March of the Returned MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery
Released	2013-09-27
Set symbol
Set name	Theros
Set code	THS
Number	96
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Mark Zug

Key Takeaways

March of the Returned enables crucial card advantage and flexibility with its instant speed, impactful during opponent turns.
Its specificity in mana cost and discard requirement might limit its versatility across diverse deck strategies.
The card’s ability to recover creature cards from the graveyard makes it valuable for combo-driven decks and metagame relevance.

Text of card

Return up to two target creature cards from your graveyard to your hand.

The Returned have no memory of the Underworld or of their former lives. The golden masks they wear are the last gifts of the selves they left behind.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: March of the Returned shines by letting you return up to two creature cards from your graveyard to your hand, replenishing your resources and giving you an edge in the long game.

Resource Acceleration: This can indirectly contribute to resource acceleration by providing access to creatures with mana abilities or those that generate additional value when they enter the battlefield again.

Instant Speed: This card operates at instant speed, offering flexibility to respond to your opponents’ moves by strategically planning the return of creatures during their turn, or even at the end of their turn for a surprise tactic.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: March of the Returned compels players to part with a card, potentially putting you at a disadvantage if your hand size is already dwindling and you’re pressed for choices.

Specific Mana Cost: This card calls for both black mana, which may restrict its integration in decks that draw upon a wider variety of mana sources and can be cumbersome for multicolored deck strategies that aren’t heavily leaning towards black.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While reanimating two creatures from the graveyard is certainly useful, the four mana investment, especially when two must be black, might be steep for effects that don’t provide immediate board presence or traction, especially when there are alternative cards with lower casting costs and similarly potent reanimation potentials.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: March of the Returned offers a straightforward way to bring creatures back from the graveyard to your hand. This capability allows it to slide easily into various deck styles, particularly those based around graveyard strategies or that need card advantage to maintain momentum.

Combo Potential: As a piece that can retrieve creatures, this card opens up multiple combo opportunities. It can be especially powerful in decks that exploit enter-the-battlefield effects or need specific creature cards to execute a winning strategy.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where graveyard interaction is a key component, March of the Returned gains significant value. It’s a practical choice when facing common control decks, ensuring that even your fallen creatures can serve a purpose beyond the grave.

How to beat

March of the Returned opens up intriguing graveyard strategies in Magic: The Gathering, bringing creatures back from the dead to your hand. This card, like other reanimation spells, can swing games by recovering key pieces from the graveyard. However, there are strategies to undermine its effectiveness. Graveyard hate is a strong answer, with cards such as Scavenging Ooze actively exiling creatures that March of the Returned could target. It’s also critical to manage the timing of your graveyard disruption, ensuring the opponent’s graveyard is empty when they’re likely to cast resurrection spells.

Additionally, countermagic plays a significant role in checking March of the Returned. By keeping up mana for counterspells such as Negate or Dovin’s Veto, you can stop the spell in its tracks. It’s vital to weigh the value of what might be returning versus the cost of holding up mana for a counter. Overall, consistent graveyard surveillance combined with well-timed disruption can effective thwart March of the Returned, maintaining control of the match rhythm and leaving opponents a step behind.

Cards like March of the Returned

March of the Returned is an intriguing piece in the puzzle of creature reanimation within the world of MTG. It shares common ground with other reanimation spells such as Disentomb, which also allows a player to bring back creatures from the graveyard. While Disentomb is more mana-efficient at just one black mana, it returns only a single creature to your hand. March of the Returned, however, provides a two-for-one deal, albeit at a higher mana cost.

Another card to consider is Raise Dead, a simple and straightforward spell that, like Disentomb, returns one creature from the graveyard to your hand for one black mana. On the other hand, March of the Returned stands out for its ability to capitalize on late-game graveyards stocked with creatures. Then, there’s Macabre Waltz, which not only retrieves two creatures much like March of the Returned, but also prompts you to discard a card, introducing a slight strategic challenge.

With these comparisons in mind, March of the Returned is seen as a go-to option for players aiming to maximize graveyard utility. Its potential for card advantage ensures that it holds a competitive position among MTG’s creature recovery spells.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase March of the Returned MTG card by a specific set like Theros, 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 March of the Returned and other MTG cards: