and thus it’s a perfect fit for decks that aim to utilize high-cost creatures ahead of curve.

Combo Potential: This card enables various combo plays, particularly with graveyard manipulation strategies. By reanimating powerful creatures from the graveyard for a reduced cost, it opens up numerous possibilities for game-changing synergies and interactions.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames that favor graveyard strategies or where creatures are key to victory, Premature Burial can become a formidable tool. It provides a significant advantage by allowing you to quickly return heavy-hitters to the fray, and can often catch opponents off guard.

How to beat

Premature Burial is a card that presents intriguing challenges on the battlefield. This enchantment can bring a sense of dread to opponents as it has the potential to resurrect formidable creatures from the graveyard directly onto the battlefield. To effectively counter Premature Burial, it’s essential to include enchantment removal in your deck. Cards like Disenchant or Naturalize allow you to respond swiftly, eliminating the threat before it fully materializes.

Strategic graveyard management is another avenue to counteract Premature Burial. Cards such as Relic of Progenitus or Tormod’s Crypt can be key assets, as they can exile the creatures from the graveyard before they can be targeted by the enchantment. Additionally, countering the spell itself can be an efficient solution. Having counterspells like Cancel or Mana Leak at the ready ensures that Premature Burial never resolves, keeping your opponent’s graveyard in check and their game plan disrupted.

Ultimately, understanding the tempo and knowing when to deploy these responses can make all the difference. Staying one step ahead can turn Premature Burial from a setback to a minor hiccup in your game strategy, allowing you to maintain control and work towards victory in any match.

Cards like Premature Burial

Premature Burial brings a unique twist to reanimation spells in Magic: The Gathering, akin to other cards that enable players to bring creatures back from the graveyard. A card like Zombify, also allows for the return of a creature to the battlefield. However, Premature Burial has a distinct mechanic, where it attaches as an aura to the resurrected creature and sacrifices it when Premature Burial is put into a graveyard from the battlefield.

Another familiar spell in this category is Animate Dead. This enchantment similarly reanimates a creature at a low mana cost but has the downside of reducing the creature’s power and toughness. The specificity of Premature Burial lies in its potential to turn the game around without altering the creature’s original stats.

Exhume is a broader option, allowing each player to return a creature from their graveyard. The simultaneous advantage for opponents might be risky, contrasting with Premature Burial’s targeted reanimation. While each card has its strategic uses, Premature Burial offers a more controlled and potentially less detrimental option for bringing key creatures into play.

Cards similar to Premature Burial by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Premature Burial MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral and Time Spiral Remastered, 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 Premature Burial and other MTG cards: