Mana Crypt is an artifact card from Magic: The Gathering that has become a staple in many decks due to its powerful effect and zero mana cost. This powerful card allows its controller to add two colorless mana to their mana pool at the beginning of their upkeep, at the cost of flipping a coin. If the coin flip is lost, Mana Crypt deals 3 damage to the player.
Despite this drawback, the ability to generate two mana without any mana cost provides a significant advantage, especially in the early stages of the game or in decks that require a lot of mana to execute combos.
Why Mana Crypt is a Good Card
The primary reason Mana Crypt is considered a powerful card is its ability to ramp up a player’s mana resources significantly from the very first turn without any mana investment. It’s a mana rock, and a very good one at that. This enables players to cast spells earlier than usual, accelerating the pace at which they can deploy threats or execute their game plan.
Particularly in formats where games can end quickly or where life total is a more flexible resource, the advantage gained from the additional mana often outweighs the risk of taking damage from the coin flip.
Best Suited Formats
Mana Crypt shines in formats where fast mana acceleration is crucial and the life total can be more strategically leveraged. It is particularly popular in Commander, where its legality allows it to be a staple in a wide variety of decks aiming for quick starts or needing to cast high-cost commanders and spells ahead of curve. In Vintage, it is restricted, indicating its power level but still sees play due to the significant advantage it can provide​​​​.
History, Printings, and Releases
Mana Crypt’s origins trace back to a 1995 promotion with HarperPrism’s Magic: The Gathering book series, specifically via a mail-in voucher in the “Final Sacrifice” novel. This unique distribution created a rarity that, coupled with the card’s significant in-game utility, elevated its desirability among players and collectors. A long hiatus before its 2016 reprint in the Eternal Masters set contributed to its scarcity, driving prices up significantly, with some highly graded versions peaking at $1,000. This combination of limited availability, delayed reprints, and powerful gameplay impact cemented Mana Crypt’s legendary status in the MTG community.
Now, Mana Crypt has been printed in several sets and editions, including Eternal Masters, Double Masters, and special editions like the Masterpiece Series: Kaladesh Inventions and various promotional versions. Due to its distinctive effects and the strategic depth it gave the game, its initial release attracted a lot of interest.
Over the years, it has been reprinted multiple times, each bringing the card to new audiences and affecting its availability and price in the secondary market. Special versions, like those from the Masterpiece Series or the Special Guests editions, have become collectible items due to their unique artwork and rarity​​​​.
Value
The value of Mana Crypt varies significantly depending on the edition and condition of the card. For instance, prices can range from around $158.19 for standard versions to over $900 for special foil editions. The card’s value in gameplay, demand from players and collectors, and the scarcity of particular print editions all have an impact on its price. The Masterpiece Series: Kaladesh Inventions version, for example, is one of the most sought-after due to its unique design and rarity, often fetching prices upwards of $715​​​​.
