This looks really good. "In response to your Doom Blade..."
HuntingDrake
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(8 votes)
Yup, back when combat damage went on the stack, Skulltap would've been unfair at instant speed. Now under M10 rules, it's OK. Though really, Perilous Research had already been there.
Lyoncet
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(3 votes)
Your stuff is going to die, period. May as well get card advantage out of your opponent's Doom Blade. Being an instant absolutely makes this card.
Superllama12
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
WANT!!!!! For everyone who thinks this just recycles two cards, think about the color and what you can do with it (i.e. Grave Pact)
puresightmerrow
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
looks good. I like the sorcery speed scarscale ritual a bit better but this works great with the new morbid ability
Hayw00d0909
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Wow, what a great common!
If a creature you control is about to die, or if you are benefiting from sacrifice mechanics (Thraximundar,Grave Pact,Mortician Beetle etc.), this is an amazing two for one. Ranks up there with Sign in Blood.
C5r1a5z0y
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Definitely the type of card draw that black should have. Power, with an appropriate sacrifice.
Eternal_Blue
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
i was about to complain about this being another Skulltap, but changing 'sorcery' to 'instant' is really a big advantage--in much the same way it has an advantage over Scarscale Ritual as well. it may see play in pauper; we'll have to wait and see.
krauser-gogetthegirl
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
i was sad sign in blood was rolling out till i saw this in the spoiler list. i need my mono black draw.
BastianQoU
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(4 votes)
Unless you're running dual colors, this isn't responding to a Doom Blade. Just saying. Still, great way to salvage your creatures' deaths and to fill up your hand. Beautiful card, all told.
candyapplecorn
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
This can work with Zombie Infestation to get cards into your GY. Also, you could activate Zombie Infestation's ability, chump block with your token, and then play Altar's Reap on the stack. If the cards you discarded for Zombie Infestation had flashback then that'd be some card advantage! Two in the grave and two fresh ones in your hand!
majinara
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(11 votes)
I don't like it. If you have a deck that is about killing your own creatures for some effect (gravepact or mindslicer) it's ok, but there are mor powerful options (ie sadistic hypnotist).
But in a deck that is not totally centered around such abilities, this card blows. It's not even card advantage. You spend two cards (this one + the creature) to draw two cards. And imagine an opponent having killed your creatures and you hope to draw more, and you just keep drawing these cards and can't play them because you got no creatures... Ugh...
Barely playable in limited and horrible in constructed. 1
ballerstatus
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
It's more splashy than sign in blood, and the drawback opens up tons of build-around options. But it's a strong card with or without support. And the flavor text is perfect, especially considering its 2cmc.
PastProphet
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This is so good, particularly in limited - whoever says otherwise doesn't understand Morbid ! Also, one of a few good sac outlets for Traitorous Blood. or, a bit unlikely, but you could Altar sac a creature and then Corpse Lunge - both at instant speed - to kill off something if you need to.
Mode
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
Instant speed Skull Tap? Awesome!
Let's me sacrifice my chump blocker for card advantage (that would have died and couldn't have killed the blocked creature anyways), and can also be cast as a response to removal. And it goes great with the Morbid theme.
Then don't use it in that situation. It's getting tiresome to see people complaining that cards are horrible unless put into a certain context. THAT'S THE POINT OF THE CARD. It's meant to be used in that way. Stop whining that Tezzeret sucks unless you're running artifacts, that Goblin Piledriver only works if you're running goblins, and that Emrakul is terrible because you have to cheat it into play to ever have a chance of using it.
Seriously. Think of benefits, not detriments. That is how cards are measured.
nope.avi
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I like sign in blood better even through this is an instant, and is more splashy it sets you back aggro wise
Skollar
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The Living Weapons say hello.
Anathame
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Solid.
Leshrac_Nightwalker
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@HuntingDrake: Yep, perfect evaluation, I'd say! Perilous Research is probably better for a few reasons (draw, THEN choose your sacrifice; wider choice of sac fuel), but then again it is blue. Blue's card draw spells should be better than black's.
Does it really count as card advantage? It seems like you trade two cards (your creature plus Altar's Reap itself) for two new ones, a net of zero for you. I guess it's situation dependent; as a response to Terminate, say, you're turning your opponent's removal from a 1-for-1 to a 1-for-0, which probably counts. With Mode's chump blocking scenario, you were going to lose the creature anyway, so that seems like a wash - certainly much better than nothing, but not true card advantage (since your opponent presumably hasn't lost anything either).
Of course, all that is assuming that you've got nothing synergistic - there are lots of builds, I'm sure, that give you even more bang for your . On top of that, the flavour text is just amazing! Very cool card. =)
MyrBattlecube
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Why is my Sad Robot sad? Because he knows this is coming for him.
Salient
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Perfect common, fun to snag while drafting, and now there's eight sacrifice-creature-draw-two spells, enabling all sorts of sac-themed casual decks. Solid non-tournament card. I'll put a couple in my Unearth-theme deck.
SkaerKrow
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Innistrad, where I want creatures in my graveyard. Magic the Gathering, where I want cards in my hand. Hello best of both worlds, now with screw-your-removal functionality.
DacenOctavio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Even if you sacrifice a creature that didn't have a removal spell hovering over it, you still make card parity trading this and the creature. If you do sac a creature that was already about to eat an Incinerate or a Dismember, you break card parity. Sticking this on an Isochron Scepter vould be hilarious with Reassembling Skeleton. Or Soul Foundry imprinting Abyssal Gatekeeper.
Yozuk
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I play legacy and EDH mostly. So Yes! I would like to sacrifice my creature to deal 2 damage to you, cause you to sacrifice a creature, while I draw 2 cards, gain a life and put a 1/1 saporling token into play.
igniteice
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A highly versatile card. Turn your soon-to-be removed creatures into draw power, ditch a creature that's about to be taken control of, sacrifice a token (this runs great with Bloodline Keeper). I tend to use it on creatures that I don't necessarily need anymore as well (like Gatekeeper of Malakir after he's served his purpose).
angelheartvial
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
HOLY SH**! SOMEONE'S LAYING ON THE ALTAR!
Sour_Diesel
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Combos with Undying in block.
SgtSwaggr
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Undying, anyone?
skorpionrazor
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Why is this rated so high and Dredge so low? I mean, i like both cards. Obviously i prefer this when i have more mana to spend, but i like the other too specially blocking with Reassembling Skeleton
TheAdversary
★★☆☆☆ (2.7/5.0)(3 votes)
@majinara, play this card in block, and I think you'll change your mind. Use it to sacrifice Doomed Traveler, putting a Spirit token in play and a +1/+1 counter on Village Cannibals, then draw 2 cards. That's not card disadvantage. You're just using it wrong.
good.beats.for.all
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Their is creatures that you want to have in the graveyard. Works well with persist and Undying and is instant draw.
Dustsomeday
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
This is why we love black. Pay for spells with alternative resources like creatures and life while your opponent is waiting for his lands to show up. Splashable, instant speed card advantage that screws over your opponent's removal and synergizes with morbid. 4/5
j_mindfingerpainter
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(4 votes)
Young Wolf says he doesn't like being sacrificed and you people should stop it.
NickDay
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Whenever I try to search for this card, it brings me to Altar's Light.
Anyway, I like sacrificing my Mortis Dogs after they attack.
@Mode: There was a fairly long period of time, between I believe 6th edition rules and a few years ago, when you could put damage on the stack, and then play instants and abilities before the damage resolved. Those days are over!
Nowadays, you declare blockers, and then both players have a change to play spells and abilities. Once everyone is finished doing this, we move onto the combat damage phase, and only then do creatures even start thinking about dealing damage to each other. If you sacrificed your creature after declaring it as a blocker, then it never gets an opportunity to deal damage, I'm afraid!
Now if your creature has First Strike and also a sac ability, you can have it deal its first strike damage and then sac it in the window of opportunity both players have to play spells and effects before normal combat damage.
Jedibryan
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
If I use this card on a creature with dredge like stinkweed Imp can I then use its dredge ability for the first card draw?
I know it's not an amazing combo, but if you're playing a discard deck and you haven't got your hands on any Ravenous Rats, use Black Cat for the sac and you draw two and your opponent will have to discard at random. Fun for casual play.
Comments (47)
Though really, Perilous Research had already been there.
If a creature you control is about to die, or if you are benefiting from sacrifice mechanics (Thraximundar,Grave Pact,Mortician Beetle etc.), this is an amazing two for one. Ranks up there with Sign in Blood.
If you have a deck that is about killing your own creatures for some effect (gravepact or mindslicer) it's ok, but there are mor powerful options (ie sadistic hypnotist).
But in a deck that is not totally centered around such abilities, this card blows. It's not even card advantage. You spend two cards (this one + the creature) to draw two cards. And imagine an opponent having killed your creatures and you hope to draw more, and you just keep drawing these cards and can't play them because you got no creatures... Ugh...
Barely playable in limited and horrible in constructed. 1
Also, one of a few good sac outlets for Traitorous Blood.
or, a bit unlikely, but you could Altar sac a creature and then Corpse Lunge - both at instant speed - to kill off something if you need to.
Let's me sacrifice my chump blocker for card advantage (that would have died and couldn't have killed the blocked creature anyways), and can also be cast as a response to removal.
And it goes great with the Morbid theme.
Suck on that, Vivisection!
And you thought that doom blade was going to maintain card advantage.
BTW: Reassembling Skeleton has just become the MVP for Standard...
Then don't use it in that situation. It's getting tiresome to see people complaining that cards are horrible unless put into a certain context. THAT'S THE POINT OF THE CARD. It's meant to be used in that way. Stop whining that Tezzeret sucks unless you're running artifacts, that Goblin Piledriver only works if you're running goblins, and that Emrakul is terrible because you have to cheat it into play to ever have a chance of using it.
Seriously. Think of benefits, not detriments. That is how cards are measured.
Does it really count as card advantage? It seems like you trade two cards (your creature plus Altar's Reap itself) for two new ones, a net of zero for you. I guess it's situation dependent; as a response to Terminate, say, you're turning your opponent's removal from a 1-for-1 to a 1-for-0, which probably counts. With Mode's chump blocking scenario, you were going to lose the creature anyway, so that seems like a wash - certainly much better than nothing, but not true card advantage (since your opponent presumably hasn't lost anything either).
Of course, all that is assuming that you've got nothing synergistic - there are lots of builds, I'm sure, that give you even more bang for your
Anyway, I like sacrificing my Mortis Dogs after they attack.
Nowadays, you declare blockers, and then both players have a change to play spells and abilities. Once everyone is finished doing this, we move onto the combat damage phase, and only then do creatures even start thinking about dealing damage to each other. If you sacrificed your creature after declaring it as a blocker, then it never gets an opportunity to deal damage, I'm afraid!
Now if your creature has First Strike and also a sac ability, you can have it deal its first strike damage and then sac it in the window of opportunity both players have to play spells and effects before normal combat damage.