Altar of the Wretched // Wretched Bonemass
Artifact // Creature — Skeleton Horror
When this artifact enters, you may sacrifice a nontoken creature. If you do, draw X cards, then mill X cards, where X is that creature's power.
Craft with one or more creatures 
: Return this card from your graveyard to your hand.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander
- Price
- $0.73
- EDHREC rank
- #7437
Altar of the Wretched // Wretched Bonemass does two things that matter: the front half sacrifices creatures to fuel graveyard and treasure engines, and the back half is a massive token-generating payoff once your yard is stocked. The catch is that flipping it requires meaningful self-mill investment, which means it earns its slot in dedicated graveyard builds — particularly Dargo, the Shipwrecker // Tymna the Weaver, where sacrifice fodder and card advantage line up perfectly — and nowhere else.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Dargo, the Shipwrecker // Tymna the Weaver
Dargo, the Shipwrecker // Tymna the Weaver runs Altar of the Wretched // Wretched Bonemass because the altar's sacrifice outlet feeds Dargo's cost reduction directly while the creatures hitting the yard trigger Tymna's card draw, creating a loop where the card pays for itself in tempo and hand size.
Xu-Ifit, Osteoharmonist
Xu-Ifit, Osteoharmonist wants bodies in the graveyard as a resource, and Altar of the Wretched // Wretched Bonemass delivers both the sacrifice outlet to put them there and, once transformed, a token engine that keeps fueling Xu-Ifit's bone-counting payoffs.
Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis
Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis is all about filling the graveyard fast, and Altar of the Wretched // Wretched Bonemass converts creature sacrifices into yard depth while the Wretched Bonemass flip provides a late-game token flood that convokes Hogaak out again if he's been answered.
The Ancient One
The Ancient One needs high-power creatures in the graveyard to unlock its eldritch payoffs, and Altar of the Wretched // Wretched Bonemass is a sacrifice outlet that both stacks the yard and transitions into a token producer once the threshold is reached.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is the clear home for Altar of the Wretched // Wretched Bonemass — the 100-card singleton format gives graveyard strategies the redundancy they need to flip it consistently, and the multiplayer pace allows the setup time the card demands. In Legacy and Vintage it's technically legal but practically irrelevant; those formats move too fast for a five-mana front-half enchantment that requires self-mill setup before it becomes a threat. Oathbreaker shares enough of Commander's structure that dedicated graveyard oathbreakers can use it, but the smaller deck size tightens the window. Anywhere outside eternal and Commander formats it simply doesn't exist.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.73 bulk tier
At $0.73, Altar of the Wretched // Wretched Bonemass sits in bulk rare territory, which is accurate for a card with a narrow but real audience. It's unlikely to spike without a new high-profile graveyard commander pushing demand, but at this price there's no reason to hesitate if the shell fits.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Dargo, the Shipwrecker // Tymna the Weaver
- Xu-Ifit, Osteoharmonist
- Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis
- The Ancient One
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.