Unnatural Moonrise MTG Card


Enhances creatures, introduces card draw, and activates at instant speed for flexible, strategic plays. Though powerful, it requires discarding a card and specific mana, which may restrict deck-building. Excels in decks with night mechanics, adding transformative capabilities and keeping hands full.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Abilities Flashback

Text of card

It becomes night. Until end of turn, target creature gets +1/+0 and gains trample and "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, draw a card." Flashback (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)


Cards like Unnatural Moonrise

Unnatural Moonrise shines within Magic: The Gathering as an innovative spin on creature enhancement spells. It shares a thematic kinship with Full Moon’s Rise, which also provides buff to your creatures. Both celebrate the werewolf archetype by giving a power increase, but Unnatural Moonrise uniquely allows for a card draw if you let your werewolves howl upon casting. This card draw element elevates it from other similar cards, providing both a temporary boost and card advantage in the same turn.

Another card worthy of parallel is Moonmist, which transforms all human werewolves and prevents damage for a turn. While Moonmist doesn’t offer the draw, its transformational impact can be pivotal, echoing the transformative aspect of Unnatural Moonrise without the card draw bonus. For those considering space in their deck for versatile spells, werewolf synergy enthusiasts particularly see the appeal in Unnatural Moonrise’s dual capacity to empower creatures and replenish the hand.

Comparing these options, Unnatural Moonrise secures a favorable position among werewolf support cards in Magic: The Gathering with its blend of creature boost and strategic card draw, a potent combination for any lycanthropic deck.

Full Moon's Rise - MTG Card versions
Moonmist - MTG Card versions
Full Moon's Rise - MTG Card versions
Moonmist - MTG Card versions

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Ground Assault - MTG Card versions
Clan Defiance - MTG Card versions
Domri's Ambush - MTG Card versions
Reap the Past - MTG Card versions
Perilous Iteration - MTG Card versions
Picnic Ruiner // Stolen Goodies - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Unnatural Moonrise shines in its ability to provide card advantage. By casting this, you not only buff a creature for the turn but also draw a card at the beginning of the next upkeep, keeping your hand filled with options.

Resource Acceleration: While Unnatural Moonrise doesn’t directly create resources, it does streamline your plays. By turning a creature into a Werewolf and enabling creature spells to trigger “cast as though they had flash,” the card effectively accelerates your gameplay, giving you the upper hand.

Instant Speed: The power of Unnatural Moonrise is significantly amplified by its instant speed. This allows you strategic flexibility, engaging in combat tricks or making pivotal plays during your opponent’s turn to surprise and outmaneuver them at crucial moments. The versatility this speed brings to a match cannot be overstated.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The card necessitates that you discard another card so you may transform it into its nightbound form. This stipulation means potentially losing valuable pieces from your hand, which could hinder strategy execution, especially when your hand size is diminishing throughout the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Unnatural Moonrise requires a precise mana combination to cast—two generic and one green mana. This can constrain deck-building options, as it fits primarily into green-centric decks, limiting its versatility across the diverse MTG archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although the effects can be impactful, the card comes with a relatively steep casting cost of three mana. Other options available in the MTG card pool might provide similar or better effects at a lower cost, making them more efficient for their mana investment, particularly in fast-paced games where resource efficiency is paramount.


Reasons to Include Unnatural Moonrise in Your Collection

Versatility: Unnatural Moonrise shines in decks that capitalize on nightbound or daybound mechanics. This card allows for sudden shifts between the day and night to extract maximum in-game advantages, regardless of the deck’s strategy.

Combo Potential: When comboing with werewolf creatures or other cards that thrive under night conditions, Unnatural Moonrise can serve as a linchpin, flipping your werewolves and enhancing their powers unexpectedly during combat or end steps for surprise tactics.

Meta-Relevance: As meta trends fluctuate, having access to instant-speed effects that alter the board state can be critical. Unnatural Moonrise fits into a proactive game plan, offering flexibility and responding to the pace of your opponents, especially in environments that reward transformative abilities.


How to beat

Unnatural Moonrise is an intriguing spell that can significantly impact the battlefield in MTG. It shines in decks that maximize creature abilities, especially those with the keyword “Nightbound” or “Daybound.” This card transforms all Human creatures you control and grants you the advantage of drawing a card if it’s neither day nor night. Its ability to change the time of day within the game creates a tactical edge, enabling powerful interactions with Werewolf cards and other day/night mechanics.

However, as with any potent card, there are strategies to counter it. One approach is to disrupt the day/night cycle itself, utilizing spells that control these conditions or remove creatures with key abilities. Another tactic is to deploy instant-speed removal spells when the opponent casts Unnatural Moonrise, thereby minimizing its potential impact before it can influence the board state. Control decks that focus on counter spells can also prove effective by preventing the spell from resolving, thus conserving the current game state which may be more favorable for you.

Ultimately, having a strategic response ready for when Unnatural Moonrise appears across the table can negate its advantage and turn the tide of the game in your favor in an MTG match.


BurnMana Recommendations

With Unnatural Moonrise, MTG players can exploit the transformative power of the night to flip the script on their opponents. It offers a unique blend of versatility and surprise that can tip the scales in your favor. Understanding when and how to effectively wield this card in your green-centric decks can significantly enhance your play experience. Combining creature buffs, flash-like casting potential, and card draw, it carves out a space in the ever-changing game environment. Want to learn how to maximize Unnatural Moonrise’s potential in various deck builds and game situations? Let’s dive deeper together into strategies and interactions that will sharpen your edge in your next MTG battle.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Unnatural Moonrise MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Innistrad: Double Feature, 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 Unnatural Moonrise and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Unnatural Moonrise Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-09-24 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Ryan Pancoast.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight HuntMID 2472015NormalBlackRyan Pancoast
22022-01-28Innistrad: Double FeatureDBL 2472015NormalBlackRyan Pancoast

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Unnatural Moonrise has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2021-09-24 "Flashback
-ost]" means "You may cast this card from your graveyard by paying
-ost] rather than paying its mana cost" and "If the flashback cost was paid, exile this card instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack."
2021-09-24 A spell cast using flashback will always be exiled afterward, whether it resolves, is countered, or leaves the stack in some other way.
2021-09-24 If a card with flashback is put into your graveyard during your turn, you can cast it if it's legal to do so before any other player can take any actions.
2021-09-24 To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost (such as a flashback cost) you're paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was.
2021-09-24 You can cast a spell using flashback even if it was somehow put into your graveyard without having been cast.
2021-09-24 You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions, including those based on the card's type. For instance, you can cast a sorcery using flashback only when you could normally cast a sorcery.