Reap the Past MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Regaining multiple cards at instant speed can significantly shift the game’s momentum in your favor.
  2. Accelerating resources by returning vital mana-generating cards from your graveyard strengthens your position.
  3. Strategically casting Reap the Past at the right moment maximizes your retrieval, keeping opponents on edge.

Text of card

Return X cards at random from your graveyard to your hand. Exile Reap the Past.

The ground cracked and unleashed a thousand years of history at once.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: One of the main strengths of Reap the Past is its ability to return multiple cards from your graveyard to your hand. This can swing the game in your favor by providing you with a wealth of options and responses, keeping you well-equipped at all stages of play.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly generating mana, the card facilitates resource acceleration by recovering key artifacts, creatures, or lands from your graveyard. This enables you to potentially replay important mana-generating cards, thus accelerating your board presence and strategy execution.

Instant Speed: The versatility of casting Reap the Past at instant speed can’t be overstated. This feature allows you to wait until the end of your opponent’s turn to maximize the number of cards you get back, based on the spells played and the cards put into your graveyard during that turn. This reactive playstyle keeps opponents guessing and ensures optimal use of your mana.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Bridging the gap between past and present utility can sometimes come at an inconvenient price. With Reap the Past, casting this spell means that the player must be ready to discard their entire hand. This requirement can lead to tricky situations, especially when holding onto key cards for later plays. Strategic foresight is vital to ensure you make the most of this card without jeopardizing your position in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Diversifying mana requirements can enhance a card’s uniqueness but also narrow its adaptability. For Reap the Past, its specific mana cost, which includes at least one red mana, may not seamlessly fit into all deck archetypes. Decks that don’t run red mana, or that rely on a very tight mana base, could find it challenging to accommodate such specific demands without sacrificing consistency in their game plan.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When you’re engaged in a mana-hungry battle, every spell you cast needs to count. Reap the Past asks for a substantial mana investment relative to other options available in the vast card pool. The necessity to pay not just a sizable chunk of mana but also additional costs for each card retrieved can make a significant dent in your resources. This may turn the tide unfavorably, particularly when other players are utilizing lower-cost strategies to retrieve cards or produce advantageous board states.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Reap the Past offers a unique edge, as it allows players to return any number of cards from their graveyard to their hand. This can be a crucial play, fitting into various archetypes from control to combo decks that aim to cycle through their resources repeatedly.

Combo Potential: With the right setup, Reap the Past becomes an engine for powerful combos. Imagine pairing it with cards that populate the graveyard, then bringing back an arsenal of options to outmaneuver opponents. This capability can quickly turn the tide of a game in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: Given how frequently MTG metas can shift toward graveyard manipulation and value recovery strategies, Reap the Past remains a relevant addition. Its ability to recover key pieces post-board wipe or late in the game can mean the difference between victory and defeat in grindy matchups.


How to beat Reap the Past

Reap the Past is a red and green sorcery that allows a return of X cards at random from a graveyard to your hand, where X is the amount of mana spent. This mighty retrieval card from Magic: The Gathering can bring back a plethora of options for the player, potentially tipping the scales of a game. However, like all powerful spells, it has its vulnerabilities.

To counteract Reap the Past, graveyard interaction becomes key. Cards that exile graveyards, such as Tormod’s Crypt or Bojuka Bog, can nip the problem in the bud before it grows. Tactical discard effects can also preemptively eliminate the spell from an opponent’s hand, with Thoughtseize being a prime example. Additionally, counterspells remain a steadfast option; a well-timed Counterspell or Negate can ensure that Reap the Past never resolves, thereby maintaining the state of play and preserving your chances of victory.

Overall, while Reap the Past has the potential to reshuffle the odds, strategic graveyard control and preemptive measures can safeguard your position in the game, allowing you to navigate around this recursive threat.


BurnMana Recommendations

Delving into the nuances of MTG, specific cards like Reap the Past can offer unparalleled value, reshaping games with its ability to salvage crucial resources. Its potential in red and green decks to recover artifacts, creatures, or lands adds a dynamic twist. With each game, this sorcery card could either be your comeback mechanism or a strategic powerhouse. Our team encourages players to weigh Reap the Past’s pros and cons, from mana investment to the impact on hand resources. Expand your collection and understand the intricacies of each card’s contribution to your victory. Curious about optimizing this card’s potential in your deck? Let’s explore together.


Cards like Reap the Past

Within the realm of Magic: The Gathering, Reap the Past presents a unique method for players to retrieve multiple cards from their graveyard. Its closest competitor is the card Seasons Past, offering a similar effect by allowing players to select cards with distinct mana costs from their graveyard and return them to hand. However, Seasons Past is different as it has a fixed cost and lets the player choose, whereas Reap the Past’s variable cost adds an element of chance and scale, dependent on the amount of mana invested.

Another contender is Wildest Dreams, which permits players to get cards back into their hands, much like Reap the Past. Wildest Dreams, however, returns double X cards for its cost, providing a more predictable outcome at the expense of not hitting a potentially large number of cards that Reap the Past can. Moreover, Pulsemage Advocate offers a free but conditional method of card retrieval, although its use is limited as it requires the cooperation of an opponent, which is less reliable than the autonomous action of Reap the Past.

Ultimately, Reap the Past carves out its niche in MTG for players seeking mass graveyard recovery with the thrill of its X value cost. Its adaptability in game scenarios can offer a strategic edge in various deck builds where timing and resource management are key.

Seasons Past - MTG Card versions
Wildest Dreams - MTG Card versions
Pulsemage Advocate - MTG Card versions
Seasons Past - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)
Wildest Dreams - Kaladesh Promos (PKLD)
Pulsemage Advocate - Judgment (JUD)

Cards similar to Reap the Past by color, type and mana cost

Primitive Justice - MTG Card versions
Savage Twister - MTG Card versions
Savage Offensive - MTG Card versions
Hull Breach - MTG Card versions
Ground Assault - MTG Card versions
Clan Defiance - MTG Card versions
Domri's Ambush - MTG Card versions
Unnatural Moonrise - MTG Card versions
Perilous Iteration - MTG Card versions
Picnic Ruiner // Stolen Goodies - MTG Card versions
Worldsoul's Rage - MTG Card versions
Break Out - MTG Card versions
Primitive Justice - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Savage Twister - The List (PLST)
Savage Offensive - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Hull Breach - Warhammer 40,000 Commander (40K)
Ground Assault - Double Masters 2022 (2X2)
Clan Defiance - Ravnica: Clue Edition (CLU)
Domri's Ambush - War of the Spark (WAR)
Unnatural Moonrise - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)
Perilous Iteration - Alchemy: The Brothers' War (YBRO)
Picnic Ruiner // Stolen Goodies - Wilds of Eldraine (WOE)
Worldsoul's Rage - Murders at Karlov Manor Promos (PMKM)
Break Out - Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Reap the Past MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons and Jumpstart: Historic Horizons, 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 Reap the Past and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Reap the Past Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-06-14 and 2021-08-26. Illustrated by John Severin Brassell.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-06-14Modern HorizonsMH1 2112015normalblackJohn Severin Brassell
22021-08-26Jumpstart: Historic HorizonsJ21 7102015normalblackJohn Severin Brassell

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Reap the Past has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
GladiatorLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2019-06-14 All players get to see which cards you chose at random as they’re returned to your hand.
2019-06-14 If X is greater than or equal to the number of cards in your graveyard, you simply return your entire graveyard to your hand.
2019-06-14 No player may take actions between the time the cards are chosen at random and the time they’re returned to your hand.
2019-06-14 Reap the Past is still on the stack while you return cards to your hand, so it can’t return itself.

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