Crypt of the Eternals MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
RarityUncommon
TypeLand

Key Takeaways

  1. Optimizes draws and advances play through color fixing and life gain upon entering the battlefield.
  2. Instant-speed readiness endows flexibility, allowing for swift reactionary plays throughout the game.
  3. Despite potential drawbacks in tempo and specificity, the card’s versatility makes it an asset in tri-color decks.

Text of card

When Crypt of the Eternals enters the battlefield, you gain 1 life. : Add to your mana pool. , : Add , , or to your mana pool.

The dead entered as worthy. They exited as Eternals.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Crypt of the Eternals is an efficient MTG card when it comes to smoothing out draws with its one-time life gain and filter ability, letting players access essential cards for a strong game.

Resource Acceleration: As a land card, Crypt of the Eternals provides crucial color fixing by converting one type of mana into three different colors, which can significantly speed up a player’s game plan and resource availability.

Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, Crypt of the Eternals allows for instant speed plays by ensuring that mana of the right colors is available when needed, paving the way for players to react swiftly to an opponent’s moves.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Crypt of the Eternals doesn’t specifically ask you to discard a card, it doesn’t prevent the loss of valuable hand cards in strategies that aim for card advantage. The mana fixing it provides may not always compensate for the missed opportunity of drawing or playing a more impactful card.

Specific Mana Cost: Crypt of the Eternals generates colorless mana or can be tapped for one mana of blue, black, or red. However, tapping it for one of these specific colors requires you to pay one life, making it a less ideal option in decks that are not designed to use life as a resource. Additionally, the lack of green or white mana can limit its utility in multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Entering the battlefield tapped, Crypt of the Eternals has a slower impact compared to basic lands that provide immediate mana. This might be a setback in formats where tempo and speed are crucial. Moreover, decks without a need for its specific mana conversion might find it less efficient than other land options that either come into play untapped or offer additional benefits.


Reasons to Include Crypt of the Eternals in Your Collection

Versatility: Crypt of the Eternals offers a unique mana flexibility that can be a boon to any deck running blue, black, or red colors. It navigates color fixing smoothly, ensuring that you have the mana you need, when you need it.

Combo Potential: By providing one life point whenever it is tapped for mana, it can subtly bolster life-based combo strategies, and work harmoniously with cards that thrive on life gain or payment mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, cards that support a broad spectrum of colors and provide additional benefits, like life gain, remain relevant. Crypt of the Eternals can find a place in various decks that aim to respond to an ever-shifting competitive landscape.


How to beat

Crypt of the Eternals is a notable utility land in MTG that not only filters mana but also offers a welcome life boost when it enters the battlefield. Overcoming this card does not require complex strategies, as it does not actively disrupt opponent’s plays. However, its existence can signify that the opponent is setting up for a game-changing multicolored spell or ramping up for a Colorless Eldrazi titan in color-driven decks.

To effectively neutralize the advantage Crypt of the Eternals provides, pressure your opponent early on. Aggressive decks can outpace the life gain and color fixing it offers. Alternatively, field destruction cards can eliminate the utility land from play, disrupting your opponent’s mana base and potential plans. Include efficient land destruction spells or land-exiling effects in your deck, specifically Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin, to handle such utilities directly. This way, the temporary setback Crypt of the Eternals presents is quickly turned into a non-issue as you maintain control of the game’s tempo and resources.

Understanding the role that utility lands like Crypt of the Eternals play in your opponent’s strategy is key. By anticipating their moves and having the right countermeasures, you can easily keep the upper hand and guide the game toward victory.


Cards like Crypt of the Eternals

Crypt of the Eternals offers a unique dynamic to MTG players seeking mana-fixing options. Its likeness can be drawn to other lands such as Evolving Wilds, which also provides color fixing but requires the land to be sacrificed to search for a basic land, slowing down the tempo slightly. However, Evolving Wilds doesn’t offer the life-gain benefit that Crypt of the Eternals does with its 1 life boost upon entering the battlefield.

Examining Aether Hub, we find a land that offers energy counters, which can be used for a variety of in-game effects, including mana of any color. Aether Hub initially allows for greater flexibility, but it lacks the continued mana-fixing ability without additional energy counter sources. Crypt of the Eternals, in contrast, reliably produces colorless mana and can filter for specific colors when needed without additional dependencies.

Overall, Crypt of the Eternals presents a mix of mana stability, slight life gain, and tactical diversity, securing its position as a valuable asset in decks that can leverage its color-filtering capability alongside the marginal health increment that can prove crucial in tight matchups within the MTG multiverse.

Evolving Wilds - MTG Card versions
Aether Hub - MTG Card versions
Evolving Wilds - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Aether Hub - Kaladesh (KLD)

Cards similar to Crypt of the Eternals by color, type and mana cost

Castle Sengir - MTG Card versions
Sulfur Vent - MTG Card versions
Crosis's Catacombs - MTG Card versions
Xander's Lounge - MTG Card versions
Crumbling Necropolis - MTG Card versions
Castle Sengir - Homelands (HML)
Sulfur Vent - Invasion (INV)
Crosis's Catacombs - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Xander's Lounge - Streets of New Capenna (SNC)
Crumbling Necropolis - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Crypt of the Eternals MTG card by a specific set like Hour of Devastation and Amonkhet 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 Crypt of the Eternals and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Crypt of the Eternals Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-07-14 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Titus Lunter.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-07-14Hour of DevastationHOU 1692015normalblackTitus Lunter
22020-08-13Amonkhet RemasteredAKR 2862015normalblackTitus Lunter

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Crypt of the Eternals has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

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