Gravecrawler

Constructed-Playable Creatures

New • 12 Feb 2020 • Asked by ricardolongo • 33 Comments

Pioneer made me realize black, not white, is the color that gets the largest number of constructed-playable "savanah lions". White's usually involve some minor upside (Venerable Knight, Dauntless Bodyguard). Conversely, black's have minor drawbacks with tremendous upside, usually in the form of recursion (Gutterbones, Dread Wanderer, Gravecrawler, Bloodsoaked Champion). Is this by design, or do you think white should get the best 2/1's for one?

If you define the “best” 2/1’s as those having recursion then yes, black’s going to have the best ones as that’s primary in black.
Black Blood Bloodsoaked Champion Champion Colors Constructed Dauntless Bodyguard Dread Wanderer Gravecrawler Gutterbones Knight Pioneer Primary Venerable Knight White

Richard Garfield Ph.D. Rules

New • 22 Aug 2017 • Asked by gleemax • 20 Comments

In regards to the card Richard Garfield Ph.D. Does he allow lands to be played as other lands or cards with no mana cost? And what would the interaction be with cards in your graveyard that can be played from there, such as gravecrawler and cards with flashback?

Richard Garfield Ph.D. doesn’t let you change cards (aka lands) that don’t have a mana cost.
Flashback Gravecrawler Lands Mana Richard Garfield The Graveyard

Gravecrawler Origins

New • 06 Dec 2015 • Asked by maelstromhobo • 31 Comments

Hey Mark, it's my birthday! Do you have any trivia on my favorite card, Gravecrawler? Thanks!

Gravecrawler was originally designed for Innistrad. I was playing with the Zombie trope of the Zombie that keeps coming after you even after you’ve apparently “killed” it. Gravecrawler has the can’t block restriction because we didn’t want you to use it defensively. Happy Birthday!
Birthday Gravecrawler Innistrad Zombie

Card Color Controversy

New • 19 Jan 2015 • Asked by vault756 • 37 Comments

Mark I am very upset with Marang River Prowler from fate reforged. Can't block or be blocked is black(see Tormented Soul) and self recursion on a creature that can't block is black(see Bloodghast or Gravecrawler). Why is this a blue card? You don't even have to be playing black with it, you could run green instead.

Returning from the grave to the battlefield is a Black and Green thing thus the requirement of a Black or Green thing. Blue gets cannot be blocked all the time. Yes, cannot block is a bleed but a minor one.
Black Blood Bloodghast Blue Creatures Fate Reforged Gravecrawler Green Marang River Prowler Tormented Soul

Black's Aggro Identity

New • 10 Sep 2014 • Asked by goldenpineapples • 22 Comments

Black has become known as "other red" in my area due to its modern influx of very aggressive cards, from gravecrawler to tormented hero and now bloodsoaked champion (with many between and around) I remember the "black is taking a new direction" talks a couple years ago (when it got a 1/3 for 1B in RTR block, this was pointed out) but it doesn't particularly seem to be changing to me. Don't get me wrong, as a cube owner black having an identity outside itself is great, but is this still a thing?

Black’s toughness versus power ration has gone up. Black is still more midrange and control than aggro.
Black Blood Bloodsoaked Champion Champion Cube Draft Gravecrawler Modern Red Tormented Hero

Frankie Peanuts Rules

New • 22 Nov 2013 • Asked by adamrinsky • 6 Comments

How lenient is Frankie Peanuts' "abides by that answer if able" clause? Can an opponent say "yes, I will block your Gravecrawler" but then kill the Gravecrawler before combat and claim to be unable to abide by that answer?

The controller of Frankie Peanuts has to block if the situation arises but can take actions to alter things so such an action never happens.
Frankie Peanuts Gravecrawler

Zombie Cards Contribution

New • 24 Aug 2012 • Asked by redarrogantknight • 6 Comments

Yeah, Gravecrawler! I'm glad you're the man behind two of the COOLEST zombie cards to hit my Magic decks lately. (Endless Ranks being the other!) I love your work on these zombie cards, keep it up!

Also happy to help out the zombies.
Gravecrawler Zombie

Favorite Standard Card

New • 18 Aug 2012 • Asked by corland • 13 Comments

What is your favorite card you designed that is currently in Standard and is playable outside of limited?

I’m very proud of Gravecrawler.
Gravecrawler Limited Mark's Favorites Mark's Favorites Standard

Flavor Contradiction

New • 19 Feb 2012 • Asked by kerrigor3 • 10 Comments

Did design/development consider the clearly outrageous flavour contradiction between Gravecrawler's legless 'can't block' clause and The Fallen Apart's inability to attack when legless?

It’s still a touchy issue in the Pit. We’ve decided as a group to stop bringing it up because all the brawling keeps us from getting our work done.
Flavor Gravecrawler The Fallen The Pit

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