Awaken the Erstwhile MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Converts hand size directly into Zombie tokens, offering immediate board presence and potential for domination.
  2. Demands strategic discard setup to ensure casting leads to a beneficial game state for the caster.
  3. Introduces distinct combo possibilities with other graveyard and creature-focused spells and abilities.

Text of card

Each player discards all the cards in their hand, then creates that many 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens.

In preparation for the conflict all foresaw, the Golgari called upon an army that had slept for millennia beneath the city.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Awaken the Erstwhile provides a unique form of card advantage by converting your hand into Zombie tokens. This transforms potential into immediate board presence, turning even low-value cards into threats.

Resource Acceleration: Although not a traditional acceleration tool, this card indirectly ramps your strategy by filling the board with creatures for each card in your hand. More creatures can mean more power and influence over the pace of the game.

Instant Speed: While Awaken the Erstwhile doesn’t operate at instant speed, its sorcery-level intervention is a strategic counterpoint, allowing a well-timed sweep during your turn that can disrupt opponent plans and set you up for dominance.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Awaken the Erstwhile forces each player to discard all the cards in their hand, which can backfire if you’re not set up to benefit from a mass discard situation. Ensuring you’re the one gaining the advantage is key with this card, otherwise, you might end up hurting your own gameplay rather than disrupting your opponent’s.

Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that specifically requires two black mana and three generic mana, Awaken the Erstwhile has a restrictive casting cost that may not easily fit into multicolored or mana-intensive decks. This specificity can sometimes hinder the card’s playability, especially in decks that can’t reliably produce the needed black mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At five total mana, the cost to cast Awaken the Erstwhile can be steep, especially considering other options available for disrupting opponents’ hands or creating board presence. Players often weigh the cost against the potential impact on the game, and sometimes, cheaper alternatives that affect the board immediately can take precedence over this sorcery.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Awaken the Erstwhile introduces an interesting dynamic, serving as an unexpected tactical option in decks that manipulate the discard mechanic, and also shining in strategies centered on graveyard play. Its ability to fill graveyards across the board makes it an adaptable spell in various gameplay scenarios.

Combo Potential: This card’s unique effect of replacing all players’ hands with 2/2 Zombie tokens opens the door for numerous symbiotic plays. When combined with cards that thrive off of creature death or quantity, such as Vindictive Vampire or Liliana, Dreadhorde General, the potential for sweeping game-altering combos is high.

Meta-Relevance: Given that some of the most prominent decks rely on a well-constructed hand to drive their strategy, Awaken the Erstwhile can disrupt opponents at critical moments. Its relevance is inherent in its capability to equalize the playing field, making it a strong sideboard candidate against hand-sensitive archetypes.


How to beat

Awaken the Erstwhile is a unique card in MTG that can dramatically alter the state of the game. Understanding its effects is crucial to countering its potential to disrupt your strategy. This card forces both players to discard their hands and then creates a 2/2 Zombie token creature for each card discarded this way. It can turn the tide in games, especially when used in decks built around graveyard strategies or token generation.

To effectively counter this card, maintain hand advantage by playing cards that allow you to draw or holding onto instants that can be played in response to Awaken the Erstwhile. Cards with ‘flash’ allow you to wait until the last moment to play your spells, preserving your hand size. It’s also effective to have graveyard removal spells or effects that can exile cards from the graveyard to prevent your opponent from benefiting from their discarded cards.

By carefully managing your hand and being prepared with responsive plays, you can mitigate the impact of Awaken the Erstwhile, protecting your game plan and setting up a stronger position for yourself on the battlefield.


BurnMana Recommendations

Awaken the Erstwhile is a fascinating card that merits attention in certain MTG decks, particularly those that thrive in the realm of graveyard maneuvering and token generation. It’s a nuanced tool capable of disrupting opponent strategies while accelerating your game plan. Mastery of this card involves keen understanding of timing and the current state of play. If you’re intrigued by the complex interplay between hand manipulation and board control that Awaken the Erstwhile offers, join us in a deeper dive. Learn how to optimize this potent sorcery for an undeniable edge in your MTG encounters.


Cards like Awaken the Erstwhile

Awaken the Erstwhile holds a distinctive position among black sorcery spells in Magic: The Gathering. It shows parallels to other disruptive cards, such as Pox, which similarly inflicts resource denial by forcing players to sacrifice creatures and lands, as well as discard cards. Unlike Pox, Awaken the Erstwhile strips down both players’ hands to zero and replaces creatures with 2/2 Zombie tokens, reshaping the battlefield dynamics entirely.

Another akin card is Smallpox, which, while having a smaller scope, affects life totals, land count, creatures, and the players’ hands just like Awaken the Erstwhile. It, however, does not grant the symmetrical advantage of zombie token generation. Delirium Skeins follows this pack, compelling a mutual discard of three cards with no additional board presence, thereby fostering a different tactical environment than the thorough hand disruption Awaken the Erstwhile provides.

Examining these comparisons, Awaken the Erstwhile can be recognized for its unique blend of hand devastation and token creation. Within the context of Magic: The Gathering, it emerges as a powerful choice for players aiming to capitalize on game states where converting hands into hoards of zombies can swing the tide in their favor.

Pox - MTG Card versions
Smallpox - MTG Card versions
Delirium Skeins - MTG Card versions
Pox - Ice Age (ICE)
Smallpox - Time Spiral (TSP)
Delirium Skeins - Dissension (DIS)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Awaken the Erstwhile MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica Allegiance and Ravnica Allegiance Promos, 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 Awaken the Erstwhile and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Awaken the Erstwhile Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-01-25 and 2019-01-25. Illustrated by Jason A. Engle.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-01-25Ravnica AllegianceRNA 612015normalblackJason A. Engle
22019-01-25Ravnica Allegiance PromosPRNA 61s2015normalblackJason A. Engle

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Awaken the Erstwhile has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2019-01-25 The number of Zombie tokens each player creates is equal to the number of cards that player discarded, not the total number of cards discarded.

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