Gravestorm MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Gravestorm yields substantial card advantage by reanimating multiple creatures at instant speed.
  2. Demands specific mana and a discard, potentially limiting its flexibility in play.
  3. This enchantment’s scalability and combo potential make it a collection essential for graveyard-centric strategies.

Text of card

At the beginning of your upkeep, target opponent may remove a card in his or her graveyard from the game. If that player doesn't, you may draw a card.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gravestorm allows the controller to potentially reanimate multiple creatures from any graveyard, which can quickly swing the game in their favor and create significant card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: By bringing creatures back onto the battlefield, Gravestorm can accelerate your resource development, particularly if the reanimated creatures have abilities that generate additional mana or unlock further actions.

Instant Speed: The beauty of Gravestorm is in its instant speed, giving players the flexibility to wait until the most opportune moment. This can disrupt the opponent’s strategy, especially during combat or in response to board wipes, where it can salvage key creatures or exploit freshly filled graveyards.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Gravestorm obligates players to discard a card, which could backfire when your hand size is already minimized, potentially costing valuable resources.

Specific Mana Cost: It demands a precise blend of black mana, which could be problematic for multi-colored decks that may struggle with mana fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value that leans towards the heavier side, Gravestorm may be less favorable compared to other options at lower costs that trigger upon creatures dying.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Gravestorm offers utility in decks that manipulate the graveyard. As an enchantment with an effect that scales with the number of creature cards put into graveyards this turn, it can adapt to various strategies, from reanimator builds to self-mill decks.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with strategies that involve sacrificing creatures or mass removal spells. The ability to potentially create a cascading effect with each creature that hits the graveyard can turn the tide of a game and enable powerful plays.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames where creature-based strategies prevail, Gravestorm can serve as a potent deterrent and a key piece in controlling the board. It rewards players for predicting and reacting to opponents’ tactics, bolstering its value in a collection as the meta evolves.


How to beat

Gravestorm presents a complex challenge for players in the strategic landscape of Magic: The Gathering. This formidable mechanic can turn the tide of a match by leveraging the number of permanents that hit the graveyard in a given turn. Understanding the ins and outs of Gravestorm is key to devising a strategy against it.

One effective tactic is to minimize the number of your own permanents that go to the graveyard when facing an opponent using a Gravestorm card. This can involve strategically choosing which creatures to sacrifice or when to hold back on actions that could inadvertently bolster your opponent’s Gravestorm count. Counterspells can be potent tools in hindering the casting of Gravestorm-triggered spells, so keeping mana open for these responses is crucial.

Another approach is to disrupt your opponent’s graveyard with cards designed to exile cards or limit graveyard interactions. Since Gravestorm relies on the buildup within the graveyard, cards like Rest in Peace can be exceptionally detrimental to your opponent’s game plan. By staying ahead of the Gravestorm strategy and carefully choosing how to manage both the battlefield and the graveyard, you can mitigate the impact of this powerful mechanic and maintain control of the game.


Cards like Gravestorm

The card Gravestorm presents a rather unique mechanic in the world of Magic: The Gathering, bearing some resemblance to the proliferate ability. For instance, Gravestorm shares common ground with Bitter Ordeal, which also benefits off the number of cards put into the graveyard from play during the turn, tapping into the potential of a cascade of effects. However, Gravestorm has the added intricacy of scaling with each spell cast before it in a turn, not just the number of deaths.

Contrastingly, we have a card like Gravestorm’s predecessor, Storm, found in cards like Grapeshot. While Grapeshot counts the number of spells played in a turn to deal damage, Gravestorm relies on graveyard synergies to throttle its effect. This gives Gravestorm a unique angle, particularly in decks where creatures are sacrificed or spells are numerous. Another analogue is Yawgmoth’s Will, which allows playing cards out of the graveyard, thus aligning with Gravestorm’s graveyard interaction philosophy but with a broader utility span.

Overall, Gravestorm does not operate in isolation but shines in a deck designed to exploit its graveyard-triggered potential, situating it as a potent card in the right circumstance, especially within the niche of recursive MTG strategies.

Bitter Ordeal - MTG Card versions
Grapeshot - MTG Card versions
Yawgmoth's Will - MTG Card versions
Bitter Ordeal - Future Sight (FUT)
Grapeshot - Time Spiral (TSP)
Yawgmoth's Will - Urza's Saga (USG)

Cards similar to Gravestorm by color, type and mana cost

Gloom - MTG Card versions
Season of the Witch - MTG Card versions
Tourach's Gate - MTG Card versions
Withering Wisps - MTG Card versions
Funeral March - MTG Card versions
Casting of Bones - MTG Card versions
Blanket of Night - MTG Card versions
Necropotence - MTG Card versions
Hecatomb - MTG Card versions
Megrim - MTG Card versions
Recurring Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Contamination - MTG Card versions
Oppression - MTG Card versions
Maggot Therapy - MTG Card versions
Murderous Betrayal - MTG Card versions
Noxious Field - MTG Card versions
Tainted Well - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Arena - MTG Card versions
Mortiphobia - MTG Card versions
Demonic Embrace - MTG Card versions
Gloom - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Season of the Witch - The Dark (DRK)
Tourach's Gate - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Withering Wisps - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Funeral March - Homelands (HML)
Casting of Bones - Alliances (ALL)
Blanket of Night - Visions (VIS)
Necropotence - Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting Tales (WOT)
Hecatomb - Masters Edition (ME1)
Megrim - Stronghold (STH)
Recurring Nightmare - Exodus (EXO)
Contamination - Urza's Saga (USG)
Oppression - Urza's Saga (USG)
Maggot Therapy - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Murderous Betrayal - Nemesis (NEM)
Noxious Field - Prophecy (PCY)
Tainted Well - Invasion (INV)
Phyrexian Arena - Phyrexia: All Will Be One (ONE)
Mortiphobia - Torment (TOR)
Demonic Embrace - Core Set 2021 (M21)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gravestorm MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey and Salvat 2005, 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 Gravestorm and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Gravestorm Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2001-10-01 and 2006-01-01. Illustrated by Alex Horley-Orlandelli.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12001-10-01OdysseyODY 1411997normalblackAlex Horley-Orlandelli
22005-08-22Salvat 2005PSAL A372003normalwhiteAlex Horley-Orlandelli
32006-01-01Hachette UKPHUK 372003normalwhiteAlex Horley-Orlandelli

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gravestorm has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks