Extract from Darkness MTG Card


Enhances board control by reanimating creatures, potentially from opponents’ graveyards. Demands careful deck management due to specific mana requirements and discard costs. Can pivot a game when played strategically, offering versatility in both offense and defense.
Card setsReleased in 9 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Abilities Mill

Text of card

Each player puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. Then put a creature card from a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control.

If you want to wreak havoc above, sometimes it's best to look below.


Cards like Extract from Darkness

Extract from Darkness is an intriguing spell that steps into the realm of reanimation strategies in MTG. It is often measured against other graveyard retrieval cards such as Zombify, which solely focuses on returning a creature from the graveyard to the battlefield. Extract from Darkness differs as it includes a twist of milling each player for two cards, potentially providing more options for reanimation targets. Furthermore, its versatility to potentially reanimate a creature from an opponent’s graveyard offers strategic depth.

In line with Extract from Darkness, Unburial Rites is another card that facilitates creature reanimation, but it offers the flexibility of flashback, allowing a second use from the graveyard. While Unburial Rites is more limited in initial use, targeting only the controller’s graveyard, the added value of flashback can prove incredibly potent in the long game. Ancestral Recall also mirrors the mill factor, albeit it focuses on the card draw aspect without the reanimation benefit.

Weighing the utility and synergies of Extract from Darkness with other reanimation spells, it stands out for its duality of disrupting opponents’ libraries and broadening reanimation targets. Its role in MTG deck strategies is cemented by its unique approach to combining mill effects with the power of reanimation.

Zombify - MTG Card versions
Unburial Rites - MTG Card versions
Ancestral Recall - MTG Card versions
Zombify - MTG Card versions
Unburial Rites - MTG Card versions
Ancestral Recall - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Extract from Darkness by color, type and mana cost

Ribbons of Night - MTG Card versions
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Ribbons of Night - MTG Card versions
Deny Reality - MTG Card versions
Coerced Confession - MTG Card versions
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Tezzeret's Betrayal - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Extract from Darkness excels in providing card advantage by allowing you to reanimate a creature from any graveyard. This not only boosts your board presence but can potentially diminish your opponent’s future plays, should you choose a creature from their graveyard.

Resource Acceleration: While Extract from Darkness itself doesn’t directly provide mana, reanimating a creature with mana-producing abilities or one that can untap your lands contributes to resource acceleration. This can be particularly impactful in the later stages of the game.

Instant Speed: Operating at instant speed gives you the flexibility to act on your opponent’s end step, after they’ve committed to their plays. This strategic advantage allows you to make informed decisions and revive the best possible creature in response to the current state of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Your strategy might take a hit with Extract from Darkness as it necessitates you to discard a card. This can be detrimental when you’re looking to maintain a full hand for optimal play options.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s demanding Blue and Black mana cost could potentially hamstring your deck’s versatility, particularly in a multicolored setup where mana flexibility is key.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Five mana to execute this spell is steep, especially when pitted against other cards within the same slot that can provide resurrection effects or impactful board presence for less investment.


Reasons to Include Extract from Darkness in Your Collection

Versatility: Extract from Darkness is a card that offers flexibility in gameplay. It allows for reanimation of any creature across all graveyards, which can be highly strategic in both multiplayer and single-player formats.

Combo Potential: This card is a cornerstone in decks that aim to utilize the graveyard as a resource. It can be the key piece in an intricate combo, often leading to unexpected turns and swings in board presence.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creatures often end up in the graveyard, either through mill strategies or from fierce creature combat, Extract from Darkness gains considerable value, potentially tipping the scales by bringing a powerful creature back under your control.


How to beat

Extract from Darkness is an intriguing card that intertwines card advantage with creature reanimation. This card shines in multiplayer games, offering both a way to sift through your graveyard and cherry-pick the best creatures from any graveyard to add to your battlefield. The key to overcoming this spell lies in proactive graveyard disruption or countering it altogether.

To effectively counteract Extract from Darkness, a player could employ cards like Tormod’s Crypt or Nihil Spellbomb for graveyard control, removing potential targets before the spell resolves. Another strategy includes utilizing counter spells such as Counterspell or Negate to prevent it from ever taking effect. Timing is crucial, as allowing an opponent to resolve Extract from Darkness can swing the momentum of the game significantly in their favor, especially if a high-value creature is reanimated.

Moreover, knowing when to hold back those counters or graveyard hate cards until the right moment is equally important. By keeping these tools in reserve for pivotal turns, you can ensure that Extract from Darkness doesn’t tilt the scales against you, maintaining control over the game’s tempo and leaving your opponents in the dark.


BurnMana Recommendations

With Extract from Darkness making waves in MTG, it opens up dimensional strategic possibilities. Its ability to pull creatures from any graveyard and its surprise element when played at instant speed makes it an indispensable tool for command of the board. If you’re looking to exploit its full potential, delve into the intricacies of MTG’s reanimation mechanics and harness graveyard power to your advantage. Understanding the synergy with other cards and when to deploy this spell can be game-changing. For players keen on reinforcing their decks with transformative strategies, we invite you to learn more and integrate this dynamic spell into your arsenal.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Extract from Darkness MTG card by a specific set like Conspiracy and Eternal Masters, 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 Extract from Darkness and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Extract from Darkness Magic the Gathering card was released in 9 different sets between 2014-06-06 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12014-06-06ConspiracyCNS 452003NormalBlackDallas Williams
22016-06-10Eternal MastersEMA 2002015NormalBlackDallas Williams
32017-06-16Archenemy: Nicol BolasE01 842015NormalBlackDallas Williams
42019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 14242015NormalBlackDallas Williams
52020-09-25Zendikar Rising CommanderZNC 902015NormalBlackDallas Williams
62020-09-26The ListPLST E01-842015NormalBlackDallas Williams
72022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 8442015NormalBlackDallas Williams
82022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 2102015NormalBlackDallas Williams
92023-06-23Tales of Middle-earth CommanderLTC 2662015NormalBlackLie Setiawan

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Extract from Darkness has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2016-06-08 Extract from Darkness doesn't target a creature card. You choose which card you're putting onto the battlefield as it resolves. You can choose any creature card in a graveyard at that time, including one just put into a graveyard by Extract from Darkness. If there are no creature cards in graveyards at that time, Extract from Darkness simply finishes resolving.