Bringing Back the Dead: A Deep Dive into Returning Permanents from the Graveyard in Magic: The Gathering
Yes, you absolutely can return a permanent from the graveyard in Magic: The Gathering! However, it’s not a universal ability inherent to all cards. You need to use a specific spell or ability that explicitly allows you to do so. These cards are designed to bring back creatures, artifacts, enchantments, planeswalkers, or even lands from the graveyard to the battlefield. The key is to understand the nuances of how these effects work and what types of cards they can target. Let’s dive in and explore the fascinating world of graveyard recursion!
Understanding Permanents and the Graveyard
First, let’s clarify some key terms. A permanent is a card on the battlefield. This includes creatures, artifacts, enchantments, lands, and planeswalkers. In the graveyard, these cards are simply referred to as cards. This distinction is important because some spells and abilities target “permanents” while others target “cards in a graveyard.”
The graveyard is essentially the discard pile for the game. Cards end up there when they are destroyed, sacrificed, discarded, or countered. Think of it as a second hand to use the cards in your second chance. Understanding the graveyard mechanics is crucial for advanced play, as it opens up numerous strategic options.
Specific Card Examples
Many cards in Magic offer the ability to resurrect permanents from the graveyard. Some classic examples include:
- Reanimate: This sorcery lets you put a creature card from any graveyard onto the battlefield under your control.
- Animate Dead: Similar to Reanimate, but it enchants a creature card in a graveyard, bringing it back as an enchantment creature.
- Rise from the Grave: Allows you to put a creature card from a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control.
- Victimize: Sacrifices a creature you control to return two creature cards from your graveyard to the battlefield.
These are just a few examples, and the specific restrictions and costs associated with each card vary. Some cards might only target creatures, while others can bring back artifacts or enchantments. Reading the card text carefully is crucial to understanding its capabilities.
Targeting Restrictions: The Fine Print
Not all reanimation spells are created equal. Some cards have restrictions on what they can target. For instance:
- Creature-Specific: Cards like “Rise from the Grave” explicitly state that they target “a creature card in a graveyard.” This means you can’t use them to bring back artifacts, enchantments, planeswalkers, or lands.
- Color Restrictions: Some reanimation spells are limited to certain colors. For instance, a black spell might only target black creatures in a graveyard.
- Casting Cost Restrictions: Some spells can only target cards with a certain casting cost. This means you cannot bring back cards that cost more than the cost of the spell.
Always pay close attention to the wording on the card to understand what types of cards it can target in the graveyard. Misunderstanding these restrictions can lead to wasted mana and missed opportunities.
Planeswalkers and Reanimation
Planeswalkers, as mentioned earlier, are permanents on the battlefield. However, their reanimation is often more restricted than creatures. While some cards like “Reanimate” can target any creature card, spells that specifically target “creatures” will not affect planeswalkers.
To bring back planeswalkers from the graveyard, you typically need cards that specifically mention bringing back planeswalkers or cards that can target any permanent type. The “Superfriends” strategy, which focuses on using multiple planeswalkers, often relies on specific reanimation spells that can retrieve these powerful allies.
The Importance of Card Timing
Timing is everything in Magic. When using graveyard recursion, consider the following:
- Sorcery Speed vs. Instant Speed: Most reanimation spells are sorceries, meaning you can only cast them during your main phase when the stack is empty. However, some are instants, allowing you to surprise your opponent and bring back a creature at a crucial moment.
- Graveyard Hate: Be aware of cards that exile graveyards, such as Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void. These cards can completely shut down your graveyard strategy.
- Interactions: Understanding how reanimation spells interact with other cards in your deck and your opponent’s deck is crucial for maximizing their effectiveness.
Strategic Implications of Graveyard Recursion
Graveyard recursion can be a powerful strategic tool in Magic. It allows you to:
- Recycle Powerful Creatures: Bring back your strongest creatures after they’ve been destroyed.
- Gain Card Advantage: Effectively get extra uses out of your cards.
- Disrupt Opponent Strategies: Reanimate your opponent’s creatures to use against them.
- Create Combo Opportunities: Set up complex combos by bringing back specific cards at the right time.
Building a deck around graveyard recursion requires careful planning and consideration of potential threats and synergies.
FAQs: Reanimation and the Graveyard
1. Is a card in your graveyard a permanent?
No. Only objects on the battlefield are called permanents. In the graveyard, they are just cards.
2. Can planeswalkers be brought back from the graveyard?
Yes, but you need a card that specifically targets planeswalkers or “any permanent type.” Cards that only target “creatures” will not work.
3. Does returning a card from the graveyard count as casting?
No. Returning a card from the graveyard with a spell like “Reanimate” is not considered casting. You are simply putting the card directly onto the battlefield.
4. Can you have two planeswalkers with the same name on the battlefield?
No. You can have multiple planeswalkers on the battlefield, but not two with the exact same name. The “planeswalker uniqueness rule” prevents this. However, you can have different versions of the same planeswalker, such as “Jace, the Mind Sculptor” and “Jace Beleren.”
5. If a planeswalker’s loyalty reaches 0, does it go to the graveyard?
Yes. A planeswalker with 0 loyalty is put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action.
6. Can Deathtouch kill a planeswalker?
No. Deathtouch only affects creatures. To damage a planeswalker, you need to redirect damage from a creature or player or use specific spells that target planeswalkers.
7. Can you copy a planeswalker spell?
Yes, but it will become a token once it resolves on the battlefield. Blue and white are primary in copying permanents, including planeswalkers.
8. What is “graveyard hate,” and why is it important?
Graveyard hate refers to cards that exile or otherwise disrupt graveyards. These cards are important because they can shut down graveyard recursion strategies, such as “Rest in Peace” or “Leyline of the Void.”
9. What is the legend rule for planeswalkers?
All planeswalkers have the supertype “legendary,” and therefore are subject to the “legend rule.” This means you cannot have two planeswalkers with the exact same name on the battlefield at the same time.
10. Can you target a planeswalker with Rise from the Grave?
No, Rise from the Grave only targets creature cards in the graveyard.
11. What happens when a planeswalker hits 0 loyalty?
When a planeswalker’s loyalty reaches 0, it is put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action.
12. Can you tap a planeswalker?
Planeswalkers do not inherently have the ability to be tapped. If you tap a planeswalker with an external effect, it doesn’t affect the loyalty abilities.
13. What is the first planeswalker ever introduced in MTG?
The first five planeswalkers to be printed are known as the Lorwyn Five: Ajani, Jace, Liliana, Chandra, and Garruk.
14. Can you have 4 planeswalkers in a deck?
Yes, you can have a maximum of four planeswalkers with the same card name in your deck, just like any other MTG card. You can have more than one of the same type of planeswalker in your deck, however.
15. What is the one planeswalker rule?
You are only prohibited from having two planeswalkers with the exact same name. You can have a Garruk, Unleashed, and a Garruk, Cursed Huntsman out at the same time. It used to be the case that you could only have out one of a “type”, like one Garruk, but they changed it a little while ago.
Conclusion
Graveyard recursion is a complex and rewarding aspect of Magic: The Gathering. By understanding the different types of reanimation spells, their targeting restrictions, and the strategic implications, you can build powerful decks that can bring back the dead and dominate the battlefield. Keep learning, keep experimenting, and embrace the power of the graveyard! Understanding the underlying principles of the game can be greatly enhanced by studying game design theory, an area actively explored by the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.