No Rest for the Wicked MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Reclaims multiple creatures from the graveyard, providing continuous pressure and resilience in gameplay.
  2. Instant speed allows strategic responses, enhancing control over the flow of minions returning.
  3. Sacrifice requirement and specific mana cost can limit flexibility in non-black or creature-light decks.

Text of card

Sacrifice No Rest for the Wicked: Return to your hand all creature cards put into your graveyard from play this turn.

"The soul? Here, we have no use for such frivolities." —Sitrik, birth priest


Card Pros

Card Advantage: No Rest for the Wicked offers a unique opportunity for players to reclaim creatures from their graveyard, thus potentializing their card advantage. With its ability to return multiple creature cards to your hand, you can ensure a steady flow of minions to play, keeping pressure on your opponent and your options open.

Resource Acceleration: The utilization of No Rest for the Wicked’s effect can act as a form of resource acceleration. By efficiently recycling creatures from the graveyard back to your hand, you’re effectively maximizing your resources. This allows for a more aggressive and resilient gameplay strategy, as your creatures can continually make their way back into the fray.

Instant Speed: The swift nature of this card allows for strategic flexibility, as it can be activated in response to an opponent’s move or at the end of their turn. This provides a tactical advantage, enabling you to surprise your adversary with an unexpected lineup of creatures ready to return to the battlefield.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: No Rest for the Wicked requires you to sacrifice a creature as part of its effect. This can be a steep price to pay, particularly if you do not have expendable creatures on the board or are playing against a deck with robust removal options that keep your creature count low.

Specific Mana Cost: This card necessitates one black mana to play. Decks that do not run black mana or that are heavily multicolored may struggle to consistently meet this specific mana requirement, potentially making No Rest for the Wicked less versatile in a wide range of deck architectures.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With two colorless and one black mana required, this card’s total cost of three may be considered high for its relatively narrow effect. Given that Magic has a myriad of options for creature recursion, some players might opt for alternatives that offer more impactful benefits or have lower mana requirements, enhancing overall deck efficiency.


Reasons to Include No Rest for the Wicked in Your Collection

Versatility: No Rest for the Wicked offers a unique way to protect your creature lineup, allowing you to return all creatures that were put into your graveyard from the battlefield the same turn to your hand. This resilience adds value in a wide array of deck types, particularly those that sacrifice creatures for greater effects or engage in heavy combat.

Combo Potential: This card thrives in strategies centered around creature-based combos. It can set up a recurrence of combo pieces that otherwise would be lost to removal, thereby enhancing your ability to pull off game-changing plays during a match.

Meta-Relevance: Given the game’s ever-shifting landscape, a card like No Rest for the Wicked remains relevant in metas where board wipes and removal spells are prevalent. Its capability to safeguard your creatures against such strategies makes it a tactical choice to fortify your deck’s endurance on the battlefield.


How to beat

No Rest for the Wicked is a card that can pose a significant challenge due to its ability to bring creatures back from the graveyard. To counter this card effectively, focus on removing the card before its ability can be activated or disrupting the graveyard. Graveyard hate cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void can prevent creatures from hitting the graveyard in the first place, making No Rest for the Wicked inert.

Another strategy is to target No Rest for the Wicked with removal or disenchant effects. Cards like Naturalize, Krosan Grip, or Disenchant can remove it directly from the battlefield, ensuring its ability doesn’t affect the game’s outcome. However, timing is crucial. It’s best to wait until your opponent commits to an action, leaving them vulnerable to your removal spell, as they might not be able to activate No Rest for the Wicked in response.

Utilizing exile effects is also a powerful method. With cards like Scavenging Ooze or Path to Exile, you can permanently remove key creatures from your opponent’s graveyard, diminishing the value they gain from No Rest for the Wicked. Adapting your deck to include these strategies can provide you with the upper hand when facing this persistent enchantment.


Cards like No Rest for the Wicked

The intrigue of No Rest for the Wicked lies in its ability to bring creatures back from the graveyard. This MTG card allows players to reclaim their fallen creatures, reminiscent of the versatile Reanimate spell. While Reanimate brings a single creature back to the battlefield at the cost of life points equal to its mana cost, No Rest for the Wicked offers a different approach, returning multiple creatures but to your hand. The dynamic contrasts significantly in terms of game impact and resource management.

Another comparable card is Postmortem Lunge. Though it serves the same essential purpose of reanimation, it grants haste to the creature it returns to the battlefield. The stark difference is the transient nature of the creature’s revival, as it would require exile after the turn ends. This comparison highlights No Rest for the Wicked’s preference for a more enduring, albeit hand-based, strategy.

Reflecting on these parallels, No Rest for the Wicked presents a strategic edge in MTG. By trading the immediacy of battlefield reanimation for a more controlled and possibly diverse playback from your hand, the card opens up a realm of tactical possibilities for deck building and gameplay. Its distinct approach to reclamation aligns well with decks that benefit from hand manipulation and creature recovery strategies.

Reanimate - MTG Card versions
Postmortem Lunge - MTG Card versions
Reanimate - Tempest (TMP)
Postmortem Lunge - New Phyrexia (NPH)

Cards similar to No Rest for the Wicked by color, type and mana cost

Bad Moon - MTG Card versions
Fear - MTG Card versions
Warp Artifact - MTG Card versions
Deathgrip - MTG Card versions
Animate Dead - MTG Card versions
Blight - MTG Card versions
Seizures - MTG Card versions
Leshrac's Sigil - MTG Card versions
Lim-Dûl's Hex - MTG Card versions
Dance of the Dead - MTG Card versions
Enfeeblement - MTG Card versions
Oath of Ghouls - MTG Card versions
Despondency - MTG Card versions
Yawgmoth's Edict - MTG Card versions
Dying Wail - MTG Card versions
Insubordination - MTG Card versions
Mourning - MTG Card versions
Chains of Mephistopheles - MTG Card versions
Tribute to Horobi // Echo of Death's Wail - MTG Card versions
Brain Maggot - MTG Card versions
Bad Moon - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Fear - Tenth Edition (10E)
Warp Artifact - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Deathgrip - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Animate Dead - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Blight - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Seizures - Ice Age (ICE)
Leshrac's Sigil - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Lim-Dûl's Hex - Ice Age (ICE)
Dance of the Dead - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Enfeeblement - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Oath of Ghouls - Exodus (EXO)
Despondency - Urza's Saga (USG)
Yawgmoth's Edict - Urza's Saga (USG)
Dying Wail - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Insubordination - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Mourning - Invasion (INV)
Chains of Mephistopheles - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Tribute to Horobi // Echo of Death's Wail - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO)
Brain Maggot - Historic Anthology 2 (HA2)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase No Rest for the Wicked MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga and Urza's Saga, 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 No Rest for the Wicked and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The No Rest for the Wicked Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1998-10-12 and 2007-07-13. Illustrated by Carl Critchlow.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-10-12Urza's SagaUSG 1421997normalblackCarl Critchlow
21998-10-12Urza's SagaUSG 142s1997normalblackCarl Critchlow
32007-07-13Tenth Edition10E 1652003normalblackCarl Critchlow
42020-09-26The ListPLST 10E-1652003normalblackCarl Critchlow

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where No Rest for the Wicked has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering No Rest for the Wicked card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2007-07-15 If you sacrifice No Rest for the Wicked on the same turn you cast it, all creature cards that were put into your graveyard from the battlefield that turn will be returned to your hand, including any that were put into your graveyard before No Rest for the Wicked entered the battlefield.
2007-07-15 It doesn’t matter who controlled the creature cards when they were on the battlefield. As long as they were put into your graveyard, you get to put them into your hand.

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