Revenant MTG Card

The Revenant thrives on recurrence, providing a continuous threat and remarkable card advantage in gameplay. These cards bolster strategies that profit from graveyard synergies and can dictate opponents’ resource management. While powerful, drawbacks include high mana costs and precise mana requirements that may limit deck flexibility.
Card setsReleased in 11 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Spirit
Abilities Flying
Power *
Toughness *

Text of card

Flying Revenant has power and toughness each equal to the number of creature cards in your graveyard.

"Not again." —Hans

Cards like Revenant

The Revenant from Magic: The Gathering has an intriguing space among creature cards with scaling power. Like Revenant, Nantuko Shade is another creature that can become quite a powerhouse as the game progresses. Both cards increase in strength either by the number of cards in the graveyard or mana investment. Unlike Revenant, which becomes stronger with more creatures in the graveyard, Nantuko Shade benefits directly from black mana investment, giving players an alternate way to manage resources.

Nighthowler offers a similar graveyard-dependent mechanic, gaining strength from the number and power of creatures in all graveyards. However, Nighthowler can also be bestowed upon other creatures, providing flexibility that Revenant doesn’t. This versatility can often tip the scales in a tightly contested match. Moreover, Mortivore is yet another comparison point, as it also feeds off the graveyard for its power, but has regeneration as an additional ability, making it a tad more resilient than Revenant.

In a nutshell, Revenant has its place in Magic: The Gathering as a creature that can potentially become a major threat. While it shares common ground with similar cards, each alternative offers unique advantages that can strategically influence the board state and the outcome of the match.

Nantuko Shade - MTG Card versions
Nighthowler - MTG Card versions
Mortivore - MTG Card versions
Nantuko Shade - MTG Card versions
Nighthowler - MTG Card versions
Mortivore - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Revenant provides inherent card advantage through its ability to recur from the graveyard back to your hand. This trait ensures that even if placed in the graveyard, the card will remain a persistent threat and resource for a player throughout the game.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, Revenants often synergize with decks that capitalize on death triggers and graveyard mechanics. The ongoing threat of resurgence from the graveyard can accelerate your game plan indirectly by sustaining your board presence and pressuring opponents’ resources.

Instant Speed: Revenants are typically creatures and therefore not cast at instant speed. However, its return-from-graveyard ability may trigger at any time, allowing strategic advantages akin to instant-speed interactions. This enables players to redeploy the threat at the most opportune moments, thus optimizing board state and pressuring opponents to deal with the same threat multiple times.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To harness the full potential of a Revenant, players must often meet a discard prerequisite. This condition can be particularly burdensome during the late game or when your hand is already stretched thin, leading to a precarious situation where you might need to sacrifice valuable cards to summon the Revenant.

Specific Mana Cost: Revenants typically come with a mana cost that requires a specific allocation of mana types. This can create a stumbling block for players running multicolored decks, as they may struggle to guarantee the right mana combination when it’s most needed.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Revenants can be formidable creatures, they often come at a high mana cost. This can make them less appealing compared to other cards within the same mana range that might offer immediate impact on the game, such as direct removal or game-changing enchantments.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Revenant is a flexible card that can adapt to various gameplay styles. Its power and toughness are determined by the number of creature cards in your graveyard, making it an excellent inclusion in decks that focus on self-mill or graveyard strategies.

Combo Potential: This card can serve as a key piece in combos, particularly in conjunction with mechanics that fill the graveyard quickly or cards that benefit from high creature card counts in the graveyard, boosting its power exponentially.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where graveyard interaction is potent, Revenant holds a solid place. Its ability to become a considerable threat as the game progresses makes it relevant in matches against decks that may not be able to handle an ever-growing creature.

How to beat

The Revenant card in the diverse universe of Magic the Gathering is an intriguing creature to encounter. It can be especially daunting due to its ability to grow stronger with each creature card in your graveyard. However, with effective strategies, it’s possible to mitigate its impact. One straightforward method is graveyard disruption. Cards like Relic of Progenitus or Tormod’s Crypt can remove the threats lurking in graveyards, instantly weakening the Revenant.

Another tactic is to manage the battlefield through removal spells. Spells like Doom Blade or Murder can easily target and destroy the Revenant before it accumulates too much power. Board wipes such as Wrath of God or Damnation can also reset the playing field, irrespective of how strong the Revenant has become. Utilizing exile effects can be beneficial too, preventing the creature from coming back through any graveyard recursion abilities.

Lastly, playing with counterspells to prevent the Revenant from hitting the board at all is a potent way to keep its power in check. By understanding the mechanics and maintaining control of the game state, you can effectively neutralize the Revenant and keep your matches in your favor.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Revenant MTG card by a specific set like Stronghold Promos and Stronghold, 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 Revenant and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Revenant Magic the Gathering card was released in 10 different sets between 1998-03-02 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-03-02Stronghold PromosPSTH 681997NormalBlackTerese Nielsen
21998-03-02StrongholdSTH 681997NormalBlackTerese Nielsen
32001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 1601997NormalWhiteAndrew Goldhawk
42001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 160★1997NormalBlackAndrew Goldhawk
52002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 321921997NormalBlackTerese Nielsen
62015-05-06Tempest RemasteredTPR 1142015NormalBlackTerese Nielsen
72015-07-17Magic OriginsORI 1172015NormalBlackTerese Nielsen
82019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 7562015NormalBlackTerese Nielsen
92020-09-26The ListPLST ORI-1172015NormalBlackTerese Nielsen
102020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 1472015NormalBlackChris Cold
112022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 4612015NormalBlackChris Cold

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Revenant has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2020-11-10 As long as Revenant is in your graveyard, its ability will count itself.
2020-11-10 If Revenant is dealt lethal damage at the same time as another creature you control, both die at the same time. The other creature won't die in time to raise Revenant's toughness.
2020-11-10 The ability that defines Revenant's power and toughness applies in all zones, not just the battlefield.