Late to Dinner MTG Card


Reanimates creatures while providing card advantage, a crucial element for maintaining in-game momentum. Creates Food tokens, offering additional life or resource options, pivotal in protracted engagements. Timing the sorcery right could turn the tide of the game, crucial for strategic board control.
Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery
Abilities Food

Text of card

Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. Create a Food token. (It's an artifact with ", , Sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life.")

"I knew you were set in your ways, friend, but even I didn't expect you to keep our engagement, under the circumstances."


Cards like Late to Dinner

Late to Dinner serves as a unique piece in the Magic: The Gathering puzzle of reanimation spells. Aligning it with something like Unburial Rites reveals some similarities, as both cards offer the ability to bring a creature back from the graveyard to the battlefield. Yet, Late to Dinner ups the ante by creating a Food token, providing an extra layer of utility for sustenance—or strategic sacrifice.

Analogous to its function, Resurrection also returns a fallen creature to the fight. But where Resurrection simply performs this task, Late to Dinner’s culinary twist offers you a bite to eat along the way. Whereas Exhume can be a bargain for its low cost, it’s a double-edged sword by allowing your opponent the same chance to resurrect their own creature—something you don’t have to worry about when setting Late to Dinner.

Overall, Late to Dinner carves out its niche with an appetizing blend of reanimation and incremental life gain, making it a tasty choice for players seeking both power restoration and prolonged survivability in their gameplay strategy.

Unburial Rites - MTG Card versions
Resurrection - MTG Card versions
Exhume - MTG Card versions
Unburial Rites - MTG Card versions
Resurrection - MTG Card versions
Exhume - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Late to Dinner by color, type and mana cost

Wrath of God - MTG Card versions
Armageddon - MTG Card versions
Resurrection - MTG Card versions
Cleanse - MTG Card versions
Breath of Life - MTG Card versions
Path of Peace - MTG Card versions
Vengeance - MTG Card versions
False Defeat - MTG Card versions
Ravages of War - MTG Card versions
Replenish - MTG Card versions
Gerrard's Wisdom - MTG Card versions
Decree of Justice - MTG Card versions
Day of Judgment - MTG Card versions
Presence of the Wise - MTG Card versions
Divine Congregation - MTG Card versions
Retether - MTG Card versions
Windborne Charge - MTG Card versions
Captain's Call - MTG Card versions
Excoriate - MTG Card versions
Battle Screech - MTG Card versions
Wrath of God - MTG Card versions
Armageddon - MTG Card versions
Resurrection - MTG Card versions
Cleanse - MTG Card versions
Breath of Life - MTG Card versions
Path of Peace - MTG Card versions
Vengeance - MTG Card versions
False Defeat - MTG Card versions
Ravages of War - MTG Card versions
Replenish - MTG Card versions
Gerrard's Wisdom - MTG Card versions
Decree of Justice - MTG Card versions
Day of Judgment - MTG Card versions
Presence of the Wise - MTG Card versions
Divine Congregation - MTG Card versions
Retether - MTG Card versions
Windborne Charge - MTG Card versions
Captain's Call - MTG Card versions
Excoriate - MTG Card versions
Battle Screech - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Late to Dinner. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Jeskai EphemerateJeskai Ephemerate PauperJeskai EphemeratePauper Challenge 32 2024-04-21
Flicker GatesFlicker Gates PauperJeskai EphemerateMonthly Tournament #38 @ Paper Pauper Magic Discord

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Late to Dinner provides a dual benefit by returning a creature from your graveyard to the battlefield, increasing your board presence while essentially drawing a card from your graveyard. This twist on reanimation helps players maintain their tempo without having to invest in fresh draws.

Resource Acceleration: Late to Dinner also offers a resource boost by creating a Food token upon resolution. This token can be utilized later in the game for additional life or resource management, giving players a slight edge in longer, drawn-out battles where every bit of advantage counts.

Instant Speed: Though Late to Dinner is a sorcery, its impact at the right moment can feel as significant as if it were instant speed. It allows you to strategically time your creature’s return for maximum effect, such as right after a sweeper, to immediately reestablish a threat on the board.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Late to Dinner involves a discard action, obligating players to toss another valuable card from their hand. This prerequisite can be cumbersome, especially in scenarios where hand size is already depleted or each card in hand holds significant strategic value for upcoming plays.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost dictates specific mana types, two white and two from any color. This requirement can sometimes hamper deck flexibility as it necessitates a sturdy base of white mana sources, potentially restricting its inclusion in multicolor or color-intensive decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing four mana may deter players, considering other cards in the same mana range could provide immediate impact or more versatile solutions. As reanimation spells go, players might favor alternatives with lower costs or additional benefits, making Late to Dinner a less appealing option when mana efficiency is paramount.


Reasons to Include Late to Dinner in Your Collection

Versatility: Late to Dinner serves as a flexible piece in many decks, especially those revolving around graveyard strategies. Its ability to reanimate creatures ensures a persistent presence on the board.

Combo Potential: This card can create powerful synergies in decks that use sacrificing creatures for value, returning the sacrificed creatures back to the battlefield for additional benefits.

Meta-Relevance: As graveyard-based strategies continue to be a part of the current meta, Late to Dinner can become a significant asset in circumventing removal spells, keeping key creatures in play, and maintaining board control.


How to beat Late to Dinner

Overcoming Late to Dinner in your MTG matchup requires strategic foresight and a sound understanding of graveyard interaction. This sorcery card can be deceptive, turning what seems like a setback for your opponent into a sudden gain as they resurrect a creature from their graveyard. How do you prevent this reversal of fortunes? Graveyard hate cards such as Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze can be invaluable, removing key pieces from their graveyard before they have the chance to set the table and invite their creature back into play.

Timing is everything. Playing cards with instant speed removal allows you to react once the creature returns, mitigating the advantage your opponent gains. Counterspells also provide a straightforward solution to stop Late to Dinner from ever resolving. Remember, disrupting your opponent’s game plan isn’t just about reacting but anticipating. By closely monitoring their graveyard and holding onto your removal until it’s most impactful, you can thwart their strategy and keep control of the game.

Finally, staying vigilant and managing your resources effectively ensures that when your opponent tries to bring a creature back with Late to Dinner, you’re ready to cancel their plans and put them behind. With each strategic maneuver, you inch closer to victory while denying them their resurgence.


BurnMana Recommendations

MTG enthusiasts understand that synergizing card advantages with strategic play spells victory. Late to Dinner has emerged as a not-so-covert powerhouse in graveyard-centric decks. Its ability to resurrect creatures coupled with a Food token reward provides recuperative prowess and an unexpected twist to conventional MTG reanimation tactics. Ready to refine your tactical edge or simply spice up your collection? Incorporating Late to Dinner may be your gateway to sustained board control and refined strategy. Dive deeper with us and harness the full potential of your MTG gameplay—your opponents won’t know what hit them. Learn more and become adept at dictating the ebb and flow of the battlefield.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Late to Dinner MTG card by a specific set like The List and Modern Horizons 2 Art Series, 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 Late to Dinner and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Late to Dinner Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2021-06-18 and 2021-08-26. Illustrated by Kev Walker.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12020-09-26The ListPLST MH2-3292015NormalBlackKev Walker
22021-06-18Modern Horizons 2 Art SeriesAMH2 32015Art seriesBorderlessKev Walker
32021-06-18Modern Horizons 2MH2 192015NormalBlackKev Walker
42021-06-18Modern Horizons 2 Art SeriesAMH2 3s2015Art seriesBorderlessKev Walker
52021-06-18Modern Horizons 2MH2 3292015NormalBlackKev Walker
62021-08-26Jumpstart: Historic HorizonsJ21 1032015NormalBlackKev Walker

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Late to Dinner has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
GladiatorLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2021-06-18 If the target is illegal as the spell tries to resolve, perhaps because it has been removed from the graveyard, you will not create a Food token.