Defossilize MTG Card

Defossilize’s instant speed and creature revival foster unexpected gameplay twists and turns. Green mana requirement and permanent discard cost add a layer of strategic complexity. Versatility in creature resurrection makes Defossilize a worthwhile addition to many decks.

Defossilize - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Sorcery
Abilities	Explore
Released	2023-11-17
Set symbol
Set name	The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
Set code	LCI
Number	103
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Dibujante Nocturno

Text of card

Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. That creature explores, then it explores again. (Reveal the top card of your library. Put that card into your hand if it's a land. Otherwise, put a +1/+1 counter on that creature, then put the card back or put it into your graveyard. Then repeat this process.)

Cards like Defossilize

Defossilize breathes new life into MTG redactions of reanimation spells with its unique twist on reviving creatures. Standing side by side with Unearth, Defossilize offers a broader range of targets, allowing the return of any creature card with converted mana cost three or less, not just creatures with a specific mechanic or ability. Where Unearth restricts reanimation to creatures with cycling, Defossilize grants access to a wider creature pool from your graveyard.

When compared to the more traditional reanimation spell, Animate Dead, Defossilize forgoes continuous control, instead providing a one-off resurgence which culminates in the creature’s exile, presenting a different strategic approach. Similarly to Claim // Fame, which also targets smaller creatures, Defossilize extends this size constraint and sacrifices the creature at the next end step, highlighting its use as an immediate impact play rather than a long-term strategy.

The trade-offs inherent to Defossilize place it intriguingly within its class. For players looking to surprise opponents with a well-timed creature’s return, Defossilize offers a compelling choice, especially when exploiting enter-the-battlefield effects or the innate swiftness of certain red creatures.

Cards similar to Defossilize by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Defossilize is a potent tool for gaining card advantage by bringing a creature from your graveyard to the battlefield, thus refilling your board presence without depleting your hand.

Resource Acceleration: By returning a high-cost creature to play earlier than expected, Defossilize can effectively accelerate your resource development, potentially providing a powerful creature to dominate the battlefield ahead of schedule.

Instant Speed: The instant speed of Defossilize offers flexibility, allowing you to respond to your opponent’s actions during their turn, surprise your opponent with an unexpected blocker, or simply revive a key creature after a board wipe.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Defossilize demands you to sacrifice another permanent, which might deplete your board presence, making it a risky play when you’re trying to maintain control.

Specific Mana Cost: This spell requires green mana, constraining its inclusion to green-focused or multicolor decks, potentially excluding it from a wide range of strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its cost set at five mana, including two green, it competes with other high-impact cards in the same slot, which could provide immediate effects or more substantial long-term value.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Defossilize bolsters any lineup with its capability to bring creatures back from the graveyard to the battlefield. Its broad application allows it to plug into multiple deck archetypes that hinge on creature recurrence.

Combo Potential: This card is a powerhouse in strategies that revolve around graveyard synergy. Coupling Defossilize with cards that have enter-the-battlefield effects or self-mill tactics can spawn game-changing combos.

Meta-Relevance: A meta defined by creature-based strategies can make Defossilize particularly potent. Its ability to recover key creatures can be crucial against control decks that rely on removing threats from the board.

How to beat

Defossilize is a compelling spell in the world of Magic: The Gathering, offering players the unique ability to return a creature card from their graveyard to the battlefield, with a twist. This card can dramatically shift the game’s momentum by resurrecting powerful creatures. However, there are strategic approaches to counter this play effectively.

One of the key strategies is to employ graveyard hate cards that can remove potential targets before Defossilize can be cast, such as Relic of Progenitus or Tormod’s Crypt. Counterspells also serve as a direct answer, preventing Defossilize from resolving in the first place. Lastly, keeping a removal spell in hand ensures that, even if a creature is returned to the battlefield, it can be swiftly dealt with, minimizing the impact of the reanimation.

Understanding and anticipating this potent spell is crucial. Keeping your opponent’s graveyard under control and being prepared with a response can turn a game-changing play into a minor setback, ensuring you maintain the upper hand.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Defossilize MTG card by a specific set like The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, 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 Defossilize and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Defossilize has restrictions

Format	Legality
Standard	Legal
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Future	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Defossilize card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2023-11-10	If a resolving spell or ability instructs a specific creature to explore but that creature has left the battlefield, the creature still explores. If you reveal a nonland card this way, you won't put a +1/+1 counter on anything, but you may put the revealed card into your graveyard. Effects that trigger "whenever a creature explores" trigger as appropriate.
2023-11-10	If an ability instructs a creature to explore, its controller reveals the top card of their library. If it's a land card, they'll put it into their hand. Otherwise, they'll put a +1/+1 counter on that creature, then choose to either leave that card on top of their library or put it into their graveyard.
2023-11-10	If no card is revealed, most likely because that player's library is empty, the exploring creature receives a +1/+1 counter.
2023-11-10	In some unusual cases, noncreature permanents may explore. For example, if the creature card returned by Defossilize is somehow not a creature once it's on the battlefield, it can still explore. You'll take all the same actions, and you may end up putting a +1/+1 counter on the permanent. (Note that some effects target a creature, and those effects would still require a legal target to have it explore.)
2023-11-10	Once an ability that causes a creature to explore begins to resolve, no player may take any other actions until it's done. Notably, opponents can't try to remove the exploring creature after you reveal a nonland card but before it receives a counter.
2023-11-10	Some spells or abilities might cause a creature to explore multiple times in a row. If you reveal a nonland card when a creature explores and leave it on top of your library, then the creature explores again immediately afterwards, you'll reveal the same card again.