Unhallowed Pact MTG Card
2012-05-04 - Number 124
2014-06-06 - Number 131
2016-09-02 - Number 64
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
Text of card
Enchant creature When enchanted creature dies, return that card to the battlefield under your control.
Agreements with demons seldom end at the grave.
Cards like Unhallowed Pact
Unhallowed Pact finds its niche within the array of enchantment auras in Magic: The Gathering. It shares some common ground with other aura cards like Dead Weight or Unholy Indenture, which also interact with creatures on the battlefield. Unhallowed Pact offers the unique upside of bringing the enchanted creature back under your control when it dies, akin to the effect of Unholy Indenture. However, unlike Unholy Indenture, which only brings back your own creatures, Unhallowed Pact can be used on any target creature, furnishing a broader range of strategic plays.
Conversely, Dead Weight serves a different purpose by weakening an opponent’s creature. While it doesn’t resurrect creatures like Unhallowed Pact does, it is a powerful tool for immediate creature management. In terms of cost and flexibility, Kaya’s Ghostform dips into the same pool, albeit at a lower cost, protecting a creature or planeswalker from a one-time destruction.
Comparing these cards, Unhallowed Pact is a solid pick for players looking to turn the tide of battle by reclaiming potent creatures. It’s a strategic choice, especially in longer, grindier games where its delayed payoff can be a gamechanger.
Cards similar to Unhallowed Pact by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When a creature dies, if it’s enchanted with Unhallowed Pact, it returns under your control. This can effectively turn your opponent’s efforts to remove a threat into an advantage for you, often swinging the balance of card economy.
Resource Acceleration: By reclaiming a powerful creature from the graveyard, you’re essentially accelerating your board presence without spending additional mana for a new creature. The Pact thus offers a form of acceleration by bypassing traditional resource costs.
Instant Speed: While Unhallowed Pact itself is an enchantment played at sorcery speed, it prompts you to strategize around instant-speed removal spells in your deck. This means you can respond to the killing of an enchanted creature at instant speed, immediately reclaiming the creature and maintaining your resource balance seamlessly.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Engaging in an Unhallowed Pact demands a crucial toss-out from your hand. This could put players at a disadvantage, especially when they’re holding onto a tight array of essential cards. Watching your strategic plans dissolve as you’re forced to give up that one card can sting more than anticipated.
Specific Mana Cost: When it comes to summoning the powers of an Unhallowed Pact, a precise blend of mana is required. Decks that don’t dabble in the darker swathes of the mana spectrum may find incorporating this pact challenging, as they weave together their pool of resources.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With the casting cost placed at three mana, including one black, players might weigh their options against other enchantments in the game. In a world where efficiency rules, it’s vital to scrutinize whether Unhallowed Pact’s benefits truly justify its place in your deck, given the multitude of alternatives that could fit a tight mana curve.
Reasons to Include Unhallowed Pact in Your Collection
Versatility: Unhallowed Pact’s enchantment nature allows it to be slotted easily into various deck strategies, offering defensive benefits and creature control to both aggressive and control decks alike.
Combo Potential: With the ability to resurrect creatures under your control upon their demise, Unhallowed Pact can be crucial in recurring valuable creatures or integrating with sacrifice mechanics for repeated use.
Meta-Relevance: Given the prevalence of removal spells in many MTG metas, the protection that Unhallowed Pact provides to your key creatures can be a game-changer, making it a worthy addition against decks relying heavily on targeted removal.
How to beat
Unhallowed Pact is a unique enchantment that can tilt the battlefield dynamics in your favor in Magic: The Gathering. With the ability to bring a creature back under your control when it dies, opponents must think twice before attacking or using removal spells. Yet, there are strategies to dismantle its power effectively.
To counter Unhallowed Pact, prioritize enchantment removal spells that are prevalent in MTG. Cards like Disenchant or Naturalize are classic answers, efficiently dealing with the enchantment before it can trigger. Another strategy is to exile creatures rather than destroy them, thus bypassing Unhallowed Pact’s effect entirely. Additionally, employing a sacrifice strategy could prove to be fruitful. By forcing your opponent to sacrifice creatures, you remove the potential targets for Unhallowed Pact without destroying them, thereby negating the card’s ability to return a creature to the battlefield.
Overall, dealing with Unhallowed Pact requires a blend of preemptive actions and considering alternative removal tactics. By keeping these strategies up your sleeve, you can minimize the advantage this card affords your opponent and maintain control over the match.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Unhallowed Pact MTG card by a specific set like Avacyn Restored and Conspiracy, 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 Unhallowed Pact 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
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Printings
The Unhallowed Pact Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2012-05-04 and 2016-09-02. Illustrated by Volkan Baǵa.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2012-05-04 | Avacyn Restored | AVR | 124 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Volkan Baǵa | |
| 2 | 2014-06-06 | Conspiracy | CNS | 131 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Volkan Baǵa | |
| 3 | 2016-09-02 | Duel Decks: Nissa vs. Ob Nixilis | DDR | 64 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Volkan Baǵa |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Unhallowed Pact has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Unhallowed Pact card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2012-05-01 | If Unhallowed Pact is enchanting a token creature, that creature can’t return to the battlefield. |
| 2012-05-01 | The card will return to the battlefield under your control only if it’s still in the graveyard when Unhallowed Pact’s ability resolves. If it’s not (perhaps because an ability like undying has already returned it to the battlefield), nothing happens. |