Aid the Fallen MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Enables momentum shift by recovering both creatures and planeswalkers, thus offering significant card advantage.
  2. Instant speed play augments strategic depth, providing the element of surprise and flexible decision-making.
  3. Specific mana cost and conditions may limit inclusion in certain decks but offer high reward when capitalized upon.

Text of card

Choose one or both — • Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand. • Return target planeswalker card from your graveyard to your hand.

"I never liked you. Now get up—we have a fight to finish."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Aid the Fallen stands out for its ability to potentially return two different types of cards from your graveyard to your hand. This potential to pluck both a creature and a planeswalker back into the action not only refills your hand but also can swing the momentum back in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: While this card does not directly accelerate resources in the traditional sense of generating mana, it accelerates your resource recovery. By retrieving a key creature or planeswalker, you’re effectively speeding up your ability to re-establish threats on the board without the direct cost of drawing and playing those cards again.

Instant Speed: Aid the Fallen’s ability to be played at instant speed gives you the flexibility to wait until the end of your opponent’s turn to make a move. This keeps your options open and can lead to more informed decisions based on your opponent’s actions. Whether it’s bluffing possession of a different instant or simply waiting for the right moment to surprise your opponent, the timing of this card can be pivotal.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Aid the Fallen doesn’t explicitly ask you to discard a card, it necessitates that you have a planeswalker in your graveyard to fully utilize its potential. This can be quite restrictive since having a planeswalker in the graveyard is not always a given.

Specific Mana Cost: Aid the Fallen requires both black and colorless mana to cast. This specific mana cost can hinder deck flexibility, especially for those decks not built around black mana or multi-colored mana bases.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its ability to return a creature or planeswalker from your graveyard to your hand, the combined mana cost may be somewhat steep when compared to other cards with similar retrieval effects. There are options in the game that offer lower-cost alternatives or additional benefits alongside the retrieval for a more efficient use of mana resources.


Reasons to Include Aid the Fallen in Your Collection

Versatility: Aid the Fallen offers dual utility by enabling players to return not just a creature but also a planeswalker from their graveyard to their hand. This card’s adaptability shines in decks that rely on synergistic creature and planeswalker strategies.

Combo Potential: This spell’s ability to retrieve two different types of cards from the graveyard opens up numerous combo possibilities. It can be instrumental in reassembling powerful pieces that keep your deck’s engine running smoothly.

Meta-Relevance: Graveyard recursion is always a valuable tool in a variety of metas, particularly in formats where attrition warfare and removal spells are rampant. Aid the Fallen emerges as a key card to maintain momentum against control decks that aim to deplete your resources.


How to Beat

A crucial tactic in Magic: The Gathering involves knowing how to effectively counter and beat specific cards, and Aid the Fallen is no different. This card functions as a means for players to return a creature or planeswalker card from their graveyard to their hand. When facing an opponent who is using Aid the Fallen, the key is to anticipate and disrupt this recovery strategy.

Graveyard hate cards, that prevent cards from being targeted or retrieved from the graveyard, are your best bet in such a scenario. By employing cards like Leyline of the Void or Rest in Peace, you can make sure that once a creature or planeswalker is defeated, it stays out of play. These cards remove the utility of Aid the Fallen, turning it into a dead card in your opponent’s hand. Thus, preparing for a match by having these kind of strategic counters in your own deck can give you a substantial upper hand against decks that rely on recurring their key pieces from the graveyard.

By focusing on these strategies, you equip yourself to nullify the potential advantages that Aid the Fallen may otherwise grant to your opponent, showcasing both the depth of gameplay MTG offers and the importance of tactical foresight.


Cards like Aid the Fallen

Aid the Fallen is an intriguing selection in the realm of revival spells within Magic the Gathering. Its direct competitor in resurrection effects would be cards like Recover which also returns a creature from your graveyard to your hand. However, Aid the Fallen offers more by allowing you to bring back not just a creature, but also a planeswalker card if you choose.

Another card akin to Aid the Fallen is Fortuitous Find. Though this card can also return a creature and another card type from the graveyard, in this case, an artifact, what makes Aid the Fallen stand out is its focus on planeswalkers, aligning well with strategies centered around these powerful card types. Disentomb is yet another comparison point; it’s more affordable with one mana only, but it brings back only a creature, whereas Aid the Fallen has the added flexibility of potentially recovering two different types of cards.

Ultimately, judging the benefits and flexibility against the mana cost, Aid the Fallen presents a valuable tactical choice for players who strategize with both creatures and planeswalkers. Its multifaceted retrieval option is a boon for decks that capitalize on versatility.

Recover - MTG Card versions
Fortuitous Find - MTG Card versions
Disentomb - MTG Card versions
Recover - Invasion (INV)
Fortuitous Find - Kaladesh (KLD)
Disentomb - Magic 2010 (M10)

Cards similar to Aid the Fallen by color, type and mana cost

Drain Life - MTG Card versions
Demonic Tutor - MTG Card versions
Sinkhole - MTG Card versions
Word of Binding - MTG Card versions
Soul Exchange - MTG Card versions
Dry Spell - MTG Card versions
Hymn to Tourach - MTG Card versions
Mind Knives - MTG Card versions
Shattered Crypt - MTG Card versions
Disturbed Burial - MTG Card versions
Death Stroke - MTG Card versions
Exhume - MTG Card versions
Imperial Edict - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Intent - MTG Card versions
Decompose - MTG Card versions
Chainer's Edict - MTG Card versions
Walk the Plank - MTG Card versions
Predators' Hour - MTG Card versions
Nausea - MTG Card versions
Hunger of the Nim - MTG Card versions
Drain Life - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Demonic Tutor - Commander Masters (CMM)
Sinkhole - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Word of Binding - Renaissance (REN)
Soul Exchange - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Dry Spell - Portal (POR)
Hymn to Tourach - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Mind Knives - Portal (POR)
Shattered Crypt - Weatherlight (WTH)
Disturbed Burial - Tempest (TMP)
Death Stroke - Stronghold (STH)
Exhume - Jumpstart (JMP)
Imperial Edict - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Diabolic Intent - Planeshift (PLS)
Decompose - Odyssey (ODY)
Chainer's Edict - Ultimate Masters (UMA)
Walk the Plank - The List (PLST)
Predators' Hour - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Nausea - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Hunger of the Nim - Darksteel (DST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Aid the Fallen MTG card by a specific set like War of the Spark and Mystery Booster, 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 Aid the Fallen and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Aid the Fallen Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2019-05-03 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Sara Winters.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-05-03War of the SparkWAR 762015normalblackSara Winters
22019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 5602015normalblackSara Winters
32020-09-26The ListPLST WAR-762015normalblackSara Winters

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Aid the Fallen has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

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