Exhumer Thrull MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Thrull |
| Abilities | Haunt |
| Released | 2006-02-03 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Guildpact |
| Set code | GPT |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 50 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Warren Mahy |
Key Takeaways
- Exhumer Thrull ensures a consistent stream of creatures, making it a stronghold in recursion strategies.
- It fits seamlessly into decks focused on graveyard synergy, enhancing their long-term potential.
- While powerful, Exhumer Thrull requires careful deck construction to mitigate its limitations.
Text of card
Haunt (When this card is put into a graveyard from play, remove it from the game haunting target creature.) When Exhumer Thrull comes into play or the creature it haunts is put into a graveyard, return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Exhumer Thrull brings a strategic benefit to the battlefield through its recursion ability. It allows players to return target creature cards from their graveyard to their hand whenever it leaves play. This not only replenishes valuable creatures for later use but also offers ongoing tactical advantages throughout the game.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, the Exhumer Thrull can significantly impact your resource pool by efficiently recirculating high-value creatures. This recycling of resources keeps your hand stocked, enabling a more aggressive and sustained board presence.
Instant Speed: Although Exhumer Thrull itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its ability to retrieve creatures that do can be a decisive turn in many matchups. By potentially returning instant-speed creatures or those with flash, you ensure that the pace of your strategy can remain responsive and adaptive to your opponent’s moves.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Exhumer Thrull can be a valuable asset in retrieving creatures from your graveyard, it necessitates having another creature card in the graveyard to utilize its haunt ability effectively. This condition can be restrictive and may not always align with the current state of your hand or battlefield.
Specific Mana Cost: This Thrull demands a precise combination of black and white mana to cast. This requirement can make it less flexible in multicolored decks that also need to manage other color-specific cards and may lead to mana issues during crucial parts of the game.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes four mana—two of which must be black—Exhumer Thrull can be considered a high investment for the return it provides. There are alternative cards with lower mana costs that offer similar or even more immediate graveyard recursion effects, leaving some players to question its efficiency in a fast-paced match.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Exhumer Thrull offers flexibility as it fits into a range of Black-aligned decks that value graveyard interaction. Its ability to return target creature cards from your graveyard reinforces attrition strategies and serves as a recurring resource in longer games.
Combo Potential: With its return-to-hand ability, Exhumer Thrull synergizes with cards or abilities that benefit from repeated casting or sacrifice mechanics, allowing for potential combo engines within your deck.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature removal is prevalent, Exhumer Thrull’s persistent ability to recover key components of your strategy keeps you resilient against control decks and maintains your board presence.
How to beat
Exhumer Thrull can be a tricky opponent in Magic: The Gathering, especially if you’re facing a deck that capitalizes on its graveyard recursion abilities. One effective strategy to counter this card is to limit the number of creatures available in your opponent’s graveyard. Graveyard hate cards, such as Relic of Progenitus or Rest in Peace, can be extremely effective in this regard, as they can remove creatures from the game or purge the entire graveyard.
Another approach is to use removal spells that exile the creature instead of sending it to the graveyard when it’s destroyed. Cards like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares can take care of Exhumer Thrull without giving your opponent a chance to use its ability. Controlling the board with counterspells to prevent the Thrull from hitting the battlefield in the first place is also a sound strategy.
Magic: The Gathering games often pivot on understanding and anticipating your opponent’s moves. By using graveyard management and targeted removal, you can mitigate the impact of Exhumer Thrull and maintain control of the game.
Cards like Exhumer Thrull
Exhumer Thrull, a unique fixture in the Magic: The Gathering universe, clearly echoes traits seen in other reanimation-focused cards. It’s akin to Gravedigger, a classic resurrection card that allows players to retrieve a creature from their graveyard to their hand upon entry. Yet, Exhumer Thrull stands out with its haunting ability, permitting multiple uses as long as you have mana to recast it after haunting another creature.
The card shares some conceptual ground with Cadaver Imp, offering creature retrieval upon entering the battlefield. However, Exhumer Thrull’s recurrence is not limited to a single event, giving it a potentially longer-lasting impact. Meanwhile, cards like Phyrexian Delver also bring creatures back from the graveyard but at a cost to the player’s life. This gives Exhumer Thrull an edge by providing a more sustainable option for creature recursion.
Even with competing cards in the space, Exhumer Thrull holds its own with a combination of haunting and resilience, making it a compelling choice for players looking to optimize graveyard strategies in their Magic: The Gathering constructs.
Cards similar to Exhumer Thrull by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Exhumer Thrull MTG card by a specific set like Guildpact, 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 Exhumer Thrull and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Exhumer Thrull has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Exhumer Thrull card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2006-02-01 | If you own the creature Exhumer Thrull was haunting, that creature will generally be a legal target for the haunt trigger to return to your hand. |
