Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest MTG Card


Boost your creatures with every sacrifice, turning any loss into a widespread advantage on the battlefield. Maximize graveyard strategies with Mazirek, converting sacrifices into a more formidable creature presence. Activate Mazirek’s passive ability at instant speed to strengthen your army unpredictably during opponents’ turns.
Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Insect Shaman
Abilities Flying
Power 2
Toughness 2

Text of card

Flying Whenever a player sacrifices another permanent, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.

The clicks and buzz of the undercity proclaim him the incarnation of decay.


Cards like Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest

Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest stands out in the Magic the Gathering universe with its unique ability to leverage sacrifices for power boosts. It holds parallels with cards such as Yahenni, Undying Partisan, that also grows stronger as you sacrifice other creatures. However, where Mazirek edges out, it’s in the universality of its ability – any player’s sacrifice triggers the effect, and all your creatures benefit.

A close relative to Mazirek is also Dictate of Erebos. This enchantment can force opponents to sacrifice creatures, synergizing well with Mazirek. However, it comes with a higher mana cost. Then, there’s Zulaport Cutthroat, another card that thrives on sacrifices. Yet, its effect is limited to life point manipulation, rather than the power/ toughness enhancement that Mazirek brings.

Overall, when it comes to sacrifice-based strategies in Magic the Gathering, Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest holds high value. The universal nature of its powering-up ability and the board-wide advantage it offers make it a fantastic choice for decks centered around sacrificial strategies.

Yahenni, Undying Partisan - MTG Card versions
Dictate of Erebos - MTG Card versions
Zulaport Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Yahenni, Undying Partisan - MTG Card versions
Dictate of Erebos - MTG Card versions
Zulaport Cutthroat - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest by color, type and mana cost

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Deathbloom Ritualist - MTG Card versions
Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper - MTG Card versions
Vulturous Zombie - MTG Card versions
Grave-Shell Scarab - MTG Card versions
Golgari Rotwurm - MTG Card versions
Nath of the Gilt-Leaf - MTG Card versions
Deity of Scars - MTG Card versions
Creakwood Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Sapling of Colfenor - MTG Card versions
Marrow Chomper - MTG Card versions
Lord of Extinction - MTG Card versions
Golgari Longlegs - MTG Card versions
Korozda Gorgon - MTG Card versions
Pharika's Mender - MTG Card versions
Kheru Dreadmaw - MTG Card versions
Brood Butcher - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest not only bolsters your army with its +1/+1 counters but its ability to put these counters on each creature you control every time a player sacrifices for any reason, can often result in a greater board presence. The more creatures you have, the greater the card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest can effectively utilize your graveyard resources. Each creature sacrificed improves the rest of your board, accelerating your resources and providing you more power on the field. Its ability makes good use of any sacrifice outlets or death triggers your deck may run, converting them into measurable advantages.

Instant Speed: While not having an explicit instant-speed ability, Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest’s passive effect does trigger at instant speed. This means you can effectively respond to your opponent’s actions during their turn, granting your creatures counters anytime permanents are sacrificed, from fetch land activation to instant spell effects.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Mazirek Kraul Death Priest does not include card discard as an additional cost. However, the activated abilities of this card requires sacrificing a creature. This may put you at a disadvantage if you’re short on resources or lack creatures on the battlefield to sacrifice.

Specific Mana Cost: Playing Mazirek Kraul Death Priest requires a specific mana color combination of black and green. This may limit its use to Golgari or other multicolor decks that contain these specific colors, thus restricting the card’s versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a casting cost of five mana, this card might hold your gameplay back in the early stages. There are other lower cost alternatives in MTG that may provide faster creature boost or generate resources more efficiently.


Reasons to Include Mazirek Kraul Death Priest in Your Collection

Versatility: The strength of Mazirek Kraul Death Priest lies in its diverse applications. This powerful commander makes for a worthy addition to decks where sacrifice is a common occurrence, especially in Golgari, Abzan, or Jund decks. The ability to bolster your creatures whenever you or a teammate sacrifices a permanent makes it a force to be reckoned with.

Combo Potential: Mazirek emerges as the ideal candidate for decks focusing on combo potential. It works excellently with cards like “Dictate of Erebos” and “Smothering Abomination”, helping complete a mechanism where every sacrifice results in multiple advantages.

Meta-Relevance: The current metagame appreciates Mazirek, especially in commander formats due to its prolific in-strategy advantages. Enabling mass increase in power and toughness amongst your creature base following any sacrifices instils a strategically dominating presence on the battlefield, and puts your opponent on the back foot.


How to beat

Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest is a compelling green-black creature card in Magic: The Gathering with a potent ability – it can put a +1/+1 counter on all creatures you control whenever a player sacrifices a permanent. A solid response to this card, mitigating its effectiveness, might include cards that can restrict or negate sacrificing mechanics.

One counter could be Angel of Jubilation, which outright prevents players from sacrificing creatures. Another possible strategy involves utilizing the card called Torpor Orb. This card prevents abilities from triggering when creatures enter the battlefield, nullifying Mazirek’s counter boost. You could also leverage cards with exile effects, like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, to directly rid of Mazirek, bypassing his sacrificial benefits.

Successfully countering Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest is about preventing his ability from triggering or removing him from the battlefield before he can do too much damage. In analyzing potential responses, it’s clear that MTG presents many card interactions and strategies that can effectively counter powerful cards like Mazirek.


BurnMana Recommendations

Delving into the strategic depths of MTG leads us to recognize Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest as a potent piece in sacrifice-centric decks. Its unique ability to amplify your creatures’ power through sacrifices presents an undeniably escalating advantage as the game progresses. As you finesse your deck, incorporating elements that exploit sacrificing and death triggers can take your strategy from robust to formidable. If you’re steering towards a commanding gameplay that consistently turns the tides in your favor, Mazirek is a prime candidate. For more insights on harnessing its power and integrating it into your winning formula, journey with us for deeper analysis and tips.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2015 and Legendary Cube Prize Pack, 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 Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2015-11-13 and 2020-08-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12015-11-13Commander 2015C15 482015NormalBlackMathias Kollros
22015-11-18Legendary Cube Prize PackPZ1 1122015NormalBlackMathias Kollros
32017-06-09Commander AnthologyCMA 1852015NormalBlackMathias Kollros
42019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 14182015NormalBorderlessWooden Cyclops
52020-08-07Double Masters2XM 2092015NormalBlackMathias Kollros

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2020-08-07 A legendary permanent that is put into a graveyard because of the “legend rule” isn't sacrificed.
2020-08-07 If you sacrifice Mazirek and other permanents at the same time, Mazirek's last ability triggers for the other permanents.
2020-08-07 If you sacrifice a permanent as part of casting a spell or activating an ability, Mazirek's last ability will resolve before that spell or ability.
2020-08-07 Mazirek's last ability is a triggered ability, not an activated ability. It doesn't allow you to sacrifice a permanent whenever you want; rather, you need some other way of sacrificing permanents.