False Mourning MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Sorcery
Released	1999-05-01
Set symbol
Set name	Portal Three Kingdoms
Set code	PTK
Number	134
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	White
Illustred by	Koji

Key Takeaways

Instantly recover a creature card to hand, enhancing your strategic options and maintaining momentum.
Efficient resource utilization by recycling creatures, enabling repeated use and tactical advantage.
Graveyard interactions become pivotal; False Mourning’s instant speed can pivot the game’s direction at crucial moments.

Text of card

Take any one card from your graveyard and put that card on the top of your library.

Zhou Yu, Sun Ce, and other famous generals feigned their deaths in order to later surprise their opponents.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: False Mourning is tailored for situations where replenishing your hand is key. By selecting a creature card from your graveyard and returning it to your hand, you not only gain a strategic piece back but also maintain card flow to keep your game plan on track.

Resource Acceleration: This card facilitates resource acceleration by effectively recycling valuable creature cards. This allows you to conserve resources in your library while still advancing your board presence. False Mourning can seamlessly integrate creatures back into your hand, ready for a second round of deployment.

Instant Speed: The ability to play False Mourning at instant speed gives you the flexibility to respond to your opponent’s actions or end-of-turn moves. Whether it’s during a high-stakes end-phase or following a critical battlefield sweep, the agility that instant-speed spells provide can significantly swing the game in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: False Mourning comes with a precondition that requires you to discard another card, which might hinder your hand advantage, especially if your in-game resources are dwindling or you’re trying to maintain card advantage over your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a distinct combination of mana, one black mana in particular, which naturally restricts it to black-centric or compatible multicolor decks, potentially excluding it from a wide variety of other deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that is substantial when compared to other cards with similar or more impactful effects, this card might not always provide the best value for your mana investment, potentially slowing down your gameplay or forcing you to choose between this and other valuable plays on the same turn.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: False Mourning presents an adaptable choice for decks that hinge on graveyard interaction. It can be a key piece in returning an essential creature to your hand from the graveyard, irrespective of the overarching archetypes such as aggro, control, or combo.

Combo Potential: This card allows savvy players to set up graveyard synergies or recover from board wipes by strategically moving creatures back to their hand. It can be a cornerstone in a loop or a means to recur high-value targets in creature-based combo decks.

Meta-Relevance: As graveyard mechanics ebb and flow in prominence within the meta, having access to recovery tools like False Mourning can give players an edge. It’s particularly potent if the environment favors the use of removal, enabling you to swiftly bounce back by retrieving key creatures that have been targeted.

How to Beat

False Mourning is a unique spell in Magic: The Gathering that centers on retrieving creatures from your graveyard. This enchantment from the Kamigawa block is similar to other graveyard retrieval spells, but it operates with a twist. Rather than putting the card into your hand as spells like Raise Dead would do, it places a creature on top of your library. This means you have to wait a turn to draw it, potentially slowing down your tempo.

While it may superficially seem advantageous to set up your next draw, it also telegraphs your move to your opponent, giving them time to prepare. The key to countering False Mourning is to maintain graveyard control. Cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void can prevent creatures from ever hitting the graveyard, taking the utility away from False Mourning. Additionally, instant speed removal when the creature you suspect was put on top is played can negate the advantage they were seeking. Hand disruption is also an effective strategy; spells like Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek can extract that creature from their hand before it’s ever cast.

Ultimately, if you’re well-prepared, dealing with False Mourning is more about anticipatory play and sticking to a strategy that maintains control of the game’s pace and your opponent’s resources.

Cards like False Mourning

False Mourning is a unique piece of the puzzle in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, particularly for cards that deal with manipulation of the graveyard. It shares similarities with cards like Reclaim, which also serves to retrieve a card from the graveyard to the top of the library. False Mourning, with its singular mana cost, gives players a cost-effective way to recycle their key creatures or spells.

Additionally, the likes of Footbottom Feast and Bone Harvest lean into the same concept but extend the ability to multiple creatures. They come with higher mana costs, but in return, they offer more flexibility and broader strategic depth. While those spells do move a batch of creatures from the graveyard back to your library, False Mourning’s straightforward and cheaper approach is often favored in decks that aim to quickly cycle through specific cards.

As we delve into strategies and coherence in deck building, False Mourning stands out due to its simplicity and efficiency in Magic: The Gathering. It’s an essential tool for those who want to retrieve that crucial card for a minimal investment, ensuring a swift repositioning of a game-changing spell or a mighty creature to the top of their deck.

Cards similar to False Mourning by color, type and mana cost

Chatter of the Squirrel - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase False Mourning MTG card by a specific set like Portal Three Kingdoms, 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 False Mourning and other MTG cards: