Starving Revenant MTG Card

Starving Revenant’s instant ability retrieval can pivot the direction of MTG games with precise timing. Activation cost and specific mana requirements may narrow its inclusion to particular MTG deck archetypes. Despite its power, fast-paced strategies and graveyard disruption can effectively counter Starving Revenant.

Starving Revenant - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan (LCI)

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan (LCI)
2023-11-17 - Number 123

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan (LCI)
2023-11-17 - Number 338

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Spirit Horror
Abilities	Descend,Surveil
Power	4
Toughness	4

Text of card

When Starving Revenant enters the battlefield, surveil 2. Then for each card you put on top of your library, you draw a card and you lose 3 life. Descend 8 — Whenever you draw a card, if there are eight or more permanent cards in your graveyard, target opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.

Cards like Starving Revenant

Starving Revenant introduces a unique dynamic to deck building strategies in MTG. The card’s hunger for card advantage can be likened to cards like Bloodghast. Bloodghast, which also resurrects itself from the graveyard to the battlefield, does so whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control. Starving Revenant requires a different condition, demanding the discard of another card, which can shape the way you utilize your hand.

Moreover, Glowspore Shaman is a creature that serves a graveyard-centric strategy as well, facilitating the self-mill process while also contributing to your land plays. While it doesn’t bring itself back like the Revenant, it offers an alternate method of ensuring your graveyard is stocked. Another card with a recurring theme is Gravecrawler, able to return from graveyard to play, provided you control another Zombie. Starving Revenant’s discard requirement offers a more controlled albeit potentially costlier resurrection.

The key takeaway is in the details of recursion mechanics and the synergies they foster. Starving Revenant stands out with its tactical discard interactions, giving MTG players a distinct approach to graveyard play.

Cards similar to Starving Revenant by color, type and mana cost

Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions

Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Starving Revenant has an ability that may offer card advantage by bringing back a specific card type from your graveyard to your hand. This can be pivotal in maintaining momentum during the mid to late game phases.

Resource Acceleration: While the Starving Revenant itself does not directly provide resource acceleration, it supports strategies that benefit from having specific card types in play, indirectly facilitating faster development of your in-game resources.

Instant Speed: The ability of Starving Revenant can be activated at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to respond to your opponent’s moves or optimize your own strategy during their turn for a well-timed advantage.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Starving Revenant’s ability is contingent upon a discard condition, which can be a severe setback for players when their hand is already low on cards. This downside forces players to weigh the potential benefits of using this card against the cost of depleting their hand even further, potentially hindering strategic depth and momentum.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring a specific arrangement of mana, including black, to cast Starving Revenant can limit its versatility, restricting it to decks that can reliably produce the necessary colors. This can pigeonhole it into specific archetypes, shrinking the diversity of decks where this card can perform optimally.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the abilities of Starving Revenant might seem alluring, its mana cost can be steep compared to other cards in the same slot. This can make it a challenging choice for inclusion in a deck, as there may be alternatives available that offer similar or even superior benefits without such a taxing mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Starving Revenant fits seamlessly into various deck archetypes, particularly those looking for efficient creatures. Its cost-effective mana value allows for early gameplay pressure or defense, making it a versatile choice for many strategies.

Combo Potential: With its synergistic capabilities, Starving Revenant plays well in decks that capitalize on creature sacrifice or graveyard mechanics. Its unique interactions can empower certain combos, unlocking new levels of play in your games.

Meta-Relevance: Depending on the current competitive environment, a well-placed Starving Revenant can disrupt opponent strategies, particularly in formats where creature-based tactics prevail. Its relevance in the meta can shift with new deck trends, keeping your collection adaptable.

How to beat

The Starving Revenant is a notable card that presents a unique challenge to players in the game of Magic the Gathering. Its ability to disrupt the early stages of the game makes it essential to address it efficiently. A primary strategy to overcome the card is to limit the number of creatures that enter your graveyard. This can be achieved by using exile effects or employing graveyard hate cards like Rest in Peace, which prevent cards from hitting the graveyard altogether.

Moreover, players should focus on removing Starving Revenant as soon as possible. Direct damage spells, targeted removal, or even board wipes could take care of the card before it becomes too much of a trouble. Utilizing instant speed removal allows you to wait until your opponent commits to an action before responding, which is also crucial given the timing of Starving Revenant’s abilities.

Lastly, it’s beneficial to play aggressively against decks that harness Starving Revenant. By putting pressure on your opponent, you force them to make defensive plays, potentially misusing the card’s capabilities and diverting focus from their strategic goals. Fast-paced play can prevent the card from gaining the value it typically would in a slower, more controlled match.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Starving Revenant MTG card by a specific set like The Lost Caverns of Ixalan and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, 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 Starving Revenant and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Starving Revenant Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-11-17 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2023-11-17	The Lost Caverns of Ixalan	LCI		123	2015	Normal	Black	Fesbra
2	2023-11-17	The Lost Caverns of Ixalan	LCI		338	2015	Normal	Borderless	Jorge Gutierrez Garcia

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Starving Revenant has restrictions

Format	Legality
Standard	Legal
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Future	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2023-11-10	Cards with the ability word "descend N" have abilities that care if you have at least N permanent cards in your graveyard.
2023-11-10	Except in some unusual cases, the cards you put on top of your library while surveilling will be the cards you draw.
2023-11-10	For Starving Revenant's enters-the-battlefield ability, you put cards into your graveyard for surveil (if any) before drawing cards. If there are eight or more permanent cards in your graveyard by the time you draw cards, those draws will cause the descend 8 ability to trigger.
2023-11-10	Some descend triggered abilities include intervening "if" clauses (i.e. "if you have -our or eight] permanent cards in your graveyard" in the middle of the ability). Each of these abilities checks your graveyard at the moment it would trigger to see if it does. If you don't have the required number of permanent cards in your graveyard at that time, the ability doesn't trigger at all. If it does trigger, it will check again as it tries to resolve. If you don't have the required number of permanent cards in your graveyard at that time, the ability won't resolve and none of its effects will happen.