Reanimation
Reanimation effects return cards from a graveyard directly unto the battlefield.[1][2] Alpha Edition was the first to print a reanimation effect with Animate Dead, but the mechanic is named after the card Reanimate from Tempest.
Overview
Reanimation is both popular and strong.
It is considered a flexible play style. The card pool variety makes it suitable for both competitive and casual play:
In competitive play it has shown amazing performance in the tournaments of formats like Legacy and Modern. In casual play it has shown to be popular among the casual players of Commander.
Typically it is associated with bringing creatures into play from the Graveyard such as the Reanimator decks do. However, that is not the only type of Reanimation that can be done.
Mark Rosewater distinguishes between “Reanimate” (Return a permanent card from a graveyard to the battlefield.) and “Reanimation” (Return a creature card from a graveyard to the battlefield.).[3]
Setting up for the Reanimation
These are the ways a player sets up for a reanimation:
- Natural discard to hand size
- Discard effects
- Self-milling
- Graveyard Tutors
The discard spells mentioned above are effects like Faithless Looting, Faithful Mending, Putrid Imp, Collective Brutality, etc. These are cards that allow a player to discard and, sometimes, even benefit from it.
Self-milling can be a risky strategy in case the opponent is already playing mill themselves or in cases which the opponent has a deck with Crop Rotation + Bojuka Bog. The best example of this strategy is the deck Dredge. It is a good way to grow the Graveyard in strategies which its size matters or strategies that can use it as a "second hand".
Graveyard Tutors are the most efficient way to place a specific card in the graveyard. It is the best way to guarantee the most needed card is available. Popular Graveyard Tutors are: Buried Alive, Entomb, Unmarked Grave, Gifts Ungiven, Goblin Engineer.
Types of Reanimation
The most traditional form of Reanimation is, indeed, the one that focus on creatures. However, it is not uncommon to find other more 'unusual' forms of reanimation.
Below there is a list of Reanimation effects of a certain nature and its presence in each color. The list takes into account only mono-color cards because multi-color cards "break" the color pie and may not represent how well a single color handles the matter. Also, a color with more than 3 effects will be described as "Examples in..." so that it is clear there are other cards with such effects.
Creature-based
The traditional one. This is the most efficient one and the one that appears the most in competitive play.
The best reanimation spells are in Black and, secondarily, in White. But there is also a dedicated Red creature type with an inclination to reanimating themselves.
- Examples in Black: Reanimate, Animate Dead, Exhume
- Examples in White: Cleric Class, Rally the Ancestors, Return to the Ranks
- Examples in Blue: Dreams of the Dead
- Examples in Green: Moldgraf Monstrosity
- Examples in Red: Thunderkin Awakener, Lukka, Wayward Bonder, Phoenix creatures
Artifact-based
After creatures, artifacts are the most frequently reanimated card type. Artifact reanimation mainly appears in sets with other artifact synergies, such as Kaladesh and Mirrodin, where it helps to make Limited play more smoothly. Traditionally flavored as rebuilding or restoration, every color but the artifice-opposed Green has had access to this effect, though Mark Rosewater has stated that Black will no longer receive it on new cards going forward.[4]
- Black: Beacon of Unrest, Okiba Salvage
- Examples in White: Second Sunrise, Refurbish, Ironsoul Enforcer
- Blue: Argivian Restoration
- Green: ---
- Examples in Red: Goblin Welder, Goblin Engineer, Trash for Treasure
Enchantment-based
- Black: ---
- Examples in White: Resurgent Belief, Replenish, Starfield of Nyx
- Blue: Hakim, Loreweaver
- Green: Go-Shintai of Life's Origin (5-Colors to activate)
- Red: Storm Herald
Planeswalker-based
- Black: Confront the Past, Blood on the Snow
- White: Elspeth Conquers Death, Triumphant Reckoning
- Blue: ---
- Green: ---
- Red: ---
Land-based
- Black: ---
- Examples in White: Planar Birth, Sacred Ground, Fall of the Thran
- Blue: ---
- Examples in Green: Shigeki, Jukai Visionary, Splendid Reclamation, World Shaper
- Red: ---
Generic-permanent-based
- Black: "Rumors of My Death..." (un-set card)
- Examples in White: Sevinne's Reclamation, Brought Back, Faith's Reward
- Blue: ---
- Green: ---
- Red: ---
Spell Reanimation
In terms of permanent-type cards being reanimated, the list ends here. Nonetheless, the players have started referring to certain effects as "spell reanimation".
Spell Reanimation would be the possibility of casting an Instant or Sorcery card from the Graveyard without paying its mana cost.
It arguably makes sense, since a spell would not be a permanent to be properly Reanimated. Then, the closest someone could get to "reanimating" it would be benefitting from it without paying its mana cost - making that, in some sense, Reanimation.
Therefore this is how that is handled in each color:
- Black: Sins of the Past
- White: ---
- Examples in Blue: Spelltwine, Spellweaver Volute, Torrential Gearhulk
- Green: ---
- Examples in Red: Dreadhorde Arcanist, Mizzix's Mastery, Wildfire Devils
See also
References
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (November 7, 2016). "A Few More Words from R&D". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (June 5, 2017). "Mechanical Color Pie 2017". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (April 12, 2022). "Curious what you perceive to be white's unique abilities/identity?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (June 2, 2023). "Is Beacon of Unrest reanimating artifacts a big bend or a break?". Blogatog. Tumblr.