Cemetery Tampering MTG Card


Enhances deck consistency via ongoing card selection and graveyard stockpiling for resource acceleration. Instant speed disrupts opponents, but requires sacrificing hand size and specific mana investment. Strategically strong in certain decks and meta environments, with unique combo and versatility potential.
Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment
Abilities Hideaway,Mill

Text of card

Hideaway 5 (When this enchantment enters the battlefield, look at the top five cards of your library, exile one face down, then put the rest on the bottom in a random order.) At the beginning of your upkeep, you may mill three cards. Then if there are twenty or more cards in your graveyard, you may play the exiled card without paying its mana cost.


Cards like Cemetery Tampering

Cemetery Tampering is a unique graveyard manipulation card in Magic the Gathering, offering players a way to meddle with their own graveyard. It’s reminiscent of cards like Death’s Oasis that also support graveyard strategies but differ in approach. Cemetery Tampering focuses on milling each upkeep, a steady effect you can build upon, whereas Death’s Oasis requires creatures to be put into your graveyard to trigger its effect, offering immediate but conditional gains.

Delving deeper, we find Morality Shift, another card that interacts with graveyards in a sweeping fashion. While Cemetery Tampering methodically adjusts the composition of your graveyard, Morality Shift exchanges your library with your graveyard in a dramatic twist that can completely overturn the game’s state. The subtle consistency of Cemetery Tampering is a stark contrast to Morality Shift’s potential for a game-ending combo.

Ultimately, Cemetery Tampering might not boast the same dramatic impact as some alternatives but offers MTG players who enjoy incremental advantages and setting up long-term payoffs a tool that operates under the radar and can synergize with various deck strategies focused on incremental graveyard growth.

Death's Oasis - MTG Card versions
Morality Shift - MTG Card versions
Death's Oasis - MTG Card versions
Morality Shift - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Cemetery Tampering 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
Gravestorm - MTG Card versions
Mortiphobia - MTG Card versions
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
Gravestorm - MTG Card versions
Mortiphobia - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Cemetery Tampering. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Five-color ReanimatorFive-color Reanimator Standard5c Self-MillBOP! Standard Open

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cemetery Tampering has an ability that can potentially provide you with ongoing card selection, allowing you to sift through your deck each turn. This consistent filtering enhances your chance of drawing into the spells you need, effectively translating into card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: By stocking your graveyard with land cards, Cemetery Tampering facilitates resource acceleration for strategies that capitalize on the graveyard. This synergistic interaction can power up spells or abilities that are boosted by the number of land cards in your graveyard, setting the stage for more significant plays.

Instant Speed: The ability to disrupt opponent’s graveyard at instant speed can be a timely answer to graveyard-based strategies. This preemptive disruption can hinder your opponent’s plans, giving you an important strategic edge in matches where the graveyard is a key resource.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Cemetery Tampering necessitates pitching another card from your hand, potentially leaving you with fewer options and a smaller hand size which is not always ideal in the texture of a game where resources can be paramount.

Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost for Cemetery Tampering is committed to black mana sources. This can be restrictive for multicolored decks or those that do not prioritize black mana in their builds, thereby limiting its inclusivity across various deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Cemetery Tampering presents an interesting graveyard-based strategy, its requirement of three mana, with two of them being black, is relatively steep. It competes with other crucial spells and effects at this range which can sometimes offer either immediate impact or more versatile tactical advantages.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Cemetery Tampering offers unique gameplay options, as it can modify a player’s graveyard in various ways. This makes it a versatile pick for different strategies, particularly those that can leverage graveyard interactions for an advantage.

Combo Potential: With the ability to manage your graveyard and mess with your opponent’s strategy, Cemetery Tampering opens up for combo synergies with cards that benefit from creatures in the graveyard or those that capitalize on graveyard disruption.

Meta-Relevance: It shines in metas that are heavy with graveyard-based strategies. Its capacity to impact both players’ graveyards makes it a strategic choice for staying ahead of the curve in the current game dynamics.


How to beat

Cemetery Tampering can often feel overwhelming in Magic: The Gathering. It’s a powerful card used to manipulate graveyards, slowly ticking away at an opponent’s life total. A consistent counter to Cemetery Tampering is maintaining graveyard hate cards in your deck. Cards like Tormod’s Crypt can exile a graveyard in response, rendering Cemetery Tampering ineffective. Leyline of the Void is another strong choice, as it prevents cards from landing in the graveyard from the get-go, nullifying Cemetery Tampering’s milling strategy before it can even begin.

Alternatively, aggressive or combo decks can outpace Cemetery Tampering’s effect by focusing on quick wins or assembling game-ending combinations before its impact is fully felt. Prioritizing cards that offer immediate board presence or direct damage can shift the game’s dynamic away from the graveyard-centric approach that Cemetery Tampering requires. In essence, a strategic blend of prevention and pace is key to outmaneuvering this daunting card. So whether it’s through clever deck-building or swift in-game decisions, there are effective methods to suppress and ultimately triumph over the challenges posed by Cemetery Tampering.


BurnMana Recommendations

If you’ve been enticed by the strategic depth Cemetery Tampering offers, you’re on the right path to enhancing your MTG deck. Its ability to sift and churn through your graveyard allows for a more refined control over your resources, potentially tipping the scales in your favor. Moreover, this card proves invaluable in metas with a heavy focus on graveyard play. However, every power card like Cemetery Tampering has its counters. Preparedness against graveyard disruption, and knowing when to press for an aggressive playstyle, can mitigate its impact. For those fond of resource manipulation and subtle strategic play, integrating Cemetery Tampering can be quite rewarding. To fully leverage its potential and explore strategies that can help you stay one step ahead of the competition, visit us to elevate your deck-building skills and gameplay proficiency.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cemetery Tampering MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Streets of New Capenna Promos, 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 Cemetery Tampering and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Cemetery Tampering Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2022-04-29 and 2022-04-29. Illustrated by Taras Susak.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 997752015NormalBlackTaras Susak
22022-04-29Streets of New Capenna PromosPSNC 69s2015NormalBlackTaras Susak
32022-04-29Streets of New CapennaSNC 4182015NormalBlackTaras Susak
42022-04-29Streets of New Capenna PromosPSNC 69p2015NormalBlackTaras Susak
52022-04-29Streets of New CapennaSNC 692015NormalBlackTaras Susak

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cemetery Tampering has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2022-04-29 Any player who has controlled a permanent with a hideaway ability since a card was exiled with it may look at that card.
2022-04-29 Hideaway now causes you to put the rest of the cards on the bottom of your library in a random order instead of any order.
2022-04-29 Previously, permanents with hideaway entered the battlefield tapped. This ability has been removed from the definition of hideaway. Older cards have received errata to have an additional paragraph that reads “
-his permanent] enters the battlefield tapped,” and they now have hideaway 4.
2022-04-29 “Hideaway N” means “When this permanent enters the battlefield, look at the top N cards of your library. Exile one of them face down and put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order. The exiled card gains ‘The player who controls the permanent that exiled this card may look at this card in the exile zone.'”