Boneknitter MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Zombie Cleric
Abilities	Morph
Released	2002-10-07
Set symbol
Set name	Onslaught
Set code	ONS
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	128
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Pete Venters

Key Takeaways

Provides board stability by regenerating creatures, ensuring resilience against removals and damage.
Instant speed activation of Boneknitter’s ability offers strategic flexibility and surprise defense.
Demands specific mana but enhances zombie decks and creature-centric strategies effectively.

Text of card

o1o B: Regenerate target Zombie. Morph o B (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for o3. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)

Nothing comes together as easily as it comes apart.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While not directly resulting in card draw, Boneknitter offers incremental value by regenerating your creatures, effectively negating removal spells and combat damage. This utility allows you to preserve your board presence without expending additional cards from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: Boneknitter’s ability to regenerate creatures can indirectly accelerate your resources. By protecting your key creatures, you maintain your mana investments on the board, which may lead to more aggressive plays and overwhelming your opponent over time.

Instant Speed: One of Boneknitter’s strength lies in its regeneration ability, which can be activated at instant speed. This means you can wait until the most opportune moment during your opponent’s turn to protect your creatures. This surprise factor often forces opponents to second-guess their strategies, potentially wasting their resources or altering their attacks and spells.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Boneknitter doesn’t require you to discard a card as it is a creature with an activated ability, but managing graveyard resources can be critical in gameplay.

Specific Mana Cost: Boneknitter’s mana cost demands one black mana, which can dictate deck construction choices, potentially limiting its integration into multi-colored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value of three, including two generic and one black mana, there are creatures with lower cost that can offer similar or greater benefits without the need for an activation fee.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Boneknitter is a valuable asset across various deck archetypes that utilize creatures. Its regeneration ability can provide consistent resilience against board wipes and combat, ensuring your key creatures remain a persistent threat on the board.

Combo Potential: Within zombie tribal decks or with creatures that have sacrifice effects, Boneknitter can enhance those synergies. It empowers strategies where creatures can return to the battlefield or gain benefits from dying only to be regenerated for further use.

Meta-Relevance: Given the presence of removal-heavy environments, Boneknitter can be crucial in keeping important creatures in play. Its low casting cost and the ability to thwart potential removals make it a practical choice in creature-centric decks facing control or tempo strategies.

How to beat

The Boneknitter card is a unique asset to those delving into the world of Zombie tribal decks in Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to regenerate tapped Zombies makes it a persistent threat on the battlefield. However, overcoming such a creature involves a few straightforward strategies. Targeted removal spells that don’t destroy, but rather exile, bypass the Boneknitter’s regenerative capabilities. Cards like Path to Exile or Silent Gravestone can effectively neutralize this undead tailor. Alternatively, utilizing board wipes like Wrath of God ensures that regeneration is not an option.

Players can also outpace Boneknitter by focusing on aggressive strategies. Rapidly building a formidable board presence can overwhelm a player relying on Boneknitter’s gradual value gain. Additionally, keeping the Boneknitter tapped by using cards such as Sleep or encasing it in ice with Frost Titan will prevent it from activating its ability. Preventing the opponent from amassing a Zombie horde is key, as without creatures to regenerate, Boneknitter loses its purpose on the battlefield.

In essence, the trick lies in staying ahead of the regeneration curve, removing the Boneknitter from play entirely, or invalidating its ability through clever control. Manage these tactics, and Boneknitter becomes far less daunting to face.

Cards like Boneknitter

Boneknitter furthers the suite of creatures in Magic: The Gathering that excel at enhancing and protecting your board. It’s akin to other utility creatures like Deathgreeter, which offers a steady stream of life gain as creatures meet their demise. However, Boneknitter edges ahead with its ability to regenerate target Zombie, adding a layer of resilience to your forces.

Similarly, the card Dutiful Attendant stands out as beneficial for its ability to bring a creature back from the graveyard to your hand upon its own death. But unlike Dutiful Attendent, Boneknitter can preemptively shield creatures from being sent to the graveyard in the first place. Another notable comparison is with Corpseweft, which can turn creatures in your graveyard into a formidable force, an effective late-game strategy. Boneknitter, conversely, provides ongoing protection and strengthens your board presence throughout the game.

In spotlighting the virtues of Boneknitter within Magic: The Gathering, its provision of constant defense for your Zombie-themed army cannot be overstated. As such, it holds a special place in decks centering around zombie synergy, distinguishing itself through tactical board preservation.

Cards similar to Boneknitter by color, type and mana cost

Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions

Nezumi Graverobber // Nighteyes the Desecrator - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Boneknitter MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught, 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 Boneknitter and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Boneknitter has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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