Retether MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Retether offers significant card advantage by revitalizing multiple auras, tipping the game balance.
  2. The card demands strategic graveyard play to unleash its full potential, making it a tactical choice.
  3. Despite its higher mana cost, its ability to drastically alter board state highlights its inclusion value.

Text of card

Return each Aura card from your graveyard to play. Only creatures can be enchanted this way. (Aura cards that can't enchant a creature in play remain in your graveyard.)

The rifts reach into infinite time streams, bringing the divergent products of alternate pasts into the present.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Retether is a potent spell for recovering lost enchantments from your graveyard. By returning all Aura cards back onto the battlefield, Retether swings the momentum of the game in your favor, potentially reviving a multitude of powerful effects with a single card.

Resource Acceleration: This card doesn’t directly produce mana or ramp, but the sudden return of multiple Auras can accelerate your board state’s capabilities. Auras attached to creatures can instantly make them bigger threats or generate additional value, effectively saving you mana on having to recast those spells.

Instant Speed: Though Retether is a sorcery, its immediate and profound impact resembles that of an instant-speed play. It allows you to set up for a massive turn, potentially in preparation for or after a board wipe, quickly reestablishing threats and pressuring your opponents in a single pivotal move.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Retether calls for a precise combination of cards in your graveyard to be fully effective, which can present a challenge. To get the most value, you have to strategically manage your graveyard contents before casting it, making it less versatile in some decks.

Specific Mana Cost: Retether’s mana cost requires one white and three colorless, necessitating a solid mana base. In multicolored or mana-intensive decks, this can be restrictive or delay your game plan as you might not always have the necessary white mana available when you need it.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of four mana, Retether is a significant investment, especially considering that its sole purpose is to return Auras from your graveyard to the battlefield. Other cards or strategies might prove more mana-efficient for reanimation or control, allowing you to use your resources more flexibly throughout the game.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Retether is not just any aura retrieval spell; it can play a pivotal role in decks that heavily rely on enchantments. It can be a game-changer by returning numerous auras from the graveyard to the battlefield, potentially altering the board state significantly in your favor.

Combo Potential: With the capability to pull off potential game-winning combinations, Retether shines in decks crafted around aura synergies. Imagine the possibilities when paired with cards that benefit from enchantments entering the battlefield or when utilized to re-establish powerful auras on creatures that can swing the game.

Meta-Relevance: In a format where graveyard manipulation is key, Retether stands out. It can often catch opponents off guard, recovering what they thought was a dealt-with threat. Given its power in the right setup, it is a card to be considered when the meta shifts towards enchantment-focused strategies or when graveyards become valuable resources.


How to Beat Retether

Retether is an intriguing card that shines in Magic: The Gathering decks centered around auras. By returning all aura cards from your graveyard to the battlefield, attached to creatures you control, it can quickly turn the tide of a game. To counteract this powerful effect, strategic graveyard management becomes essential. Including graveyard hate cards in your deck, such as Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze, can help mitigate the impact Retether may have by removing potential aura targets before your opponent has a chance to cast it.

Alternatively, countering the spell outright with counterspells like Negate or Dovin’s Veto can ensure Retether never resolves, preventing an overwhelming comeback. Additionally, maintaining removal spells for creatures already enchanted with auras can weaken the Retether’s overall impact, reducing the value your opponent gains from casting it. Board wipes such as Doomskar or Wrath of God can reset the state of play before or after Retether is played, nullifying its ability to recover a commanding presence on the battlefield.

By keeping these strategies in mind, you can fortify your deck against the potentially game-changing effects of Retether and maintain control over the match’s outcome.


BurnMana Recommendations

Retether is a card that reflects the dynamism and depth of MTG. It can pivot a match from the brink of defeat to grasp victory with its aura-resurrecting ability. Regularly reviewing your strategy invites innovation, and incorporating cards like Retether can offer new avenues for overcoming opponents. Understand the card’s strengths and tweak your deck to leverage its powerful comeback potential. Our team encourages you to delve deeper into the strategic plays that make MTG a thrilling experience. Enhance your gameplay, discover synergies, and navigate the metagame with confidence. Learn more and join the ranks of savvy MTG players.


Cards like Retether

Retether is a unique piece in the puzzle that is aura-returning spells in MTG. It connects closely with cards like Replenish, which also brings enchantments back from the graveyard to the battlefield. However, Retether is strictly tailored to auras, while Replenish can target any enchantment, giving it a broader sweep. Yet, one can’t overlook Retether’s lower mana cost, providing a speedy advantage.

Drifting into the domain of other like-minded cards, we encounter Crystal Chimes. This artifact invites a comparison, as it returns all enchantments from grave to hand, yet it doesn’t boast the direct playability into the battlefield that Retether offers. There’s also Open the Vaults, an all-encompassing revival spell for both artifacts and enchantments. It may impact the board significantly but includes opponents’ items as well, adding a layer of risk unlike the selectivity of Retether.

Evaluating the cohort of revival spells, Retether stands out with its aura-specific resurrection ability, a vital attribute for those decks focusing heavily on these types of buffs and synergies. It’s this specialization that carves its niche amongst MTG’s selective reanimation spells.

Replenish - MTG Card versions
Crystal Chimes - MTG Card versions
Open the Vaults - MTG Card versions
Replenish - MTG Card versions
Crystal Chimes - MTG Card versions
Open the Vaults - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Retether MTG card by a specific set like Planar Chaos and Wilds of Eldraine Commander, 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 Retether and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Retether Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2007-02-02 and 2023-09-08. Illustrated by Dan Scott.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12007-02-02Planar ChaosPLC 132003NormalBlackDan Scott
22023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine CommanderWOC 722015NormalBlackDan Scott

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Retether has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2007-02-01 All the Auras return to the battlefield simultaneously. Whether an Aura can be attached to a creature is checked before any of them are returned and doesn't take into account any simultaneously returning Auras. For example, if Tattoo Ward (which gives enchanted creature protection from enchantments) and Holy Strength are in your graveyard and there's only one creature on the battlefield, both Auras are returned to the battlefield attached to that creature, then Holy Strength is put into your graveyard the next time state-based actions are checked.
2007-02-01 Auras don't need to say "enchant creature" to return to the battlefield. For example, an Aura with "enchant land" will return to the battlefield if there's an animated land for it to enchant.

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