Crypt Incursion
Instant
Exile all creature cards from target player's graveyard. You gain 3 life for each card exiled this way.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Dragon's Maze
- Price
- $0.33
- EDHREC rank
- #4342
Crypt Incursion exiles every creature in a target graveyard and gains you 3 life per card — on a single instant for three mana, that's a swing of 30-plus life in a typical Commander game without breaking a sweat. Pair it with Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose and that life gain becomes a lethal drain on every opponent at the table.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose
Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose converts every point of life gained into damage dealt to opponents, so Crypt Incursion hitting a stacked graveyard can close out the game on the spot — no combat step required.
Frodo, Adventurous Hobbit // Sam, Loyal Attendant
Frodo, Adventurous Hobbit // Sam, Loyal Attendant cares about gaining life to corrupt Frodo and push through damage, and Crypt Incursion delivers a massive lump-sum gain in one shot while wiping opposing recursion targets at the same time.
Umbris, Fear Manifest
Umbris, Fear Manifest grows from exiling cards from opponents' graveyards and libraries, so Crypt Incursion does double duty — it fuels Umbris's power and toughness while padding your life total against the decks trying to race you.
Phenax, God of Deception
Phenax, God of Deception mills opponents relentlessly, which means graveyards fill fast; Crypt Incursion answers the blowback by converting that milled pile into a life total that's suddenly out of reach for aggro tables.
Bilbo, Birthday Celebrant
Bilbo, Birthday Celebrant rewards hitting life total milestones, and Crypt Incursion's one-card, one-swing life gain is one of the most efficient ways to cross those thresholds without running a dedicated life gain package.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Crypt Incursion earns its keep — three players means three graveyards to choose from, and late-game piles routinely hold 15 or more creatures, making 45-plus life gain a realistic ceiling on a single instant. In Pauper it sees fringe play as a sideboard answer to graveyard strategies, trading the massive Commander upside for a narrower role against reanimator and dredge. Modern and Pioneer have access to more efficient graveyard hate with upside — Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void — so Crypt Incursion mostly sits on the bench there. Legacy and Vintage move too fast for a three-mana instant that doesn't interact on turn one or two.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.33 bulk tier
At $0.33, Crypt Incursion is pure bulk — no reason to hesitate on picking up copies. It sees enough Commander play across graveyard-matters and life gain strategies that demand is stable, but the supply is high enough that this price isn't going anywhere dramatic.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose
- Frodo, Adventurous Hobbit // Sam, Loyal Attendant
- Umbris, Fear Manifest
- Phenax, God of Deception
- Bilbo, Birthday Celebrant
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.