Fearsome Awakening MTG Card

Brings creatures back to life with power boost, perfect for decks exploiting graveyard dynamics. Lucrative for dragon-based decks, offering significant strength bonuses to these colossal creatures. Demands a balance of strategic timing and mana investment, integral for game-changing plays.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Sorcery
Released	2015-01-23
Set symbol
Set name	Fate Reforged
Set code	FRF
Number	69
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Véronique Meignaud

Text of card

Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. If it's a Dragon, put two +1/+1 counters on it.

On Tarkir, dragons emerge from enormous tempests, phenomena tied to Ugin's very presence on the plane.

Cards like Fearsome Awakening

Fearsome Awakening is a noteworthy spell in the realm of creature reanimation in Magic: The Gathering. It shares similarities with cards like Zombify, which also allows a player to return a creature from their graveyard to the battlefield. Fearsome Awakening takes this a step further by giving a +2/+2 bonus to that creature if it’s a Dragon. This dragon-synergy is not found in Zombify, which brings back creatures without additional buffs.

Another comparable card is Animate Dead — a classic with a different twist. While Animate Dead brings back any creature with an ongoing effect of a minor power and toughness reduction, it lacks the immediate power boost and dragon-focus that Fearsome Awakening provides. Rise from the Grave is also in this discussion, able to reanimate any creature as a black Zombie in addition to its other types, yet it doesn’t offer the specific tribal enhancements for Dragons nor the stat boost.

Comparing these options, Fearsome Awakening stands out within its category, especially for dragon tribal decks where the synergy is maximized, setting it apart with both reanimation and enhancement, making it a powerful choice in creature-focused MTG strategies.

Cards similar to Fearsome Awakening by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Fearsome Awakening gives players the power to return a creature card from their graveyard to the battlefield, possibly bringing back a high-value target. This action can tilt the balance of the game by effectively providing two creatures for the price of one – the cast creature and the one retrieved from the graveyard.

Resource Acceleration: This card can particularly shine in decks focused on large creatures or dragons, as it not only retrieves a creature but also adds two +1/+1 counters if the target creature is a dragon. This additional ability can significantly speed up resource quality through enhanced creature stats, hastening the path to victory.

Instant Speed: While Fearsome Awakening does not have instant speed, it’s important to strategize its use during your main phase. Careful planning can help maximize its impact by choosing the optimal moment when your opponent is least prepared to respond, ensuring that the creature it brings back remains a threat on the board.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Fearsome Awakening is its prerequisite to discard a creature card. This can be a noticeable setback if your hand is already sparse, or if it forces you to lose a key component of your strategy. It’s especially taxing when your hand is depleted, turning this otherwise powerful resurrection spell into a liability.

Specific Mana Cost: Fearsome Awakening demands a particular mana investment—two black and three other mana. This specific requirement can be restrictive, limiting the card’s integration into multi-colored decks that may struggle with generating the necessary black mana consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total mana cost of five, Fearsome Awakening stands on the higher end of the casting cost spectrum for reanimation spells. Given this cost, players might find alternatives that reanimate at a lower value or provide additional benefits beyond the singular action of returning a creature from the graveyard to the battlefield.

Reasons to Include Fearsome Awakening in Your Collection

Versatility: Fearsome Awakening provides a powerful reanimation spell for any black-based deck. It has the potential to bring back any large creature from the graveyard while also giving it an additional power boost, which is perfect for decks that operate with high-cost creatures or focus on graveyard strategies.

Combo Potential: This card is an excellent addition for players looking to craft intricate combos with graveyard mechanics. By reviving creatures with impactful enter-the-battlefield effects or potent death triggers, Fearsome Awakening can be a cornerstone in setting up game-changing plays.

Meta-Relevance: In a metagame with frequent creature-based strategies, Fearsome Awakening can quickly tilt the board state in your favor, making it a valuable addition especially in formats like Commander where the late game can be dictated by powerful, resurrected threats.

How to beat

Fearsome Awakening is a card that can instantly change the tide of a match in Magic: The Gathering. Bringing back a creature card from the graveyard to the battlefield plus giving it additional power can present a significant challenge. Managing such threats requires a strategy that includes graveyard interaction or preventing the spell from resolving.

Using counterspells like Negate or Dispel can be effective ways to stop Fearsome Awakening directly. If the creature has already been summoned, exile effects from cards like Path to Exile or Death’s Grip could remove the buffed creature from play without leaving a trace. Additionally, cards that manage graveyards, such as Relic of Progenitus or Bojuka Bog, can preemptively remove key creatures before your opponent has a chance to target them with Fearsome Awakening, thereby nullifying their plan.

As a Magic: The Gathering player, staying one step ahead with foresight and the right counters is the best way to thwart strategies built around Fearsome Awakening. By understanding your tools and when to deploy them, you can maintain control over the game even when faced with potent reanimation tactics.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Fearsome Awakening MTG card by a specific set like Fate Reforged, 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 Fearsome Awakening and other MTG cards:

BUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Fearsome Awakening has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2014-11-24	No player can cast spells or activate abilities between returning the creature card to the battlefield and checking whether it’s a Dragon.