Rescue from the Underworld MTG Card
2013-09-27 - Number 102
2020-03-08 - Number 43
2020-09-26 - Number THS-102
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Instant |
Key Takeaways
- Rescue from the Underworld provides card advantage and potential battlefield control with reanimation.
- Its demand for a sacrifice and specific mana cost may limit play to certain deck types.
- Strategic graveyard play with this card can outmaneuver opponents in control-heavy metas.
Text of card
As an additional cost to cast Rescue from the Underworld, sacrifice a creature. Choose target creature card in your graveyard. Return that card and the sacrificed card to the battlefield under your control at the beginning of your next upkeep. Exile Rescue from the Underworld.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When you cast Rescue from the Underworld, you are setting up a potential two-for-one scenario. Not only do you bring a creature back from the graveyard, but you also get a chance to re-use any enter-the-battlefield effects. This can lead to significant card advantage, especially in decks designed to capitalize on such synergies.
Resource Acceleration: This card indirectly offers resource acceleration by retrieving high-value creatures from your graveyard. This effectively reduces the mana cost you would have to pay for a similar effect, since reanimating a creature is often cheaper than casting it from your hand. It ensures that your high-impact creatures can be put back into play to regain control of the board faster.
Instant Speed: While Rescue from the Underworld is a sorcery, its delayed trigger allows you to perform a kind of instant-speed action. You select creatures during your turn, but the actual reanimation occurs at the next upkeep, potentially yours or your opponent’s. This timing can catch opponents off guard, suddenly shifting the game’s momentum in your favor without warning during their upkeep.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Rescue from the Underworld demands you to sacrifice a creature, which means you lose a piece on the board. This could be a strategic setback, especially if your battlefield presence is essential for your game plan.
Specific Mana Cost: This card requires both black and generic mana, which can be restrictive. Decks not focused on black mana might find it challenging to meet the cost, thereby reducing its versatility in multi-color decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a five mana cost, including one black mana, Rescue from the Underworld can be a hefty investment. Other cards may offer similar or better revival effects at a lower cost, making them potentially more efficient choices for your deck.
Reasons to Include Rescue from the Underworld in Your Collection
Versatility: Rescue from the Underworld is a spell that brings dynamic interactions to any deck, particularly those aiming for late-game dominance. It allows for unexpected plays by bringing back key creatures from the graveyard while also offering a surprise blocker or attacker through its instant-speed sacrifice mechanism.
Combo Potential: This card can be a linchpin in decks that capitalize on enter-the-battlefield effects or death triggers. Coordinating the revival of a creature with potent abilities can turn the tide of a game, setting the stage for powerful play sequences.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where control decks and graveyard play are common, having Rescue from the Underworld can give you an edge. It’s a robust response to removal-heavy opponents, ensuring that your threats continually recur, exerting constant pressure on the battlefield.
How to beat
Rescue from the Underworld is a unique card in Magic: The Gathering, offering players a strategic advantage by allowing them to return a creature from the graveyard to the battlefield during their next upkeep, along with sacrificing a creature they control. Its strength lies in the ability to surprise opponents by bringing back powerful creatures during a stage of the game when resources are dwindling.
One way to counter this card effectively is by utilizing graveyard hate—cards that exile cards from graveyards or remove graveyard interactions—in your deck. These, such as Scavenging Ooze or Relic of Progenitus, can disrupt the process by removing potential Rescue targets before the spell resolves. Instant-speed removal, like Path to Exile, can also deal with the resurrected creature and undermine your opponent’s plans, as it will eliminate their creature upon its return during the upkeep.
Timing is crucial when playing against Rescue from the Underworld. Being aware of the key cards your opponent might target and having a response ready can negate the advantage they might otherwise gain. Much like a well-played chess move, the key to beating this MTG card lies in anticipation and strategic disruption.
Cards like Rescue from the Underworld
Rescue from the Underworld is a noteworthy card in Magic: The Gathering, particularly in the realm of creature recursion spells. Akin to Zombify, the card also returns a creature from the graveyard to the battlefield. The striking difference lies in Rescue from the Underworld’s ability to be cast at instant speed, allowing for surprise mid-combat plays, while Zombify is restricted to sorcery speed.
Closeness in functionality can also be seen with the likes of Unburial Rites. Both cards allow for reanimation of powerful creatures, but Unburial Rites adds flexibility with its flashback ability, permitting a second use. However, Rescue from the Underworld’s unique mechanic of sacrificing a creature as part of its cost sets up potential graveyard synergies that can be exploited.
Comparing it with Diabolic Servitude, which offers recurring creature return potential, Rescue from the Underworld trades repeatability for immediate impact. Sacrificing a creature can be advantageous in decks that benefit from such interactions. Overall, within the space of creature recursion in Magic: The Gathering, Rescue from the Underworld holds a distinctive position, bridging the tactical gap between an immediate surprise factor and strategic graveyard manipulation.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Rescue from the Underworld MTG card by a specific set like Theros and Mystery Booster Retail Edition Foils, 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 Rescue from the Underworld and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Rescue from the Underworld Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2013-09-27 and 2020-03-08. Illustrated by Raymond Swanland.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2013-09-27 | Theros | THS | 102 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland | |
| 2 | 2020-03-08 | Mystery Booster Retail Edition Foils | FMB1 | 43 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | THS-102 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Rescue from the Underworld has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Rescue from the Underworld card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-09-15 | However, if the sacrificed creature is put into another public zone instead of the graveyard, perhaps because it's your commander or because of another replacement effect, it will return to the battlefield from the zone it went to. |
| 2013-09-15 | If either the sacrificed creature or the target creature card leaves the graveyard before the delayed triggered ability resolves during your next upkeep, it won't return. |
| 2013-09-15 | If you sacrifice a creature token to cast Rescue from the Underworld, it won't return to the battlefield, although the target creature card will. |
| 2013-09-15 | Once you announce you're casting Rescue from the Underworld, no player may attempt to stop you from casting the spell by removing the creature you want to sacrifice. |
| 2013-09-15 | Rescue from the Underworld is exiled as it resolves, not later as its delayed trigger resolves. |
