Elephant Resurgence MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery
Released	2000-06-05
Set symbol
Set name	Prophecy
Set code	PCY
Number	113
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	DiTerlizzi

Key Takeaways

Offers strategic advantage by converting card count into creature tokens, making for a powerful battlefield presence.
Enhances gameplay versatility with instant casting, allowing for tactical plays during critical game moments.
Demands skillful deck construction to mitigate the discard requirement and mana color constraints.

Text of card

Each player puts a green Elephant creature token into play. Those creatures have "This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of creature cards in its controller's graveyard."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Elephant Resurgence gives players an edge by creating creature tokens based on the number of cards in their hand, turning a well-stocked grip into a formidable battalion on the field.

Resource Acceleration: By placing creatures onto the battlefield, the card effectively bypasses the mana cost usually associated with casting creatures, accelerating your ability to put pressure on opponents and assert dominance.

Instant Speed: The power to cast Elephant Resurgence at instant speed offers tactical flexibility, allowing the savvy player to wait for the optimum moment to surprise an opponent by swiftly transforming cards in hand to creatures in play.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Elephant Resurgence comes with the stipulation that you must discard a card. This condition can be particularly taxing when your hand is already depleted, or when each card in hand is crucial for your strategy, potentially setting back your game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Elephant Resurgence requires specific mana colors, thereby constraining its incorporation exclusively to decks that can reliably produce those colors. This limitation can be an impediment in formats that favor flexible mana bases.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Boasting a mana cost that is on the heftier side for its effect, Elephant Resurgence competes with other cards at a similar mana slot that might deliver more impactful board presence or card advantage, especially given the fast pace of some MTG formats.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Elephant Resurgence card offers a dynamic approach to gameplay, as it can seamlessly adapt to numerous strategies and fit into various green decks. Whether you are building around creature strength or synergizing with land-based tactics, this card can serve multiple functions on the battlefield.

Combo Potential: With Elephant Resurgence, players unearth immense combo potential, particularly in strategies focusing on creature tokens and board presence. This card acts as a catalyst, transforming your lands into creatures that can be exploited for massive gains through the right synergies and interactions.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where the meta constantly shifts, Elephant Resurgence holds its place as a robust choice against decks focusing on creature control. Its capacity to rebuild a strong board presence after a sweep can be crucial in swinging the momentum of a match in your favor.

How to beat

Elephant Resurgence finds its niche in decks that capitalize on creature size and numbers. This unique card can tilt the battlefield in your favor quickly by creating a large number of green Elephant creature tokens. The strategy for overcoming this card starts by undermining its strength – token generation. Cards with abilities to prevent token creation or to sweep the board are paramount in turning the tide against Elephant Resurgence. Tools such as Ratchet Bomb or Engineered Explosives can prove devastating to a token-based strategy by removing all tokens at once without a significant mana investment.

Another approach is to include counterspells or instant-speed removal in your deck to deal with the Resurgence before it has a chance to affect the game. This proactivity demands precision and keen timing, making Spell Pierce or Negate great choices to keep in your arsenal. Similarly, managing your opponent’s graveyard is crucial, as Elephant Resurgence’s potency is influenced by the creatures buried there. Therefore, including graveyard disruption like Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze can severely limit Elephant Resurgence’s potential impact on the game.

In essence, beating this card revolves around preparedness and versatility. Include cards that offer comprehensive answers to creature swarms and preventive measures against recurring threats to ensure your position remains unchallenged by the elephants’ march.

Cards like Elephant Resurgence

Elephant Resurgence is a unique green sorcery that makes a foray into the strategy of token generation within Magic: The Gathering. Its closest kin could be Call of the Herd, which also summons an elephant creature token onto the battlefield. But Elephant Resurgence distinguishes itself with the pronounced feature of scaling the token’s power and toughness based on the number of cards in a player’s graveyard, instead of a fixed 3/3 as offered by Call of the Herd.

Another relative in MTG’s token-spawning family is Elephant Ambush, which mirrors the concept of elephant creation but grants more control with its instant speed and flexibility in timing. While Elephant Resurgence prompts an immediate influx of potential in the form of a potentially large creature, Elephant Ambush provides a stable alternative that can catch opponents off-guard during combat or at the end of their turn.

Furthermore, evaluating cards like Terastodon shows the versatility in green’s elephant-subtheme, albeit at a much higher mana investment. Terastodon can not only introduce elephant creature tokens but can also disrupt the opposing strategies by destroying noncreature permanents. Ultimately, Elephant Resurgence has a place in decks that thrive on the graveyard, offering a different angle for constructing creature-based strategies within Magic: The Gathering.

Cards similar to Elephant Resurgence by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Elephant Resurgence MTG card by a specific set like Prophecy, 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 Elephant Resurgence and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Elephant Resurgence has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2004-10-04	The token creatures’ power and toughness continuously adjust. They are not “locked in” when the spell resolves. This is because the tokens get an ability, rather than simply having their power and toughness set.