Altar of Bone

Sorcery

As an additional cost to play Altar of Bone, sacrifice a creature.

Search your library for a creature card, reveal that card, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Big Apple Highlander	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Freeform	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (50)

JaysinDub on Kudero Bear Boy

2 months ago

Protection Steely Resolve Asceticism Privileged Position Shield of the Oversoul Additional +1/+1 counters Branching Evolution Bioengineered Future Conclave Mentor More Tokens (anything with populate) Growing Ranks Ayula's Influence Card Draw Shamanic Revelation Symmetry Matrix Old Stuff Meekstone HumilityGC Hunting Grounds Natural Affinity Glare of Subdual Tutor Altar of Bone Eladamri's Call Color Hate for our playgroup Reclamation Anthem/Lord effects Anthem of Champions Interaction Generous Gift

trippy_mcfly on Cumly Cube

3 months ago

Introducing Cumly Cube 1.3! Two years ago, Cumly Cube was updated to Cumly Cube 1.2, creating a balanced cube and wonderful play experience for all involved. Despite these changes, there remained some minor flaws in the card pool. I am now pleased to announce that, after extensive research and design, Cumly Cube has reached a final form. No card is too powerful. No card is too weak. Synergy is abundant. Both the draft and play experiences are dynamic, exciting, and new. There will be no more major updates to Cumly Cube 1.

120 cards have been removed, and 120 cards have been added. Here are the changes, provided with brief justifications:

REMOVED:

ARTIFACT

1. Everflowing Chalice: mana rocks should cost 3 or have a drawback
2. Glass of the Guildpact: too weak
3. Heraldic Banner: encouraged mono-colored decks
4. Illuminated Folio: too weak
5. Jayemdae Tome: too weak
6. Loreseeker's Stone: too weak
7. Mind Stone: mana rocks should cost 3 or have a drawback
8. Null Rod: too much of a hate card
9. Pithing Needle: too powerful with Urza's Saga
10. Pyromancer's Goggles: too narrow
11. Retrofitter Foundry: too powerful with Urza's Saga

CREATURE

1. Bomat Courier: too powerful against slow starts
2. Deathpact Angel: creates a Cleric token, not a supported creature type
3. Dimir Cutpurse: too powerful
4. Elves of Deep Shadow: too obvious of a choice as a cumly
5. Golos, Tireless Pilgrim: too powerful
6. Hostage Taker: too powerful
7. Kalamax, the Stormsire: too powerful
8. Loyal Retainers: too obvious of a choice as a cumly
9. Monastery Mentor: too powerful
10. Moonveil Dragon: pumping the team makes for anticlimactic endings
11. Murktide Regent: we’ve seen enough of this card already in other formats
12. Ornithopter of Paradise: too obvious of a choice as a cumly
13. Phantom Tiger: too weak
14. Risen Reef: too powerful
15. Shadrix Silverquill: creates Inkling tokens, not a supported creature type
16. Tatyova, Benthic Druid: too powerful
17. Thraben Inspector: we’ve seen enough of this card already in other formats
18. Toxrill, the Corrosive: creates Slug tokens, not a supported creature type

ENCHANTMENT

1. Alpha Authority: hexproof makes for less interesting games
2. Favorable Winds: too weak
3. Offspring's Revenge: too narrow
4. Pernicious Deed: too powerful of a board wipe
5. Rally the Ranks: too weak
6. Song of Freyalise: too typical a card for green

LAND (types are grouped together in this list)

1. Tolarian Academy: too powerful
2. Arid Mesa: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
3. Bloodstained Mire: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
4. Flooded Strand: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
5. Marsh Flats: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
6. Misty Rainforest: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
7. Polluted Delta: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
8. Scalding Tarn: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
9. Verdant Catacombs: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
10. Windswept Heath: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
11. Wooded Foothills: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
12. Badlands: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
13. Bayou: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
14. Plateau: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
15. Savannah: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
16. Scrubland: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
17. Taiga: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
18. Tropical Island: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
19. Tundra: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
20. Underground Sea: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
21. Volcanic Island: mana-fixing should not be so easy in Cumly Cube
22. Hissing Quagmire: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
23. Lavaclaw Reaches: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
24. Lumbering Falls: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
25. Shambling Vent: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
26. Needle Spires: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
27. Raging Ravine: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
28. Stirring Wildwood: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting
29. Wandering Fumarole: creature lands are too versatile and discourage disciplined drafting

INSTANT

1. Abnormal Endurance: too typical a card for black
2. Aerial Predation: too narrow
3. Alchemist's Gift: too weak
4. Arbor Armament: too weak
5. Autumn's Veil: too narrow
6. Betrayal of Flesh: too weak
7. Bladebrand: too typical a card for black
8. Brainstorm: we’ve seen enough of this card already in other formats
9. Cathartic Pyre: too much utility for an instant
10. Comet Storm: one-sided board wipes need to be focused on creature type
11. Consider: too typical a card for blue
12. Crippling Chill: too typical a card for blue
13. Crush: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
14. Dawn Charm: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
15. Dive Down: hexproof makes for less interesting games
16. Divine Offering: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
17. Dragon's Fire: too typical a card for red
18. Electrify: too typical a card for red
19. Fell the Pheasant: too narrow
20. Gainsay: too narrow
21. Gut Shot: too weak
22. Heroic Intervention: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
23. Hold the Line: too narrow
24. Into the Core: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
25. Lash of Thorns: too weak
26. Make Your Mark: too weak
27. Opt: too typical a card for blue
28. Overload: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
29. Pitfall Trap: too narrow
30. Repulse: too typical a card for blue
31. Scrap: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
32. Seedtime: too narrow
33. Shatter: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
34. Smash: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
35. Smashing Success: spot artifact removal is not to be part of Cumly Cube
36. Smite: too narrow
37. Turn to Frog: turns a creature into a Frog, not a supported creature type
38. Unsummon: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better

SORCERY

1. Blasphemous Act: too typical a card for red
2. Chart a Course: too much utility
3. Cleansing Wildfire: too much utility
4. Cultivate: too typical a card for green
5. Disentomb: too typical a card for black
6. From the Ashes: too narrow
7. Funeral Rites: too much utility
8. Gitaxian Probe: too typical a card for blue
9. Necromantic Summons: too typical a card for black
10. Nighthaze: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
11. Persist: too typical a card for black
12. Pirate's Prize: too much utility
13. Ponder: too much utility
14. Reanimate: too typical a card for black
15. Recover: other cards in Cumly Cube fill this role better
16. Serum Visions: too typical a card for blue
17. Spitting Earth: too typical a card for red
18. Thoughtcast: too typical a card for blue

ADDED:

ARTIFACT

1. Coat of Arms: encourages building around creature types
2. Patchwork Banner: encourages building around creature types

CREATURE

1. Arahbo, the First Fang: supports the Avatar and Cat creature types
2. Avatar of the Resolute: supports the Avatar creature type
3. Autonomous Assembler: supports the Assembly-worker creature type
4. Bag End Porter: supports the Dwarf creature type
5. Breya, Etherium Shaper: supports the Human and Thopter creature types
6. Captain Storm, Cosmium Raider: supports the Human and Pirate creature types
7. Captivating Unicorn: supports the Unicorn creature type and supports enchantment decks
8. Centaur Battlemaster: supports the Centaur creature type and functions as a strong payoff for prowess decks
9. Chronicler of Heroes: supports the Centaur creature type
10. Conclave Cavalier: supports the Centaur and Elf creature types
11. Conclave Mentor: supports the Centaur creature type
12. Crosis, the Purger: supports the Dragon creature type
13. Fear of Exposure: supports the Nightmare creature type and supports enchantment decks
14. Ghostly Changeling: supports all creature synergy decks
15. Gimli of the Glittering Caves: supports the Dwarf creature type
16. Glissa Sunseeker: supports the Elf creature type
17. Graveshifter: supports all creature synergy decks
18. Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea: supports the Elf creature type
19. Haunt of the Dead Marshes: supports the Elf and Nightmare creature types
20. He Who Hungers: supports the Spirit creature type
21. Heedless One: supports the Avatar and Elf creature types
22. Jungle Creeper: supports the Elemental creature type
23. Jungle Delver: supports the Merfolk creature type
24. Kataki, War's Wage: supports the Spirit creature type and functions as artifact hate
25. Keiga, the Tide Star: supports the Dragon and Spirit creature types
26. Kiora's Follower: supports the Merfolk creature type
27. Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca: supports the Merfolk creature type
28. Lagonna-Band Trailblazer: supports the Centaur creature type
29. Marwyn, the Nurturer: supports the Elf creature type
30. Master Skald: supports the Dwarf creature type
31. Mine Layer: supports the Dwarf creature type
32. Neighborhood Guardian: supports the Unicorn creature type
33. Promised Kannushi: supports the Human and Spirit creature types
34. Realmwalker: supports all creature synergy decks
35. Reveka, Wizard Savant: supports the Dwarf creature type
36. Seraphic Steed: supports the Angel and Unicorn creature types
37. Soul of Zendikar: supports the Avatar and Beast creature types
38. Steadfast Unicorn: supports the Unicorn creature type
39. Stingmoggie: supports the Elemental creature type and functions as artifact hate
40. Sygg, River Cutthroat: supports the Merfolk creature type
41. Vineshaper Mystic: supports the Merfolk creature type
42. Wistful Selkie: supports the Merfolk creature type
43. Yargle and Multani: supports the Elemental and Spirit creature types
44. Zacama, Primal Calamity: supports the Dinosaur creature type

ENCHANTMENT

1. Aura of Silence: functions as artifact and enchantment hate
2. Aura ShardsGC: functions as artifact and enchantment hate
3. Blessed Sanctuary: supports the Unicorn creature type
4. Corrosion: functions as artifact hate
5. Embargo: interesting prison piece for stasis decks
6. Font of Fortunes: card advantage at a fair price for Cumly Cube
7. Gate to Phyrexia: functions as artifact hate and supports the niche but possible sacrifice deck
8. Impending Disaster: a useful piece for aggressive decks or niche graveyard decks
9. Shared Animosity: supports all creature synergy decks

LAND (types are grouped together in this list)

1. Drowned Catacomb: completing the full set of check lands
2. Glacial Fortress: completing the full set of check lands
3. Hinterland Harbor: completing the full set of check lands
4. Sulfur Falls: completing the full set of check lands
5. Cascade Bluffs: completing the full set of filter lands
6. Graven Cairns: completing the full set of filter lands
7. Mystic Gate: completing the full set of filter lands
8. Sunken Ruins: completing the full set of filter lands
9. Wooded Bastion: completing the full set of filter lands
10. Darkwater Catacombs: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
11. Desolate Mire: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
12. Ferrous Lake: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
13. Fire-Lit Thicket: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
14. Flooded Grove: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
15. Overflowing Basin: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
16. Skycloud Expanse: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
17. Sunscorched Divide: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands
18. Viridescent Bog: completing the full set of Odyssey filter lands

INSTANT

1. Accelerate: supports prowess decks
2. And They Shall Know No Fear: supports all creature synergy decks
3. Artifact Mutation: functions as artifact hate and supports the Saproling creature type
4. Bandage: supports prowess decks and is also funny
5. Brokers Charm: charms are an important part of Cumly Cube
6. Charge Through: supports prowess decks
7. Cremate: supports prowess decks
8. Mirrodin Avenged: supports prowess decks
9. Poison the Blade: supports prowess decks and offers deathtouch in green instead of its typical color, black
10. Pressure Point: supportsli prowess decks and offers tapping in white instead of its typical color, blue
11. Steady Progress: supports prowess decks as well as slower proliferate decks
12. Sugar Rush: supports prowess decks and offers power boost in black instead of its typical color, red
13. Treacherous Greed: supports the niche but possible sacrifice deck
14. Turf Wound: a strange tempo card that fits the ethos of Cumly Cube
15. Warriors' Lesson: supports prowess decks and might end up as green Ancestral Recall

SORCERY

1. Altar of Bone: supports the niche but possible sacrifice deck
2. Aphetto Dredging: supports all creature synergy decks
3. Apocalypse: total game resets are an important part of Cumly Cube, because you end up playing more Cumly Cube!
4. Ashen Powder: a more situational and odd piece for reanimator decks
5. Blood for Bones: a more situational and odd piece for reanimator decks
6. Breath of Life: offers reanimation in white instead of its typical color, black
7. Broken Bond: functions as artifact and enchantment hate yet also ramps
8. Channel the Suns: a strange yet useful mana-fixer. Out with fetch lands, in with sorcery WUBRG!
9. Cloak of Feathers: supports prowess decks
10. Crippling Fear: supports all creature synergy decks
11. False Dawn: supports prowess decks and might offer mana-fixing in niche situations? Even if this card is pretty useless, it screams Cumly Cube
12. Grim Tutor: tutoring is a small part of Cumly Cube but very important in the right decks
13. Growth Spasm: offers ramp, mana-fixing, and supports the Eldrazi creature type
14. Hymn of Rebirth: offers reanimation in green and white instead of its typical color, black
15. Ice Storm: land destruction is a small part of Cumly Cube but a necessary balance, and not usually in green
16. Jace's Triumph: there are Jace planeswalkers in Cumly Cube
17. Mana Vapors: a strange tempo card that fits the ethos of Cumly Cube
18. Many Partings: offers mana-fixing and food
19. Migratory Route: offers mana-fixing and supports the Bird creature type
20. Obzedat's Aid: offers reanimation in black and white
21. Ordered Migration: supports the Bird creature type
22. Raise the Palisade: supports all creature synergy decks
23. Resourceful Return: a more situational and odd piece for black graveyard decks and artifact decks
24. Ribbons of Night: offers direct damage in black instead of its typical color, red
25. Rise of the Witch-king: a more situational and odd piece for reanimator decks
26. Riveteers Confluence: similar to a charm
27. Safewright Quest: offers slight mana-fixing in green and white
28. Solve the Equation: tutoring is a small part of Cumly Cube but very important in the right decks
29. Sweep the Skies: supports the Thopter creature type
30. Temporal Machinations: supports artifact decks
31. Unnatural Restoration: supports proliferate decks
32. Urborg Repossession: a more situational and odd piece for black graveyard decks

legendofa on “A White Pebble”

3 months ago

To cut the cost, my first thought is to just add more Lotus Petals. Move it from Vintage to Legacy, and change the Moxen and Lotus to more Petals and maybe Birds of Paradise. The other big outlier is the Savannah, and my switch there would be Razorverge Thicket.

Further cost cutting would be the tutors. Eladamri's Call is probably okay, and Altar of Bone can step in for one of the more expensive options.

After that, it gets tough, and the core of the deck would start changing. Anyway, that's where I would look if you want to make this more accessible.

DreadKhan on Swing Big Butts with Funny Names

2 years ago

Not sure if they're 'too slow' for how you play, but I really like land ramp cards, stuff like Myriad Landscape, Blighted Woodland, and if you have access to Forests and Plains Krosan Verge. Any of these offers some fixing, and Verge can actually find non-Basic lands, like Murmuring Bosk for example. These are truly impressive in a Sun Titan using deck. Archangel of Strife might fit in here, your deck has lots of 'butts matter' stuff, and the Archangel effectively buffs both your power and toughness, while boosting only 1 for each opponent. Not sure if you really need another tutor, but Eladamri's Call and Altar of Bone exist. If you want a so-so anthem there is Spidersilk Armor, and I generally think a deck like this should run 1 or more of Tragic Arrogance, Farewell, or Austere Command. They're clunky, but they also can clear out large numbers of other problematic permanents for you.

Neat deck idea, thanks for posting!

TheHamster on

2 years ago

Another new set with no new elephants, but that's ok. small update took out Tuskguard Captain for Altar of Bone because the captain, may he work with elephants is not an elephant and the altar as seen in the photo is clearly made of elephant bone.

Andramalech on Balaam__

3 years ago

Balaam__ after much deliberation, I think I've found some cards I would want to "collaborate" in the way you described:

1. Ghost Ship
2. Brimstone Dragon
3. Drudge Spell
4. Didgeridoo
5. Mystic Decree
6. Soraya the Falconer
7. Willow Priestess
8. Altar of Bone
9. Chaos Moon
10. Curse of Marit Lage
11. Elemental Augury
12. Forgotten Lore
13. Game of Chaos
14. Illusionary Terrain
15. Kjeldoran Escort

It was so hard to wittle my list down to only 15 choices but I wanted to pick stuff from a large timespan; I know how you favor older, more flavorful cards!

Throughout the list you'll see things from throughout Homelands, Ice Age, and the like.

Admittedly some were not as strong picks as others in terms of building, but each one I chose for a bit of flavor, and a bit of "hey this card never gets love".

I hope these seem like appealing choices because I think each has a little "fringe-casual-upset-win-at-the-kitchen-table" kinda vibe.

I appreciate the opportunity again and can't wait to hear back from you!

Snacrifice on [PRIMER]Parley Girl cEDH

4 years ago

Altar of Bone is a second, sorcery-speed Eladamri's Call that costs you a creature. Might be useful.

bushido_man96 on Kathril Voltron Reanimator

5 years ago

You make a compelling argument for Altar of Bone, and it's a good card. The only downside to it is that I'm limited to whatever I have in play to sacrifice, which not might not be enough to benefit casting Kathril. With Final Parting (and Jarad's Orders, when I get another copy) I get to search my library for one of the keyword-heavy-laden creatures, like Zetalpa, to pitch right away. That said, I do think it's a good card for the deck.

I do like Triumph of the Hordes, but don't have any of my own yet. I was able to flesh this out with what I had in my collection. It could literally slide into any aggressive green deck as a finisher, and is a great card.

Thanks for taking a look!