Undertaker MTG Card
1999-10-04 - Number 167
2006-10-06 - Number 53
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Spellshaper |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
o B, oc T, Discard a card from your hand: Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
The weight of death is heavy but not immovable.
Cards like Undertaker
Undertaker from Magic: The Gathering offers a unique twist in the realm of creature cards with utility abilities. Much like the Merfolk Looter, which lets you draw a card and then discard a card, Undertaker allows you to tap it to return a creature card from your graveyard to your hand at the cost of discarding a card. The flexibility of this ability makes for solid graveyard strategy, opening pathways to reuse creature effects or simply to safeguard key creatures for later use.
Comparatively, Tortured Existence is another card that operates on a similar discard one creature, return another creature principle, albeit at a cheaper activation cost but without the body that Undertaker provides. Another analogous card is Grave Scrabbler, which not only has the discard to return function but can do so as a madness effect, offering additional utility under the right circumstances. Though not as straightforward in its use like Undertaker, Grave Scrabbler can surprise opponents with its madness trigger.
In assessing the utility and adaptability provided by these graveyard manipulation cards, Undertaker proves to be a contender due to its creature form and straightforward activation, fitting smoothly into strategies that value recurring creature abilities from the graveyard.
Cards similar to Undertaker by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Undertaker offers a strategic edge in deck manipulation by letting you trade unwanted cards in hand for potentially more useful creatures in your graveyard. This selective retrieval can turn the tide by giving you access to creatures that match the current needs of the game.
Resource Acceleration: The Undertaker’s ability can be activated at a low cost, optimizing your mana usage. It can be particularly effective in combo decks or strategies that thrive on recurring certain creatures to generate a loop or a game-winning condition.
Instant Speed: The power to activate its ability at instant speed provides a significant advantage, allowing reactive gameplay that keeps opponents guessing. By waiting to use Undertaker’s ability, you maximize your strategic options, potentially disrupting your opponent’s plans or resurrecting creatures with impactful abilities at the most opportune moment.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Undertaker demands that you discard a card to utilize its ability, potentially depleting your hand and putting you at a resource disadvantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Undertaker’s activation cost includes black mana, constraining its integration exclusively to decks that can reliably produce black mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an activation cost that is significant for its effect, players may find more efficient reanimation options elsewhere, leaving the Undertaker as a less optimal choice for the cost incurred.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: The Undertaker card offers flexibility in gameplay, allowing you to return creature cards from your graveyard to your hand. This can be crucial for decks that hinge on replaying key creatures or those that need to cycle resources effectively.
Combo Potential: With the ability to recover creatures from the graveyard, Undertaker can be a linchpin in combo decks, enabling endless interactions and synergies with various creatures and graveyard mechanics.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state that favors recursion and sustainable strategies, Undertaker can prove to be an asset by consistently recuperating valuable creatures, ensuring your deck’s resilience and long-term power on the battlefield.
How to beat Undertaker
Undertaker is a unique creature card that presents a strategic challenge in games of Magic: The Gathering. As a creature with the ability to return target creature card from a graveyard to its owner’s hand, it can be quite the thorn in an opponent’s side, enabling recursive strategies that can outpace a less prepared deck.
To counteract Undertaker’s advantages, it’s important to disrupt its abilities. Graveyard hate cards such as Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void can neutralize its graveyard interaction by exiling cards rather than allowing them to return to the hand. Additionally, efficient removal spells that can deal with the Undertaker before it activates are critical. Cards like Path to Exile or Fatal Push can be effective measures to remove it from the field. Lastly, Silent Gravestone can prevent targeted retrieval from the graveyard, stymieing the Undertaker’s effectiveness directly. Sequencing plays for maximum impact and staying ahead on board presence can prevent the Undertaker from ever gaining traction.
Understandably, Undertaker brings a layer of complexity to the game, but with the right measures and a focus on disruption, this creature’s influence can be thoroughly mitigated, maintaining the equilibrium of play.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Undertaker MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques and Time Spiral Timeshifted, 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 Undertaker and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Undertaker Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1999-10-04 and 2006-10-06. Illustrated by Jeff Easley.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999-10-04 | Mercadian Masques | MMQ | 167 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Jeff Easley | |
| 2 | 2006-10-06 | Time Spiral Timeshifted | TSB | 53 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Jeff Easley |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Undertaker has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |