Costly Plunder MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Costly Plunder offers card draw by sacrificing a creature or artifact, key for maintaining hand advantage.
  2. Instant speed allows for adaptable play, crucial for timing and maximizing benefits in-game.
  3. Though it requires a sacrifice and specific mana, its strategic value can be significant in-game.

Text of card

As an additional cost to cast Costly Plunder, sacrifice an artifact or creature. Draw two cards.

No lock of iron is a match for Vraska's will of stone.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Costly Plunder enables the drawing of two cards, providing a reliable option to replenish the hand, hence ensuring that players have access to more options and responses during the game.

Resource Acceleration: By sacrificing an artifact or creature, players can turn those resources into new cards swiftly, potentially unveiling new avenues to accelerate gameplay and outmaneuver the opponent with the additional options obtained.

Instant Speed: The ability to play Costly Plunder at instant speed offers strategic flexibility, allowing players to wait until the most opportune moment, be it in response to an opponent’s action or at the end of their turn, to maximize the tactical advantage gained from its use.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To fully utilize Costly Plunder, players have to sacrifice a creature or an artifact, which might set them back if their board presence is already minimal.

Specific Mana Cost: Costly Plunder requires one black mana, which could restrict its inclusion in decks that are not aligned with black’s mana pool or strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For an instant that yields two cards, spending two mana can be pricey for the effect, particularly when alternative lower-cost spells could provide more flexibility and efficiency within a game.


Reasons to Include Costly Plunder in Your Collection

Versatility: Costly Plunder is a flexible addition to any deck craving instant-speed card draw. Its ability to sacrifice an artifact or creature caters to various strategies, from graveyard-based to artifact-centric builds.

Combo Potential: It can serve as an engine in your combo setup, turning expendable tokens or doomed creatures into new opportunities and digging deeper into your deck for essential pieces.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where board states can change rapidly, Costly Plunder shines in meta environments that pressure resources. It allows you to maintain card advantage while navigating through your opponents’ disruptions.


How to beat

Overcoming Costly Plunder in Magic: The Gathering requires understanding its core mechanism. This instant allows a player to sacrifice a creature or an artifact to draw two cards, which can be a tactical move during the late game phase to turn unnecessary permanents into new options. One effective strategy is to employ graveyard disruption. By using cards that exile or shuffle opponents’ graveyards, you reduce the value that Costly Plunder can yield from a sacrificed creature. Cards like Tormod’s Crypt create an environment where sacrificing a creature for Costly Plunder becomes less appealing.

Another tactic is to minimize the number of targets viable for sacrifice by employing removal spells or abilities before the player has an opportunity to cast Costly Plunder. Additionally, keeping pressure on your opponent’s resources and forcing them to commit artifacts and creatures to the board can also limit the effectiveness of their Costly Plunders. By anticipating and disrupting your opponent’s sacrifice opportunities, you diminish the impact of their Costly Plunder and retain command over the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring MTG card dynamics is a critical aspect of enhancing your gameplay. Costly Plunder offers a blend of advantages, such as card advantage, resource acceleration, and instant speed play, making it a potent addition to your arsenal. Despite the sacrifice required and mana specificity, the benefits it brings to the table often outweigh the costs. If you’re intrigued by the strategic depth this card introduces, we encourage you to dig deeper into its potential. Discover card combos, meta strategies, and alternative cards to refine your deck. Curious about integrating Costly Plunder into your strategy? Dive into our detailed insights to strengthen your MTG prowess.


Cards like Costly Plunder

Costly Plunder is a noteworthy spell in Magic: The Gathering for players looking to convert assets into new cards. It’s similar to Altar’s Reap, both of which allow you to sacrifice a creature or an artifact to draw two cards. Costly Plunder, however, distinctively does this at instant speed, providing flexibility during gameplay.

Village Rites is another card that finds common ground with Costly Plunder. It shares the same converted mana cost and the immediate card draw benefit, yet Costly Plunder has the added versatility of targeting artifacts in addition to creatures. This can be a crucial advantage in decks that harness a variety of noncreature artifacts.

Morbid Curiosity presents a parallel concept, permitting you to sacrifice an artifact or creature, but its effectiveness correlates with the converted mana cost of the sacrificed card. This can yield a more significant card advantage, yet it’s limited due to its higher mana requirement and sorcery speed.

By analyzing these alternative options, it becomes evident that Costly Plunder stands out for its instant speed execution and dual sacrifice targets, positioning it as a reliable and adaptable choice in a variety of MTG deck builds.

Altar's Reap - MTG Card versions
Village Rites - MTG Card versions
Morbid Curiosity - MTG Card versions
Altar's Reap - Innistrad (ISD)
Village Rites - Core Set 2021 (M21)
Morbid Curiosity - Kaladesh (KLD)

Cards similar to Costly Plunder by color, type and mana cost

Simulacrum - MTG Card versions
Word of Command - MTG Card versions
Terror - MTG Card versions
Transmutation - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Edict - MTG Card versions
Headstone - MTG Card versions
Soul Rend - MTG Card versions
Shallow Grave - MTG Card versions
Wicked Reward - MTG Card versions
Assassin's Blade - MTG Card versions
Urborg Justice - MTG Card versions
Imps' Taunt - MTG Card versions
Rapid Decay - MTG Card versions
Tainted Pact - MTG Card versions
Toxic Stench - MTG Card versions
Doom Blade - MTG Card versions
Go for the Throat - MTG Card versions
Cast Down - MTG Card versions
Smother - MTG Card versions
Hero's Demise - MTG Card versions
Simulacrum - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Word of Command - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Terror - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Transmutation - Legends (LEG)
Diabolic Edict - Masters 25 (A25)
Headstone - Homelands (HML)
Soul Rend - Mirage (MIR)
Shallow Grave - Mirage (MIR)
Wicked Reward - Visions (VIS)
Assassin's Blade - Portal (POR)
Urborg Justice - Weatherlight (WTH)
Imps' Taunt - Tempest (TMP)
Rapid Decay - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Tainted Pact - Odyssey (ODY)
Toxic Stench - Judgment (JUD)
Doom Blade - The List (PLST)
Go for the Throat - Friday Night Magic 2011 (F11)
Cast Down - Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate (CLB)
Smother - Worldwake (WWK)
Hero's Demise - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Costly Plunder MTG card by a specific set like Ixalan and Mystery Booster, 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 Costly Plunder and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Costly Plunder Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2017-09-29 and 2020-08-07. Illustrated by Ben Maier.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-09-29IxalanXLN 962015normalblackBen Maier
22019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 6022015normalblackBen Maier
32020-08-07Double Masters2XM 802015normalblackBen Maier
42020-09-26The ListPLST XLN-962015normalblackBen Maier

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Costly Plunder has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-08-07 You can't cast Costly Plunder without sacrificing a permanent, and you can't sacrifice additional permanents.
2020-08-07 You can't sacrifice an artifact to generate mana to pay towards Costly Plunder's cost and also to pay its additional cost.

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