Postmortem Lunge MTG Card

Enhances “enter the battlefield” effects for repeated advantage, maximizing individual card value. Instant speed casting of Postmortem Lunge allows for unexpected plays, keeping opponents on their toes. Variable casting cost aligns with diverse strategy needs, from low to high-value creature retrieval.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Sorcery
Released	2011-05-13
Set symbol
Set name	New Phyrexia
Set code	NPH
Number	70
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Daarken

Text of card

({PB} can be paid with either or 2 life.) Return target creature card with converted mana cost X from your graveyard to the battlefield. It gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step.

Cards like Postmortem Lunge

Postmortem Lunge holds a unique place in the realm of reanimation spells within MTG. It shares some common ground with the card Reanimate, as both allow players to bring creatures back from the graveyard. Nevertheless, Postmortem Lunge differentiates itself by granting haste to the creature and having to exile it at the beginning of the next end step, enabling a powerful one-turn surprise that Reanimate does not offer.

Unearth is another card with functionality akin to Postmortem Lunge. It too resurrects a creature for a single turn, giving it haste, but is restricted to creatures with a low converted mana cost. Postmortem Lunge does not have this restriction, giving it a wider range of targets. On the other hand, Claim // Fame is also noteworthy; although it returns smaller creatures permanently, the Fame part can grant a creature haste, similarly enabling an unexpected burst of aggression.

In essence, while evaluating cards that retrieve creatures from the graveyard for a pivotal turn, Postmortem Lunge proves its worth by offering versatility and the potential for an immediate impact, situating it as a formidable option for players seeking to catch their opponents off guard.

Cards similar to Postmortem Lunge by color, type and mana cost

Bloodcurdling Scream - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Postmortem Lunge. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#	Name	Format	Archetype	Event
	Devoted Combo	Modern	Devoted Combo	Modern Preliminary 2024-04-05
	Devoted Druid	Modern	Devoted Combo	$5K RCQ - Modern - SCG CON Philadelphia - Friday - 1:00 pm

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Postmortem Lunge brings a creature straight from your graveyard to the battlefield, essentially drawing you into a new creature without losing card presence in your hand. This creates an opportunity to utilize creatures with enter-the-battlefield effects multiple times, optimizing the value you get from each card in your deck.

Resource Acceleration: Though not directly providing mana, Postmortem Lunge accelerates your resources by enabling you to put a creature onto the battlefield possibly much earlier than its mana cost would typically allow. Furthermore, it allows you to bypass certain casting restrictions, leveraging your graveyard as an extended hand that can be tapped into at the right strategic moment.

Instant Speed: The fact that Postmortem Lunge can be cast at instant speed gives you incredible flexibility during the game. You can wait until the end of your opponent’s turn before deciding whether to bring back a creature or respond instantly to changing battlefield conditions, catching opponents off guard and potentially swinging the game in your favor. It gives you the advantage of unpredictability and the power to react swiftly to your opponent’s actions.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Necessitates an available creature card in the graveyard, restricting its usefulness when your graveyard is empty or not optimally set up.

Specific Mana Cost: Postmortem Lunge requires both generic and Phyrexian black mana, which can be challenging to generate consistently in multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its Phyrexian mana cost, the card can be taxing on your life total, potentially putting you at a disadvantage against aggressive strategies.

Reasons to Include Postmortem Lunge in Your Collection

Versatility: Postmortem Lunge offers the flexibility to reanimate any creature with a variable X in the cost. This means it can be tailored to different situational needs, whether retrieving a low-cost utility creature or bringing back a high-powered threat for a surprising comeback.

Combo Potential: This card shines in setups focused on creature-based combos. It can swiftly bring back a key piece from your graveyard to the battlefield, potentially with haste, enabling immediate interaction or an unexpected finisher.

Meta-Relevance: In a gameplay environment that frequently sees creatures being sent to the graveyard, Postmortem Lunge can be a timely response. It can disrupt opponents’ plans by recovering crucial creatures, making it a strong contender in various metas, particularly those heavy with removal spells.

How to beat

Postmortem Lunge is a unique card that offers Magic: The Gathering players the chance to return a creature from their graveyard to the battlefield with haste. This can catch opponents off guard, particularly if the creature brought back is of high value or has an impactful enter-the-battlefield ability. To counteract Postmortem Lunge’s potential, it is vital to manage your graveyard interactions with care.

Cards like Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze, that exile cards from graveyards, disrupt Postmortem Lunge’s mechanics by removing its targets before it can be cast. Additionally, instant-speed removal spells can eliminate the creature brought back before it can make a significant impact. In the current metagame, having a strategy to handle graveyard-based tactics is essential, making inclusion of such answers a thoughtful approach in deckbuilding to maintain control against surprise maneuvers that cards like Postmortem Lunge can create.

By remaining vigilant and prepared for such graveyard shenanigans, players can effectively neutralize the advantage Postmortem Lunge offers and continue to steer the game in their favor, ensuring that the temporary revival of a creature doesn’t turn the tide against them.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Postmortem Lunge MTG card by a specific set like New Phyrexia, 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 Postmortem Lunge and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Postmortem Lunge has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2011-06-01	A card with Phyrexian mana symbols in its mana cost is each color that appears in that mana cost, regardless of how that cost may have been paid.
2011-06-01	As you cast a spell or activate an activated ability with one or more Phyrexian mana symbols in its cost, you choose how to pay for each Phyrexian mana symbol at the same time you would choose modes or choose a value for X.
2011-06-01	If the creature card has in its mana cost, that X is 0. Remember that the value of X chosen for Postmortem Lunge is independent of the value of X on other cards.
2011-06-01	If the creature is no longer on the battlefield at the beginning of the next end step, it won’t be exiled.
2011-06-01	If you’re at 1 life or less, you can’t pay 2 life.
2011-06-01	Phyrexian mana is not a new color. Players can’t add Phyrexian mana to their mana pools.
2011-06-01	To calculate the converted mana cost of a card with Phyrexian mana symbols in its cost, count each Phyrexian mana symbol as 1.