Necromancy MTG Card


Necromancy provides card advantage by reanimating creatures without depleting your hand, enhancing your battlefield presence. Graveyards serve as a resource, enabling swift force amplification with Necromancy’s potential to resurrect at instant speed. Despite its strengths, Necromancy’s mandatory discard and specific mana requirements can limit its use in some MTG decks.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment

Text of card

You may choose to play Necromancy as an instant; if you do, bury it at end of turn. When you play Necromancy, choose target creature card in any graveyard. When Necromancy comes into play, put that creature into play as though it were just played and Necromancy becomes a creature enchantment that targets the creature. If Necromancy leaves play, bury the creature.


Cards like Necromancy

Within the realm of resurrection spells in Magic: The Gathering, Necromancy holds a unique position. Its competitors are spells like Animate Dead and Reanimate, both of which allow the player to revive a creature from the graveyard. However, Necromancy stands out with its dual mode playability; it can be played either as an instant or as an enchantment.

Animate Dead, while cheaper, only serves as an enchantment and doesn’t provide the flexibility given by Necromancy. Moreover, it imposes a -1/-0 penalty to the resurrected creature, potentially reducing its effectiveness. On the other hand, Reanimate may seem attractive due to its low mana cost, but the life payment it demands based on the creature’s converted mana cost could prove detrimental.

Another direct comparison can be made with Zombify which follows a straightforward approach with no life payments or penalties but is limited by its use at a higher mana cost and a sorcery speed. This makes Zombify inferior in situations where the pace and choices of gameplay deliver significant advantages like with Necromancy.

In conclusion, when evaluating resurrecting mechanisms, Necromancy holds its own among reanimation spells in MTG with its flexible utilization and strategic advantages.

Animate Dead - MTG Card versions
Reanimate - MTG Card versions
Zombify - MTG Card versions
Animate Dead - MTG Card versions
Reanimate - MTG Card versions
Zombify - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

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

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
DoomsdayDoomsday LegacyAd Nauseam TendrilsCharlotte Legacy League Season 2 Week 3
Five-color ComboFive-color Combo LegacyPainterCharlotte Legacy League Season 2 Week 1
Four-color ReanimatorFour-color Reanimator LegacyNic FitCharlotte Legacy League Season 1 Week 6
Esper ComboEsper Combo LegacyWorldgorger Dragon ComboCharlotte Legacy League Season 1 Week 3
Dimir ReanimatorDimir Reanimator LegacyReanimator2023 Asia Legacy Championship

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With necromancy MTG, you have the benefit of pulling creatures directly from graveyards to the battlefield. This means gaining the edge of additional firepower, without losing card quantity in hand.

Resource Acceleration: Necromancy can be applied at an accelerated rate due to the fuel source – graveyard, which is an easily accessible resource pool. This allows you to ramp up your forces swiftly on the battlefield.

Instant Speed: While being an enchantment, necromancy also doubles up to allow play at instant speed under specific conditions. This means elements of surprise during your opponent’s turn, leading to tactical advantages.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Necromancy requires you to discard a card from your hand, which might end up leaving you resource-dry, particularly if you’re low on cards during the late game.

Specific Mana Cost: As a typical characteristic of necromancy-themed cards, there is a strict mana cost frequently involving black mana. This potentially restricts the card’s playability to only black or multi-colored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a comparative cost leaning towards the higher end, it might become challenging to use necromancy cards effectively. There are certainly other card options that could potentially deliver the same impact with less mana.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Necromancy, a darkly captivating allure in the universe of Magic the Gathering allows for remarkable adaptability. Its unique ability to conjure creatures from any graveyard makes it a useful tool across various deck types, thus enhancing your tactical finesse.

Combo Potential: Necromancy’s potential for combos is exceptional. This enchantment synergizes well with cards that benefit from creatures entering or leaving the battlefield, adding a dynamic layer of strategy to your gameplay.

Meta-Relevance: Given the current metagame tendency towards graveyard interactions and resurrection mechanics, Necromancy can potentially provide a powerful strategic advantage, making it worth more than a passing consideration for your deck.


How to beat

Necromancy’s alluring power lies in its ability to bring any creature from any graveyard back into the game under your control in MTG. It’s similar to other reanimation spells, yet stands out with specific nuances. Understanding these will aid in strategizing against this potent enchantment.

Dispel and Negate, blue instants, are ideal as counters. Negate blocks any non-creature spell, while Dispel interrupts instants. Necromancy, a non-creature enchantment spell with a casting capacity at instant speed, falls into their domain. These counterspells are mana-efficient, actually undercutting Necromancy’s cost and tilting the table in your favor.

It’s also advisable to keep graveyards clear with graveyard hate cards such as Tormod’s Crypt and Scavenging Ooze. Removal spells like Path to Exile or Unmake can directly eliminate the reanimated threats.

Necromancy displays immense power, yet is not entirely unbeatable. Analyzing key elements and implementing an effective plan can turn the tide in your favor, demonstrating how MTG rewards deep strategy and foresight over brute strength.


BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring the depths of necromancy in MTG offers a thrilling layer of complexity to your gameplay. From reanimating formidable creatures to employing strategic surprise elements, mastering these dark arts can significantly enhance your deck’s performance. Whether you’re accelerating your resources, leveraging card advantages, or aiming to outmaneuver opponents with instant-speed plays, necromancy spells provide a rich arsenal. If you’re intrigued by the potential for game-changing combo plays and the adaptability these cards bring, or if you’re simply wanting to update your collection with meta-relevant spells, it’s worth delving deeper. For those looking to harness the power of the graveyard, we invite you to learn more and discover strategies to maximize your dominance on the battlefield with necromancy.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Necromancy MTG card by a specific set like Visions and The List, 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 Necromancy and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Necromancy Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1997-02-03 and 2024-02-09. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11997-02-03VisionsVIS 641997NormalBlackPete Venters
22020-09-26The ListPLST VIS-641997NormalBlackPete Venters
32024-02-09Murders at Karlov Manor CommanderMKC 1312015NormalBlackBastien L. Deharme

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Necromancy has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2004-10-04 The bringing of the creature onto the battlefield and then putting Necromancy on it is all done as part of the resolution.
2004-10-04 When putting a card onto the battlefield that requires a definition for its value or some other choice, you do what is needed to define the value or make the choice.
2005-08-01 Necromancy enters the battlefield as an enchantment and then becomes an Enchant Creature Aura as a triggered ability upon entering the battlefield. It follows all the rules for Auras from then on.
2008-04-01 If the creature card put onto the battlefield has protection from black (or anything that prevents this from legally being attached), this won’t be able to attach to it. Then this will go to the graveyard as a state-based action, causing the creature to be sacrificed.
2009-10-01 The sacrifice occurs only if you cast it using its own ability. If you cast it using some other effect (for instance, if it gained flash from Vedalken Orrery), then it won’t be sacrificed.
Flash card art

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.