Exhume MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Exhume gives the strategic edge by circumventing mana costs to summon large threats.
  2. Its sorcery speed enables immediate game state changes with a potential high impact.
  3. While potent, Exhume poses risks, such as enhancing an opponent’s board inadvertently.

Text of card

Each player chooses a creature card in his or her graveyard and puts that creature into play.

"Death—an outmoded concept. We sleep, and we change." —Sitrik, birth priest


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Exhume has the strategic benefit of reviving a powerful creature from the graveyard directly onto the battlefield. This provides a valuable card advantage as it effectively allows players to bypass mana costs and summoning sickness, unleashing threats that can dramatically alter the game state.

Resource Acceleration: Although Exhume doesn’t provide mana in the traditional sense, its ability to cheat a high-cost creature into play can significantly accelerate a player’s board presence. This action can far outpace the natural mana curve, allowing for powerful plays earlier than usual.

Instant Speed: While Exhume operates at sorcery speed, the immediate impact of bringing back a sizable threat from the graveyard offers a swift change in resources. The advantage gained from this action can be comparable to the sudden shift that instant speed interactions provide, particularly if a player revives a creature with haste or a relevant enter-the-battlefield trigger.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: A pivotal element to factor when looking at Exhume is the mandatory action for both players to return a creature from their graveyard to the battlefield. While this can work to your advantage, an ill-timed cast could see your opponent benefiting from a more powerful creature, especially if you lack a valuable target in your graveyard.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both black mana for casting, Exhume can’t be slotted into just any deck. This specificity can restrict deck building and requires a commitment to either a mono-black or a two-color deck that includes black mana, which might not always align with a player’s strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While two mana might not seem exorbitant, in a format where tempo and efficiency are key, Exhume may fall short compared to other reanimation spells. There are alternatives such as Reanimate or Animate Dead that have a lower mana cost, albeit with additional life cost or restrictions, but these can sometimes be more efficient in returning a key creature to the field.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Exhume can effortlessly be integrated into a variety of decks, particularly those revolving around graveyard strategies. Its ability to return a creature from the graveyard to the battlefield makes it a useful tool in reanimator or recursion-based decks.

Combo Potential: This card can be pivotal in enabling powerful combos by resurrecting high-cost creatures early in the game. It pairs well with self-mill tactics to quickly get high-impact creatures into the graveyard for a game-changing comeback.

Meta-Relevance: With the continuous presence of graveyard-centric decks in various formats, Exhume holds its ground as a relevant and powerful enabler. In metas where the graveyard is a resource, Exhume can provide significant tactical advantage and unexpected swings in board state.


How to beat Exhume

Exhume is a potent spell known for its ability to revive powerful creatures from graveyards in Magic: The Gathering. This card often swings the game balance, bringing back formidable threats that were previously dealt with. Understanding how to neutralize Exhume’s effect can be crucial to maintaining control of the match.

To counteract Exhume, focus on having graveyard hate cards like Tormod’s Crypt or Relic of Progenitus in your deck. These cards can remove creatures from the graveyard before your opponent has the chance to cast Exhume. If Exhume is already on the stack, a counterspell like Negate or Dispel can prevent it from resolving. Additionally, running creatures with enter-the-battlefield effects that exile cards from graveyards, such as Agent of Erebos or Scavenging Ooze, can mitigate the impact of an opponent’s Exhume.

Strategic play also involves carefully choosing which creatures to send to the graveyard. Opting for cards that are less impactful when reanimated by an opponent can reduce the risk that Exhume poses. By incorporating these tactics and maintaining graveyard awareness, you can diffuse the explosive potential that Exhume brings to the table and keep the upper hand in your MTG matches.


BurnMana Recommendations

The allure of Exhume in MTG extends beyond just reanimating a fallen behemoth; it’s about strategically sculpting the game narrative to your favor. If you’re intrigued by the tactical depth that Exhume offers and eager to wield its power to full effect, or if you’re exploring strategies to mitigate its impact, there’s much to discover. Fine-tune your deck, understand the right moment to play this card, and explore counters to stay ahead. Craving more insights and advanced tactics? Join the BurnMana community, where seasoned sorcerers and insightful players converge, sharing expertise to ensure your next match is one for the annals.


Cards like Exhume

Exhume is an influential spell in Magic: The Gathering, standing out in the realm of reanimation magic. It’s a mighty card that allows players to bring a creature back from the graveyard. When we gaze into cards with parallel abilities, Animate Dead emerges as a classic adjacent. Although both can resurrect creatures, Animate Dead comes with a drawback that it attaches to the creature, potentially leaving it more vulnerable. Moreover, Exhume affects each player equally, risking the revival of opponents’ formidable creatures as well.

Another peer is Zombify, a spell that solely focuses on your creatures, circumventing the balanced scales that Exhume presents, yet at a higher mana cost. This gives Exhume an edge in early game scenarios. Unearth also shares the reanimation theme but is restricted by the converted mana cost of the creature it targets. Where balance is essential, and for a flat investment, Exhume remains a powerful and cost-effective option.

In essence, to compare these spells is to understand the strategic depth they add to the game. Each variation of reanimation magic offers unique benefits and trade-offs, with Exhume being especially potent due to its low cost and broad impact on the game state.

Animate Dead - MTG Card versions
Zombify - MTG Card versions
Unearth - MTG Card versions
Animate Dead - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Zombify - Odyssey (ODY)
Unearth - Urza's Legacy (ULG)

Cards similar to Exhume by color, type and mana cost

Drain Life - MTG Card versions
Demonic Tutor - MTG Card versions
Sinkhole - MTG Card versions
Word of Binding - MTG Card versions
Soul Exchange - MTG Card versions
Dry Spell - MTG Card versions
Hymn to Tourach - MTG Card versions
Mind Knives - MTG Card versions
Shattered Crypt - MTG Card versions
Disturbed Burial - MTG Card versions
Death Stroke - MTG Card versions
Imperial Edict - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Intent - MTG Card versions
Decompose - MTG Card versions
Chainer's Edict - MTG Card versions
Walk the Plank - MTG Card versions
Predators' Hour - MTG Card versions
Nausea - MTG Card versions
Hunger of the Nim - MTG Card versions
Distress - MTG Card versions
Drain Life - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Demonic Tutor - Commander Masters (CMM)
Sinkhole - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Word of Binding - Renaissance (REN)
Soul Exchange - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Dry Spell - Portal (POR)
Hymn to Tourach - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Mind Knives - Portal (POR)
Shattered Crypt - Weatherlight (WTH)
Disturbed Burial - Tempest (TMP)
Death Stroke - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Imperial Edict - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Diabolic Intent - Planeshift (PLS)
Decompose - Odyssey (ODY)
Chainer's Edict - Ultimate Masters (UMA)
Walk the Plank - The List (PLST)
Predators' Hour - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Nausea - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Hunger of the Nim - Darksteel (DST)
Distress - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Exhume MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga and Battle Royale Box Set, 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 Exhume and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Exhume Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 1998-10-12 and 2020-07-17. Illustrated by Carl Critchlow.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-10-12Urza's SagaUSG 1341997normalblackCarl Critchlow
21999-11-12Battle Royale Box SetBRB 241997normalwhiteCarl Critchlow
32011-05-14Duel Decks: Mirrodin Pure vs. New PhyrexiaTD2 702003normalblackCarl Critchlow
42011-11-18Premium Deck Series: GravebornPD3 172003normalblackCarl Critchlow
52020-07-17JumpstartJMP 2302015normalblackCarl Critchlow

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Exhume has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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