[Single Card Discussion] Mana Crypt, The $30 Mox

[Ric_Flair]

After playing around with it in a number of decks I have decided that Mana Crypt is one of the most underrated and underused cards in Vintage.  Strategically and price wise this card, I think is about to explode.  So pick them up NOW while you can.  You'll be sorry when they are $100.

First the card strategically.  Smmenen recommended using these in Tog to speed up the deck, and boy do they ever.  They are amazing on turn one allowing for a first turn Intuitions.  The chance that you are damaged is not remote, but the speed boost almost always makes up for it.  With the possibility of 8 peice of fast mana, SoloMoxen Crypt, this card is great in Tog.

The card in Workshop deck and/or decks with Welder is also is a tremendous boon.  I can remember telling this to a person playing MUD at the Darksteel pre-release and being scoffed at.  Here is the truth: there is no reason in real life to use an off colored Mox in a deck with Welder BEFORE using a Crypt.  Ideally you use all 8 cards, but if you don't have a Pearl or an Emerald, Crypt is a suitable replacement.  In fact if you are short on slots, I think it is pretty clear that Crypt gets the call over off colored Moxen.  Essentially they function the exact same way, except Crypt provides an entire extra mana for free.  The drawback is almost always mitigated by Welder use.  

I am not even going to address how good it is in combo, we all know that.

In short, there is no reason not to use Crypt in a number of decks.  I can even see Crypt as a useful addition to Madness and EBA.  Only pure control decks, like Keeper should probably avoid Crypt.  This is the next up and coming card.  Mark my words.

And here is my own twist: Crypt on the market.  Mana Crypt is a hard card to find.  While I am not sure of the print run, it seems pretty certain that there are just a few more Crypts out there (in all their languages: French, Spanish, English, and Portugese) than their are Mana Drains.  Add to this their EXPLOSIVE power and I think this is the next card to take off.  So before they are removed from budget lists as TOO EXPENSIVE, get your Crypt now.  Any card that can be legitimately mentioned in the same breath as a Mox and is somewhat rare is almost certainly going to go up in value.

What do you think?  Could Crypt be productive in EBA or Madness or even O. Stompy?  Do you agree that it is going to spike in value soon?

[swooop]

This card has to rise in value to 80+ level it will never be reprinted and with decks needing to be faster it will soon find a home in a majority of decks.

[Kowal]

I put crypt in Madness in May of last year.  It was Mox Diamond's replacement.

It never really shone until LED's restriction, but it had intense synergy with the deck's many draw-sevens in the optimal build.  Combined with all the moxen and Crop Rotation, you could really easily screw your opponent with a bad hand and set yourself up to start killing people before they've made a land drop.

[carlossb]

Well, I´m talking from Europe. From Spain...

As we all know, Mana Crypt was used (some years ago...) only in combo decks (fastbond/StormCauldron, Hurkyl´s/Prosperity...), and this decks were used only by few people. But this people owned had 4 Crypts.

I traded the 4 crypts for cards (it used to be 1ManaCrypt = 1DualLand, but many people bought the novel only to get the card.

Then...

It get restricted. And every combo player had 3 Crypts with no use...
It was something similar to Mana Vault, which was used mainly in combo.

Then every combo deck included 1 Crypt, so it was easy to get only 1, becuase all combo players had 3 to trade.

Now you "must" include the crypt in a great number of decks (mud, combo, slavery, tog... and many others in the future, as Ric_Flair wisely points), so it seems more complicated to get one.

Think it this way:
Wizards restrict Mana Drain. Then every control player has 3 Drains with no use...

So in Spain the Crypts are cheap and rather easy to find. But as long as new players find the "marvelous" Type 1...

[dicemanx]

The value of Crypt will depend on how large the print run was. Someone on MOTL claimed that there are 75,000 in existence, but I scoured the net for that info and cannot find anything.

In any case, it isn't surprising that people are giving Mana Crypt another look when building their decks. The speed of the format has increased considerably to the point where even control and aggro decks can "go off" before Crypt damage would ever become a factor.

[Jönsson]

I think you've got an excellent point Ric. While I'd rather be burned on the stake before putting the card in Keeper, JP proved to be right - it does have it's place in Hulk, the other blue-based control deck.

On a similar topic, another card that goes into anything not running Mana Drain is Elvish Spirit Guide. I think it's recent rise is due to the amount of Trinisphere's thats been popping up since the arrival of Darksteel, and I'll make sure to pick up a playset of them should I ever feel like playing large green men or something comboesque anytime in the future.

[Meddling Mike]

Excellent post tony, you're entirely right that indeed mana crypt is highly underappreciated, but against a number of really fast aggro decks it can end up doing alot more harm than good. Because of this I don't think it's really meant for widespread use, but rather decks that can abuse it's presence like various decks containing welders. When the crypt starts to be problematic trade it in for a mindslaver or other such unfair broken artifacts.

[mogote]

And here is my own twist: Crypt on the market.  Mana Crypt is a hard card to find.  While I am not sure of the print run, it seems pretty certain that there are just a few more Crypts out there (in all their languages: French, Spanish, English, and Portugese) than their are Mana Drains.  Add to this their EXPLOSIVE power and I think this is the next card to take off.  So before they are removed from budget lists as TOO EXPENSIVE, get your Crypt now.  Any card that can be legitimately mentioned in the same breath as a Mox and is somewhat rare is almost certainly going to go up in value.

Look here:
http://www.crystalkeep.com/magic/misc/files/magic-rarity.txt

According to these figures there are about 75,000 copies of Mana Crypt in existance (opposed to about 58,000 copies of Mana Drain you mentioned).
Mana Crypt seems still cheap at around $30. In my opinion it should rise to higher price levels if you compare it to other sought-after cards (based on the assumption that these figures are correct).

[kakeboy07]

just in the past year, i have purchased 3 playsets of crypt, all for under $12 ea (2 playsets of portugese, 1 english).

not only is crypt undervalued, its (as ric said) underused to a great extent

not only does it share an elusiveness like that of drains, its a promo card which makes it that much harder to find irl.

At tourneys i always see 1-2 people looking for crypts to play in combo, and they never seem to find them ... i have recently sold one for $75 pre-tourney, and its buyer didnt seem to mind that price one bit.

[Ric_Flair]

I think that some people are undercounting the decks that Crypt can go in.  

Let's look at Kerz's Gauntlet.  Here are the decks:

Tools ’n Tubbies (TnT)
Madness
Oshawa Stompy
Tog (Ubg)
Tog (Ubgr)
Keeper
Landstill (U/r)
Landstill (U/w)
TPS
Dragon
Draw7 or Smmenen.dec
Slavery
TriniStax
Survival Mask
Grow-a-Tog

and I will add Spoils Mask, Fish, EBA, and Control Slavery to list.

That is 19 decks.  First add Crypt AUTOMATICALLY to any deck with Welders for above cited reasons.  That brings the total of Crypt using decks to 4 (TnT, Slavery, TriniStax, and Control Slavery).  Then add it to each combo deck, though in Dragon it is nice and not necessarily required, bringing the total to 6.  I would bet that the card fits right into Spoils Mask, what with all the artifacts requiring 2, so add it there.  7.  I would also say that the case for it in Tog has already been made. 8 and 9, respectively.  In Madness I don't think the issue is all that controversial.  This a mana hungry fast aggro deck that has lots of sinks for 2.  10.  I think that it can also go into EBA with little problem.  With Ophidian, Exalted Angel, and Negator all in the deck the possibility of a first turn play including ANY of these cards is too powerful to ignore.  The fact that the Angel's ability offsets any loss of life is yet another reason it could be used in the deck.  11.  O. Stompy is less of a case.  It can power out huge madness guys like Arrogant Wurm, but under a Null rod it would likely suck.  So not there or Fish either, for much of the same reason.  Landstill has no real use for it either what with the Standstill and all.  Keeper, as was said before doesn't need it nor does the color intensive GAT.  This still leaves 11 decks out of 19 that could definitely benefit from Mana Crypt.  That is more than half the decks in the format.  Clearly this card should be much more expensive.  

As for the print run, does the 58,000 number include English and Italian Drains?  I wonder if there are not MORE Drains than Crypts, though being restricted offsets this scarcity issue.

Speculators...stock up.

[jpmeyer]

Wow.  I used my credit from an article at SCG lto get a Crypt a couple weeks ago at $25 and now they're up to $35 on there.

[DEA]

hmmm, that translates into a good $20 profit for me

[hispls]

At the darksteel pre-release I picked up a dozen at 9$ each and turned them around on ebay for average of 16.  If you people are paying more than 17 each for them you got some issues.  Try ebay.

[BreathWeapon]

Not that I don't agree, but isn't it a little foolish to scream "Increase the price on Mana Crypt" to every vendor on earth? How about we all ask that Manadrains be increased to 100$ a piece? :shock:

[jazzykat]

I don't know how much mana crypt will go up, but I traded for mine a while ago for nothing because "who the hell wants to be bolted every other turn?"

I think it is an excellent and powerful card and deserves more attention, although can we keep this on the dl for a little while till I get my tax refund check to hoard them :B

[jpmeyer]

People should be playing Crypts in a large number of decks, and they finally are starting to.  Of course they're going to be worth more

[Ric_Flair]

BreathWeapon:

Not that I don't agree, but isn't it a little foolish to scream "Increase the price on Mana Crypt" to every vendor on earth? How about we all ask that Manadrains be increased to 100$ a piece?

I actually I am doing something different.  I am trying to give TMDers a heads up before the price hike hits.  In essence, I am saying:  "Get Crypts before they are $100."

If I were doing what you were saying it would be foolish.

[SpencerForHire]

FCG runs it too, and to great efficiency, I usually go off on turn two when I get one in my opening hand with that deck.  Make that 20 decks.

[Viceroy]

Crypt is a must, is the 6th mox. Last week I trade a Masticore for it :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

[Jhaggs]

This is really a great "heads-up" thread.  If you at a look at type one in 2004, you'll qickly notice an enormous explosion of type 1 tournaments cropping up everywhere.  This is espically true with the number of tournaments that are featuring "power" as a prize.  With this being said, the demand for mana crypt will increase not only because it is being used more in multiple decks, but that the format is expanding by leaps and bounds.  The more people play, the higher mana crypt will be in demand as its usability increases.

Mana crpyt is a great example of a potential gold mine as Ric has previously stated.  It meets all the requirements of a card primed to increase in value.  Its hard to find, it is extremely playable in the format over a multitude of decks, it is cheap to currently buy, and its on everyone's want list.

[skecreatoR]

It is the as good as people states, and everybody here should get 5 of them, blackbordered, you make a fortune in a year or so.

Actually, its funny that it is worth so little. In denmark its about 20$, which is ridicolous, and people are searching for them. If TMD don't make cards like Mana Crypt broken, nobody does.

[Suckamouf37]

Just out of curiosity, I checked ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3184062885&category=19115

I'm shocked.  I wasn't even aware they were $20 yet.  Now its time to start hoarding.

[PandaPokemon]

That ebay auction went whack.  Look at completed items.  They been going for about 15-20US each.

[Lord_Drazinus]

I picked one up from my friend for 15 and havent regretted it, at the fifth dawn pre-release when I will see more dealers I intend to pick up atleast 3 more...they are about as tradeable as Sol Ring, ever since I got my first one it has been in every deck I've built...and I change decks mroe than...well...than something that changes a lot...I'm hoping that these definetly go up in value, they sure as hell aren't going down anytime soon...

[-Draz-]

[urza_insane]

holy sweetness! Finally i got in on something before the price skyrocketed! I have had horrible luck with other things. I was making a deck that could really use Bazaar (a solitary confinement deck) but $20 each was too much   WHY GOD WHY! And then I was a pioneer in the Ravager Affinity stuff and i could have gotten them for 2.50 each!!!! But i wanted to test more, didn't think they'de go up to $20!!! I got my crypt awhile ago for a little less than $15 woooo. I should probably go get some skullclamps too... at least they're not rare! (making a deck with them)

[Samite Healer]

Not that I don't agree, but isn't it a little foolish to scream "Increase the price on Mana Crypt" to every vendor on earth? How about we all ask that Manadrains be increased to 100$ a piece? :shock:

Actually, Mana Drains are ALREADY $100 a piece.  

[Sytupal]

Actually, Mana Drains are ALREADY $100 a piece.  

Straight from the Local Vendor's mouth.    

[Lord_Drazinus]

I'm hoping that's for Eng. NM   :shock:

[Smmenen]

After playing around with it in a number of decks I have decided that Mana Crypt is one of the most underrated and underused cards in Vintage.  Strategically and price wise this card, I think is about to explode.  So pick them up NOW while you can.  You'll be sorry when they are $100.

First the card strategically.  Smmenen recommended using these in Tog to speed up the deck, and boy do they ever.  They are amazing on turn one allowing for a first turn Intuitions.  The chance that you are damaged is not remote, but the speed boost almost always makes up for it.  With the possibility of 8 peice of fast mana, SoloMoxen Crypt, this card is great in Tog.

The card in Workshop deck and/or decks with Welder is also is a tremendous boon.  I can remember telling this to a person playing MUD at the Darksteel pre-release and being scoffed at.  Here is the truth: there is no reason in real life to use an off colored Mox in a deck with Welder BEFORE using a Crypt.  Ideally you use all 8 cards, but if you don't have a Pearl or an Emerald, Crypt is a suitable replacement.  In fact if you are short on slots, I think it is pretty clear that Crypt gets the call over off colored Moxen.  Essentially they function the exact same way, except Crypt provides an entire extra mana for free.  The drawback is almost always mitigated by Welder use.  

I am not even going to address how good it is in combo, we all know that.

In short, there is no reason not to use Crypt in a number of decks.  I can even see Crypt as a useful addition to Madness and EBA.  Only pure control decks, like Keeper should probably avoid Crypt.  This is the next up and coming card.  Mark my words.

And here is my own twist: Crypt on the market.  Mana Crypt is a hard card to find.  While I am not sure of the print run, it seems pretty certain that there are just a few more Crypts out there (in all their languages: French, Spanish, English, and Portugese) than their are Mana Drains.  Add to this their EXPLOSIVE power and I think this is the next card to take off.  So before they are removed from budget lists as TOO EXPENSIVE, get your Crypt now.  Any card that can be legitimately mentioned in the same breath as a Mox and is somewhat rare is almost certainly going to go up in value.

What do you think?  Could Crypt be productive in EBA or Madness or even O. Stompy?  Do you agree that it is going to spike in value soon?

In late December after hours and hours with Long and Stax under my belt, I actuallly put alot of thought into considering what the best mana accellerants in the game were.  

Once I put Mana Crypt above Mox Pearl in my list, I knew it had to go in Tog - which is how and why I thought of it.  I only had to play like two games to confirm how incredible it was.  I think that every deck that intends on winning in the first 10 turns should use Mana Crypt - after all, it is, in my opinion, better than Mox Pearl.

Stephen Menendian

[Kerz]

Not to change the subject, but many vendors out there are starting corrupt the game's economy by owning too much of the print run and being able to control prices themselves, a monopoly of sorts. Also, if ebay doesn't stop soon, I think something very bad is going to happen, gradually. How can the prices of cards continue to go up with no effect? If dealers only think in the short term (which many are, and short term is defined as within the year), in a year or two everything will come to a point, with prices going so high that sales almost completely stop, and from there.... The great depression.  This sounds like a typical broken record post, but I've seen the beginning. $100 drains.. $350 UNL Ancestrals... and things of that nature all are signaling towards this. Hell, in the past 3 months an average mox has gone from "around 200-225" to "around 250-275", and so on. Last year a mox was barely $150-175. Also, I lost track when Mana Drain went from a $50 card to a $100 card. That seemed like an awful jump. But, there is nothing people can do about it, and they will be forced to pay such ridiculous prices if they want to compete. Many people will, feeding the dealers even more. Then prices go up, and the cycle continues. One can only know the end.

I'm going to be writing an article about this soon, maybe I'll interveiw some non-corrupt big time dealers.