Unmake the Graves MTG Card

Recovers two creatures, offering critical gameplay choices and sustaining board presence. Instant speed allows for strategic plays and unexpected game momentum shifts. Mana requirements and discard cost are downsides that require careful deck construction.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Abilities	Convoke
Released	2014-07-18
Set symbol
Set name	Magic 2015
Set code	M15
Number	120
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Aaron Miller

Text of card

Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for or one mana of that creature's color.) Return up to two target creature cards from your graveyard to your hand.

"I'm raising an army. Any volunteers?"

Cards like Unmake the Graves

Unmake the Graves stands out in the realm of reanimation spells in MTG. It bears resemblance to Raise Dead, which brings a creature back from the graveyard to your hand. Unmake the Graves offers the twist of convoke, potentially reducing its cost if you tap creatures. Raise Dead doesn’t have this potential cost reduction.

Comparably, we observe Morbid Plunder. This spell also returns creatures from the graveyard to your hand, but it brings back two compared to Unmake the Graves, which can potentially revive numerous creatures thanks to its convoke ability. However, Morbid Plunder is fixed at three mana, while Unmake the Graves could cost less or nothing at all if you have sufficient creatures to tap.

Moreover, another card in the same category is Footsteps of the Goryo. This sorcery can also return a creature from the graveyard to play, but it’s sacrificed at the next end step. Unlike Unmake the Graves, Footsteps of the Goryo instantly puts the creature onto the battlefield but is a fleeting advantage. Where Unmake the Graves excels is in its flexibility and ability to impact the board with multiple creatures for a potentially lower cost.

Footsteps of the Goryo - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Unmake the Graves by color, type and mana cost

Death of a Thousand Stings - MTG Card versions

Rescue from the Underworld - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Unmake the Graves enables the retrieval of two creature cards from your graveyard, effectively replenishing your hand and providing pivotal options for subsequent turns. This ensures you maintain a strong presence on the board by bringing back key creatures to help sway the game in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: By bringing creatures back to your hand, Unmake the Graves indirectly accelerates your resources. Revived creatures can be ones that generate mana or offer other value, which can be crucial for developing an overwhelming board state or executing your strategy more efficiently.

Instant Speed: The power of acting at instant speed cannot be overstated. Unmake the Graves gives you the flexibility to wait until the most opportune moment during your opponent’s turn, possibly after they’ve committed to a play. This strategic depth allows for calculated decisions that can result in significant shifts in the game’s momentum.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unmake the Graves necessitates a player to discard another card to initiate its reanimation ability. This prerequisite can backfire when your hand is already running on empty, compelling you to forfeit vital gameplay options.

Specific Mana Cost: The card demands a dedicated mana setup with two black mana symbols as part of its casting cost, presenting a hurdle for multicolor decks that may struggle with mana consistency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of five mana, this card could be seen as a weighty investment when there are alternative spells that resurrect creatures from the graveyard for less, allowing for more efficient use of one’s mana resources within a turn.

Reasons to Include Unmake the Graves in Your Collection

Versatility: Unmake the Graves is a card that can slide into a variety of MTG decks, particularly those that leverage graveyard mechanics. It offers the ability to selectively return creatures from graveyard to hand, making it a useful tool in both aggressive and control strategies.

Combo Potential: There’s a significant synergy with cards that favor creature recursion. Combining Unmake the Graves with cards that provide benefits upon creature death or casting can set up powerful chains of events, enhancing deck cohesion and power.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where games tend to go long and controlling resources becomes vital, Unmake the Graves shines by replenishing your hand with key creatures that have already served their purpose, or were removed by an opponent, thus allowing for sustained board presence and pressure.

How to beat

Unmake the Graves is a niche player in the realm of graveyard recursion spells within Magic the Gathering. Players who wield this card effectively can bring back a host of creatures in a late-game scenario, potentially turning the tide of a match. The convoke mechanic allows for a reduced casting cost, providing a tactical advantage especially in decks with a wide board presence.

To effectively counter this card, one must consider graveyard hate strategies. Cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void can completely shut down Unmake the Graves by exiling cards before they can be returned to the battlefield. Additionally, countering this spell with blue cards like Counterspell or Negate can preemptively halt this recursion play. Direct damage or removal spells can also help clear the board before the card is played, reducing the impact of creatures being returned to the battlefield.

Strategic plays and card choices can significantly minimize the effectiveness of Unmake the Graves, which requires a thoughtful approach to combat. Lightning-fast aggro decks or control strategies with the right disruption can nullify the potential advantage this card offers, maintaining the tempo and momentum of the game in your favor.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Unmake the Graves MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2015, 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 Unmake the Graves and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Unmake the Graves has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2014-07-18	Because convoke isn’t an alternative cost, it can be used in conjunction with alternative costs.
2014-07-18	Convoke doesn’t change a spell’s mana cost or converted mana cost.
2014-07-18	If a creature you control has a mana ability with in the cost, activating that ability while casting a spell with convoke will result in the creature being tapped when you pay the spell’s costs. You won’t be able to tap it again for convoke. Similarly, if you sacrifice a creature to activate a mana ability while casting a spell with convoke, that creature won’t be on the battlefield when you pay the spell’s costs, so you won’t be able to tap it for convoke.
2014-07-18	Tapping a multicolored creature using convoke will pay for or one mana of your choice of any of that creature’s colors.
2014-07-18	The rules for convoke have changed slightly since it last appeared in an expansion. Previously, convoke reduced the cost to cast a spell. Under current rules, you tap creatures at the same time you pay the spell’s costs. Tapping a creature this way is simply another way to pay.
2014-07-18	When calculating a spell’s total cost, include any alternative costs, additional costs, or anything else that increases or reduces the cost to cast the spell. Convoke applies after the total cost is calculated.
2014-07-18	When using convoke to cast a spell with in its mana cost, first choose the value for X. That choice, plus any cost increases or decreases, will determine the spell’s total cost. Then you can tap creatures you control to help pay that cost. For example, if you cast Chord of Calling (a spell with convoke and mana cost ) and choose X to be 3, the total cost is . If you tap two green creatures and two red creatures, you’ll have to pay .