Looking to add a splash of MTG Sacrifice to your Commander deck? There are plenty of ways to get a card off the field and into your graveyard, and some methods are better than others. We’ve gathered our favorite MTG Sacrifice outlets into a handy list that can help you start deck-building.
Below you’ll find the best MTG Commanders, creatures, and more for your Sacrifice-heavy MTG Commander deck. Our list shows the range of ways you can start Sac-ing in the world’s biggest trading card game – though you’ll need to find the fodder cards yourself.
What is MTG Sacrifice?
Sacrifice (or Sac) is a Magic: The Gathering keyword that describes the act of moving a permanent to its owner’s graveyard. Any card or ability that triggers the keyword is known as a ‘Sacrifice outlet’, and these are often combined with ‘payoff’ cards that create combos or advantages. Sacrifice decks also need plenty of creatures as ‘Sacrifice fodder’ to get the ball rolling.
What colors are MTG Sacrifice cards?
Black, red, and green are the primary MTG colors for Sacrifice, while white and green are the most common colors used to protect against Sacrifice. For example, cards like Angel of Jubilation and Yasharn, Implacable Earth can be used to prevent an opponent Sacrificing their own creatures, and Tarjuru Preserver or Sigarda, Host of Herons stops foes from forcing you to Sacrifice creatures.
Does MTG Sacrifice count as dying?
In Magic: The Gathering, the phrase ‘dies’ describes the moment when a creature or MTG Planeswalker enters the graveyard from the battlefield. Sacrificing a creature from the battlefield does count as that permanent ‘dying’.
Can you Sacrifice a creature before it’s destroyed?
If you meet the requirements of your Sacrifice outlet, you can absolutely Sacrifice a creature before it gets destroyed.
What happens if you block with a creature then Sacrifice it?
If your creature is blocking an attacker when it’s Sacrificed, it will still block the incoming attack. However, the attacker will take no damage from your creature.
Can you Sacrifice the same creature twice?
If you have several possible ways to Sacrifice a creature, only one takes effect. The MTG Stack can help you determine which Sacrifice triggers first.
Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
The best black MTG Sacrifice outlet.
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| Mana cost | 2C; 2B |
| Formats | Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Commander |
- Card draw and minus counters are an excellent Sac payoff
- Can Proliferate
- Sacrifice will cost you a life every time
- A hot target for opponents
Yawgmoth, Thran Physician is a legendary creature that’s very at home in mono-black decks. In exchange for one life and a Sacrificed creature, you can put a -1/-1 counter on another creature and draw a card. Plus, you can discard a card and spend two black mana to Proliferate, opening up a whole world of complex combos to pull off.
Birthing Pod
The best green MTG Sacrifice outlet.
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| Mana cost | 3C; 1GΦ |
| Formats | Legacy, Vintage, Commander |
- Helps bring key creatures to the board
- A trigger for fun combos
- High cost to trigger Sacrifice
- Sorcery speed Sacrifice only
Birthing Pod is a staple in combo-heavy green Sacrifice decks. The artifact requires a pretty high cost to get the chain started, though – four mana (or three and two life) to cast, then two mana (or one and two life), a tapped card and a sacrificed creature to set its ability in motion. The payoff is the chance to search your library for a specific creature.
Goblin Bombardment
The best red MTG Sacrifice outlet.
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| Mana cost | 1C; 1R |
| Formats | Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Commander |
- No additional cost to Sacrifice a creature
- Easy way to deal direct damage
- Needs additional payoff cards to maximize power
Goblin Bombardment is a cheap and cheerful Enchantment with a lot to offer Sacrifice decks. It lets you Sacrifice a creature at Instant speed, no extra tapping, mana, or resources required. Your reward is one direct damage dealt to any target – a small number on its own, but a tasty addition to any Sac payoff you may be setting up.
Ashnod’s Altar
The best colorless MTG Sacrifice outlet.
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| Mana cost | 3C |
| Formats | Legacy, Vintage, Commander, Pauper, Historic |
- No extra cost to Sacrifice a creature
- Two extra mana is an strong plus
- Colorless mana only, unlike Phyrexian Altar
Who doesn’t love more mana? It might not be the biggest priority for a Sacrifice deck, but it still opens up plenty of play possibilities – making Ashnod’s Altar an ideal addition to any Sac deck. The Artifact gives you two free colorless mana in exchange for a Sacrificed creature. If you’re setting up Sac payoffs, the card is worth it alone for the cost-free, Instant-speed Sacrifice ability.
Korvold, Fae-Cursed King
The best Commander for MTG Sacrifice decks.
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| Mana cost | 2C; 1B; 1R; 1G |
| Formats | Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Commander, Historic, Explorer |
- Synergizes with all other Sac cards
- A regular source of Sacrifices with no extra costs
- Costs a lot of mana
- A hot target for opponents
Every Sacrifice serves to make Korvold, Fae-Cursed King stronger. The Legendary Dragon noble gains a +1/+1 and lets you draw a card any time you Sacrifice a permanent. That includes any time you trigger its other ability, which forces you to Sacrifice a permanent if Korvold, Fae-Cursed King enters the battlefield or attacks. Add Flying to this beefy 4/4, and you’ve got one heck of a Sac Commander.
Phyrexian Tower
The best land for MTG Sacrifice decks.
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| Mana cost | – |
| Formats | Legacy, Vintage, Commander, Historic |
- Difficult for opponents to interfere with
- Two black mana (almost) for the price of one
- Tapping limits how often you can Sac per turn
Want to Sacrifice consistently? Phyrexian Tower hides your Sac outlet on an MTG land, avoiding a lot of pesky removal. You can tap it for one colorless mana, or you can tap it and Sacrifice a creature to generate two black mana.
Greater Good
The best enchantment MTG Sacrifice outlet.
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| Mana cost | 2C; 2G |
| Formats | Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Commander |
- Near-unlimited card draw possibilities
- No extra cost to Sacrifice creatures
- Works best when you Sac large, valuable creatures
Greater Good is the Magic card equivalent of ‘you get what you pay for’. Sacrifice a creature, and the Enchantment lets you draw cards equal to its power. After that, you discard three cards from your hand.
Viscera Seer
The best low-cost MTG Sacrifice outlet.
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| Mana cost | 1B |
| Formats | Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Commander, Pauper |
- A super speedy Sacrifice outlet
- No extra cost to Sacrifice creatures
- Easy for opponents to remove
If you want to start Sacrificing early, Viscera Seer is one of your best options. You can Sac at no extra cost and at Instant speed, and in exchange you can Scry one card from the top of your deck. It’s a small reward for the loss of a creature, but this quickly starts the wheels of a Sacrifice deck whirring.
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