Stir the Grave MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery
Released	2005-02-04
Set symbol
Set name	Betrayers of Kamigawa
Set code	BOK
Number	85
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jim Nelson

Key Takeaways

Stir the Grave excels in recycling key battlefield players, bolstering endurance in matches.
Flexibility with instant speed makes it a formidable surprise during crucial gameplay moments.
Mana efficiency and versatility in deck strategies render Stir the Grave a valuable asset.

Text of card

Return target creature card with converted mana cost X or less from your graveyard to play.

"Your lungs may not draw breath, but while your hands can grip a sword, you will be useful to me." —Nighteyes, nezumi necromancer

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Stir the Grave offers a direct pathway to reclaiming key creatures from your graveyard. By targeting a specific creature card, you can effectively recycle valuable resources and maintain a consistent presence on the battlefield without depleting your hand.

Resource Acceleration: Although Stir the Grave itself does not generate mana or additional cards directly, returning a creature that has ramp capabilities can indirectly accelerate your resources. This can be especially potent if the creature retrieved has an ‘Enter the Battlefield’ effect that ramps or provides additional resources.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Stir the Grave at instant speed affords you great flexibility during games. You can respond to your opponent’s actions during their turn or at the end of it, keeping mana open for other strategies and surprising an unprepared adversary by bringing back a creature at a crucial moment.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Using Stir the Grave necessitates pinpoint precision in graveyard management. You need to have the right creature card in your graveyard to maximize its potential, which can be challenging at times and requires setup.

Specific Mana Cost: The card’s cost demands one black mana, which can be restrictive for multi-colored decks that might struggle with mana consistency. Decks that don’t run heavily on black mana may find Stir the Grave to be a tricky fit.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With the need to invest two mana to retrieve only a creature card from your graveyard to your hand, some players may find the cost a bit steep. Especially when other cards available may offer more versatility or lower mana commitments for similar effects.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Stir the Grave provides value in different deck archetypes as it allows players to return creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield. Whether used in control decks to bring back powerful blockers or in aggro decks to maintain board presence, it plays a key role across numerous strategies.

Combo Potential: This card holds great potential for synergy with death-triggered and enter-the-battlefield abilities. It is a staple in graveyard-centric decks, enabling combos by reinstating key creatures that can interact with other elements on the board.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the ever-changing MTG landscape, Stir the Grave maintains relevance by countering many graveyard hate strategies. It’s an excellent response in a metagame filled with high-value creature cards and can be a game-changer by restoring critical threats that opponents may not be prepared to face again.

How to Beat Stir the Grave

Stir the Grave is a resourceful card for bringing creatures back from the graveyard to the battlefield, presenting a recurring challenge for opponents. To counter this card, leveraging graveyard disruption is paramount. Cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void can be game-changers; they exile cards that go to the graveyard, thus undermining Stir the Grave’s utility. Additionally, employing instant-speed removal can help manage creatures that are reanimated during your opponent’s turn.

If Stir the Grave is a cornerstone in your opponent’s strategy, you can use spell counters like Counterspell or negate to directly prevent it from resolving. Moreover, maintaining a flexible and reactive stance in your gameplay allows you to adapt to the threats Stir the Grave can present, whether through disruption or counterspells. Strategic timing and a keen understanding of your opponent’s graveyard will guide you to effectively neutralize the advantage Stir the Grave can provide.

Finally, a proactive approach can serve you well. Applying pressure with an aggressive strategy can reduce the effectiveness of Stir the Grave by limiting the window in which it can be safely cast. In summation, mitigating this card’s impact is about anticipation and interference, ensuring that the creatures targeted by Stir the Grave remain in the graveyard or that the card itself is neutralized before it can affect the game state.

Cards like Stir the Grave

Stir the Grave holds its ground as a valued reanimation spell in Magic: The Gathering for its simplicity and low casting cost. This card’s primary purpose is to retrieve creatures from the graveyard directly to the battlefield, a mechanic that shares a thematic link with other resurrection spells such as Animate Dead. However, what makes Stir the Grave distinct is its scalable nature, allowing players to bring back varying sizes of creatures depending on the mana invested.

Looking at cards like Zombify, we see a more limited reanimation effect since it has a fixed cost and can only bring back a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. Unlike Stir the Grave, Zombify doesn’t offer the flexibility of adjusting to graveyard targets of different mana values. Unearth is another card that operates on a similar reanimation concept but with a strict condition; it can only target creatures with a total casting cost of three or less. This makes Stir the Grave a more versatile choice for decks that may want to salvage larger, more impactful creatures.

Analyzing these comparisons shows that Stir the Grave can be an essential piece in MTG decks designed to capitalize on graveyard synergies. Its adaptable mana cost and straightforward effect make it a staple for strategists aiming to turn the tide by recovering key creatures at crucial moments.

Cards similar to Stir the Grave by color, type and mana cost

Bloodcurdling Scream - MTG Card versions

Call to the Netherworld - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Stir the Grave MTG card by a specific set like Betrayers of Kamigawa, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Stir the Grave and other MTG cards: