Necrologia is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Cast this spell only during your end step. As an additional cost to cast this spell, pay X life. Draw X cards.
Complete guide
Necrologia is a powerful black instant that allows you to trade your life force for raw card advantage at the very end of your turn. While it offers an explosive way to refill your hand, its unique timing restrictions and costs require careful strategic planning. Understanding exactly when this card can be cast is the key to maximizing its potential in your deck.
Timing and Costs
Necrologia has a very specific casting window: you can only cast it during your own end step. As you cast the spell, you must pay X life as an additional cost. This life payment is made immediately and cannot be prevented or reduced. Because the life is a cost, you cannot pay more life than you currently have; if you are at 10 life, X cannot be greater than 10. If you pay exactly 10 life, you will lose the game before the spell resolves unless an effect says otherwise.
Resolution and Hand Size
Once the spell resolves, you draw X cards. It is important to note the order of phases: the end step occurs before the cleanup step. This means that after you draw your cards with Necrologia, you will proceed to the cleanup step, where you must discard down to your maximum hand size (usually seven). To keep the cards you drew, you must find ways to increase your hand size or cast some of the drawn cards during your end step before the turn ends.
Strategic Execution
Common mistakes often involve forgetting that Necrologia is an instant that behaves like a sorcery due to its restriction. You cannot cast it during your main phase to use the cards immediately, nor can you cast it on an opponent's turn. The best time to play it is when you have excess life and either have a way to bypass hand size limits or have 'free' spells in hand that you can cast during the same end step after the draw.
Interaction examples
Deadly RollickYou cast Necrologia during your end step, paying 5 life. You draw 5 cards, one of which is Deadly Rollick. Since you are still in your end step and you control your commander, you can immediately cast Deadly Rollick for free to exile a threatening creature before your turn officially ends and you proceed to the cleanup step.
Fell the Profane // Fell MireDuring your end step, you pay 7 life to Necrologia and draw 7 cards, including Fell the Profane. Even though you may have to discard down to 7 during the cleanup step, Necrologia has allowed you to dig deep into your library to ensure you have a removal spell ready to cast on your opponent's upcoming turn.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Necrologia
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
This spell is cast during the End step. Since you discard down to 7 cards in the cleanup step, this card is used before the discard.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Necrologia
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.