Vivify MTG Card


Vivify - Odyssey
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant
Released2001-10-01
Set symbol
Set nameOdyssey
Set codeODY
Number281
Frame1997
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byGreg Staples

Key Takeaways

  1. Strategically revives creatures, allowing players to maintain momentum and turn the tide in tight situations.
  2. Haste-enabling feature on reanimated creatures can catch opponents off guard, leading to critical board swings.
  3. Instant speed casting provides flexibility and tactical advantages, enabling response plays and adaptability.

Text of card

Target land becomes a 3/3 creature until end of turn. It's still a land. Draw a card.

Near the Krosan border, farmers keep watch over their fields lest the sod get up and wander away.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Vivify plays into one of the fundamental strategies of maintaining a healthy hand size, giving you the potential to bring a creature back to the battlefield. It effectively turns the tide by reviving key creatures that have been lost to battle or sacrifice, ensuring you do not lose momentum.

Resource Acceleration: This enchantment not only returns a creature from the graveyard to the battlefield, but it also gives it haste. This unexpected return, paired with the ability to attack or use abilities immediately, can lead to significant shifts in board presence and potential game-winning swings.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Vivify at instant speed is a powerful tool in any player’s arsenal. Surprise is an elemental tact, and being able to vivify a creature right before your turn begins—or in response to an opponent’s actions—provides a strategic upper hand. That split-second decision can change the outcome of a match, as it allows players to adapt to the ever-changing state of the game on the fly.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Vivify demands a card to be discarded to unleash its effect, potentially depleting your hand and reducing your strategic options.

Specific Mana Cost: This enchantment requires a precise mix of red and green mana, restricting its incorporation to decks compatible with these colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At three mana, including one red and one green, Vivify’s cost is significant, especially when there are other cards that could revive creatures or provide additional value at a lower expense.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Vivify offers flexibility as it can be slotted into various deck archetypes that aim to capitalize on creature protection or surprise offensive strategies. It serves as a key card for decks that thrive on having creatures enter or leave the battlefield.

Combo Potential: This card can be a cornerstone in synergistic interactions, particularly in decks that leverage resurrection mechanics or those that utilize enchantment synergies, enabling complex and rewarding plays that can turn the tide of the game.

Meta-Relevance: With a meta that constantly evolves, including Vivify in your collection ensures you’re geared up for matches where enchantments play a pivotal role and quick creature recovery is paramount, making it a savvy addition to stay competitive.


How to beat

Vivify is an intriguing card that has captured the attention of many Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts. As a spell that can turn lands into creatures, it has the power to catch opponents off-guard and create unexpected threats. However, there are strategic approaches to weaken the impact of Vivify during gameplay.

One effective tactic is utilizing removal spells that can target lands. This can preemptively take out a pivotal mana source from your opponent, thus rendering Vivify less useful. It’s also beneficial to have instant-speed removal in your arsenal, so when a land turns into a creature, you can respond immediately before it can cause any damage.

An additional strategy is to employ counterspells as a means to stop Vivify from resolving in the first place. Keeping mana untapped to anticipate such plays is crucial, especially during the mid to late game when your opponent might have amassed enough lands to pose a significant threat. By countering Vivify, you prevent potential attacks and maintain control over the game.

In essence, to undermine Vivify’s effectiveness, focus on timely land removal, keep instant-speed removal at hand, and use counterspells to maintain control. Each of these tactics helps ensure that your opponent’s lands stay just lands, protecting your chances of securing the victory.


Cards like Vivify

Vivify stands out in the pantheon of reanimation spells in Magic: The Gathering. These cards offer a means to return creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield, providing a second chance for players to utilize their most powerful minions. Vivify is akin to the card Unearth, which allows for a temporary return of a creature at a low cost. However, Unearth’s limitation is that the creature is exiled at the end of the turn, whereas Vivify’s effect is permanent, assuming the enchanted creature remains on the battlefield.

Then there’s the comparison with Zombify, another classic MTG card offering resurrection abilities. Zombify comes with a higher mana cost but doesn’t impose additional requirements like enchantment attachments. It distinctly brings a creature straight to the battlefield, while Vivify attaches as an aura, which can be a double-edged sword – offering protection or vulnerability to enchantment removal.

Assessing these nuances, Vivify provides a valuable blend of reanimation and protection, positioning it uniquely among creature return mechanics. Its versatility can be a pivotal factor in MTG, enabling distinct strategic advantages within the game’s complex dynamics.

Unearth - MTG Card versions
Zombify - MTG Card versions
Unearth - MTG Card versions
Zombify - MTG Card versions

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Verdigris - MTG Card versions
Team Spirit - MTG Card versions
Refresh - MTG Card versions
Primal Boost - MTG Card versions
Sprouting Vines - MTG Card versions
Natural Affinity - MTG Card versions
Ferocious Charge - MTG Card versions
Graphic Violence - MTG Card versions
Remodel - MTG Card versions
Roar of Jukai - MTG Card versions
Rending Vines - MTG Card versions
Early Harvest - MTG Card versions
Hail Storm - MTG Card versions
Wildsize - MTG Card versions
Invigorate - MTG Card versions
Harrow - MTG Card versions
Pistus Strike - MTG Card versions
Gnaw to the Bone - MTG Card versions
Eaten by Spiders - MTG Card versions
Natural End - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Vivify MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey, 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 Vivify and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Vivify has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2008-08-01 A noncreature permanent that turns into a creature can attack, and its abilities can be activated, only if its controller has continuously controlled that permanent since the beginning of their most recent turn. It doesn’t matter how long the permanent has been a creature.

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