Undying Beast MTG Card


Undying Beast - Portal
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Beast
Released1997-05-01
Set symbol
Set namePortal
Set codePOR
Power 3
Toughness 2
Number113
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred bySteve Luke

Key Takeaways

  1. Recursive ability provides sustained card presence and potential resource boosts through synergies on entry or demise.
  2. Instant speed allows flexible responses and strategic plays, keeping opponents on their toes throughout the match.
  3. Despite its strength, the high mana cost and specific mana requirements may limit its adaptability in varied decks.

Text of card

If Undying Beast is put into your discard pile from play, put Undying Beast on top of your deck.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Undying Beast shines when it’s about sustaining card flow in the match. Its condition for returning back to your hand creates a loop of usage, ensuring your hand remains stocked and you potentially outpace your opponent in terms of available resources. This recursive ability ensures that it rarely leaves you without a creature to play, providing advantage as the game progresses.

Resource Acceleration: Although it doesn’t generate additional mana or treasure tokens directly, the Undying Beast’s potential for repeated playing can synergize well with permanents or abilities that trigger upon a creature entering the battlefield or dying. This can lead to indirect resource acceleration, as those synergies can generate additional mana, tokens, or other valuable in-game effects whenever the beast makes its return to the battlefield.

Instant Speed: The inherent power of instant speed interactions isn’t lost with the Undying Beast card. Its ability to be summoned or recur after demise during any time in the match allows for strategic plays that can keep opponents guessing. Holding up the mana for this beastly card ensures you can respond swiftly to changes on the battlefield, thereby maintaining a tempo that can be challenging for your adversaries to overcome.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Undying Beast card necessitates discarding another card from your hand to utilize its abilities, which can lead to a depletion of your hand size and hinder your gameplay, especially if you’re running low on cards.

Specific Mana Cost: Undying Beast’s casting cost includes specific mana types that may not be readily available in all deck builds, making it less versatile and potentially difficult to play on curve in multi-colored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For the effects the Undying Beast provides, the mana cost is on the higher end when compared to other creatures in its class. This can slow you down, as investing such a significant amount of mana could hinder your ability to play other spells or abilities during your turn.


Reasons to Include Undying Beast in Your Collection

Versatility: Undying Beast can be a key player in any deck that thrives on creature durability. With its ability to return after being destroyed, it keeps your battlefield presence consistent.

Combo Potential: This creature’s resilience can be leveraged in decks that capitalize on death triggers or require reliable blockers to defend while setting up game-winning combos.

Meta-Relevance: Given the prevalence of removal spells in many game formats, having a creature that can withstand being taken out once can give you an edge, making Undying Beast a solid choice in a variety of meta environments.


How to beat

Undying Beast presents an obstacle for many MTG players with its resilience and capability to return to the battlefield after being destroyed. This makes it crucial to understand the most efficient strategies to overcome it. Unlike typical creatures that you can eliminate through damage or destruction effects, the Undying mechanic allows this Beast to come back stronger if it had no +1/+1 counters when it died.

To counter this, consider using exile effects, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, which remove the creature from the game entirely, bypassing the Undying ability. Alternatively, placing -1/-1 counters on it through cards like Black Sun’s Zenith can prevent the Undying trigger from occurring when the creature dies. Another approach is to utilize control cards that change ownership, like Control Magic, essentially making the Undying ability work for you instead of against you. Planning these strategies prior to facing an Undying Beast in your game can turn the tide in your favor and help maintain control of the battlefield.


Cards like Undying Beast

The Undying Beast card holds a unique spot in the vast array of minions Magic: The Gathering offers. It’s often compared to other creatures that also bear the undying ability. The Beast shares similarities with cards like Butcher Ghoul, which returns to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter after it dies if it had no +1/+1 counters on it, much like the Undying Beast. However, the Ghoul is a smaller creature, which can influence its impact on the game.

Another parallel can be drawn to Geralf’s Messenger. This zombie creature also comes back stronger when it dies without a +1/+1 counter. The main difference lies in the Messenger’s added value of making the opponent lose life each time it enters the battlefield. It’s a slight edge that can shift the momentum in a match.

Considering the intricacies of resurrection mechanics in Magic: The Gathering, Undying Beast stands a solid ground. It strikes a balance between durability and threat presence which makes it a competent card within its own right, especially when used in decks crafted to leverage the full potential of the undying mechanic.

Butcher Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Geralf's Messenger - MTG Card versions
Butcher Ghoul - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Geralf's Messenger - Dark Ascension (DKA)

Cards similar to Undying Beast by color, type and mana cost

Hell's Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Rag Man - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Debaser - MTG Card versions
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions
Slinking Skirge - MTG Card versions
Gravedigger - MTG Card versions
Scandalmonger - MTG Card versions
Urborg Shambler - MTG Card versions
Whispering Shade - MTG Card versions
Filth - MTG Card versions
Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions
Bold Plagiarist - MTG Card versions
Toxin Sliver - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Spirit - MTG Card versions
Nim Shambler - MTG Card versions
Scourge of Numai - MTG Card versions
Deathgazer - MTG Card versions
Dirty Wererat - MTG Card versions
Faceless Butcher - MTG Card versions
Magus of the Abyss - MTG Card versions
Hell's Caretaker - Chronicles (CHR)
Rag Man - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Phyrexian Debaser - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Slinking Skirge - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Gravedigger - The List (PLST)
Scandalmonger - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Urborg Shambler - Invasion (INV)
Whispering Shade - Odyssey (ODY)
Filth - Judgment (JUD)
Demon of Catastrophes - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Bold Plagiarist - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Toxin Sliver - Legions (LGN)
Vampiric Spirit - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Nim Shambler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Scourge of Numai - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Deathgazer - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Dirty Wererat - Hachette UK (PHUK)
Faceless Butcher - Time Spiral Timeshifted (TSB)
Magus of the Abyss - Future Sight (FUT)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Undying Beast MTG card by a specific set like Portal, 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 Undying Beast and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Undying Beast has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks