Unburial Rites MTG Card


Dual casting from hand and graveyard amplifies the strategic flexibility of Unburial Rites. Unburial Rites encourages a reanimator archetype with seamless graveyard utility. Competent graveyard management is pivotal for successfully integrating Unburial Rites into MTG gameplay.
Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Abilities Flashback

Text of card

Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. Flashback (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

All crave the Blessed Sleep. Few receive it.


Cards like Unburial Rites

Unburial Rites stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a powerful reanimation tool, inviting comparisons with other resurrection spells. A card like Zombify echoes its ability to bring a creature back from the graveyard to the battlefield but lacks the flexibility of Unburial Rites’ Flashback ability, which is pivotal for a second use from the graveyard. This gives Unburial Rites an undeniable edge in terms of card economy and strategic depth.

Another analogous card is Exhume, which shares the reanimation theme but differs as it also allows an opponent to pull a creature from their graveyard. It costs less but brings a level of risk and unpredictability, contrasting with Unburial Rites’ targeted approach. Finally, the spell Animate Dead also facilitates creature return, albeit with the downside of a power reduction and the potential to lose the creature if Animate Dead is removed. Due to these factors, Unburial Rites is often the go-to choice for players aiming for control and consistency in their graveyard-based strategies.

After evaluating these comparable cards, it becomes clear that for those aiming to leverage their graveyard as a resource, Unburial Rites is a card that offers both flexibility and value, making it a formidable player in the realm of reanimation spells.

Zombify - MTG Card versions
Exhume - MTG Card versions
Animate Dead - MTG Card versions
Zombify - MTG Card versions
Exhume - MTG Card versions
Animate Dead - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Unburial Rites by color, type and mana cost

Culling Sun - MTG Card versions
Obzedat's Aid - MTG Card versions
March from the Tomb - MTG Card versions
Rise to Glory - MTG Card versions
Graceful Restoration - MTG Card versions
Culling Sun - MTG Card versions
Obzedat's Aid - MTG Card versions
March from the Tomb - MTG Card versions
Rise to Glory - MTG Card versions
Graceful Restoration - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

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

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
DoomsdayDoomsday LegacyAd Nauseam TendrilsCharlotte Legacy League Season 2 Week 3
Orzhov AngelsOrzhov Angels GladiatorGladiator Proving Grounds: Week 06 2024
Goryo's VengeanceGoryo's Vengeance ModernGoryo's VengeanceModern Preliminary 2024-02-15
Five-color ComboFive-color Combo LegacyPainterCharlotte Legacy League Season 2 Week 1
Esper ReanimatorEsper Reanimator ModernEsper Reanimator$10K RCQ - Modern - SCG CON Philadelphia - Saturday - 9:00 am
Jund ComboJund Combo GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 12 2024
Grixis ReanimatorGrixis Reanimator GladiatorGladiator Proving Grounds: Week 06 2024
Goryo's BlinkGoryo's Blink ModernGoryo's VengeanceMTG China Open S5 Regional Championship
Four-color Some Brand of CerealFour-color Some Brand of Cereal GladiatorGladiator Proving Grounds: Week 09 2024
Four-color MillFour-color Mill GladiatorGladiator Proving Grounds: Week 06 2024

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Unburial Rites shines in a strategy centered around getting the most value from each card. By allowing you to return a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield, it effectively gives you access to powerful creatures that may have been previously countered or destroyed, ensuring you’re never at a loss for board presence.

Resource Acceleration: The Flashback ability of Unburial Rites is a noteworthy form of resource acceleration. While the initial casting of the card from your hand brings a creature back, being able to cast it again from the graveyard is like having two spells in one, granting you additional value and utility beyond your hand resources.

Instant Speed: While Unburial Rites itself isn’t an instant, it embodies strategic flexibility much like an instant-speed spell would. The Flashback ability can be activated at your convenience, allowing you to wait for the opportune moment or end of your opponent’s turn before reanimating a pivotal creature, thereby maintaining momentum and keeping your opponent guessing.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the deterrents for using Unburial Rites is its dependence on having a creature card in the graveyard. For players not running a graveyard-centric strategy or lacking ways to fill the graveyard, this can detract from the card’s utility.

Specific Mana Cost: Committing to Unburial Rites requires precise mana sources. Its initially black and white mana requirements can be restrictive, demanding a dedicated color base that may not blend well with multi-colored or colorless focused decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing a total of five mana for its initial cast, Unburial Rites can be a resource-heavy play. Its flashback ability, although flexible, still requires an additional four mana, which might slow down gameplay or compete with other high-impact cards in the same mana range.


Reasons to Include Unburial Rites in Your Collection

Versatility: Unburial Rites stands out as a staple in graveyard-based strategies, fitting seamlessly into decks focused on reanimation and value recursion. Its flexibility allows it to be cast from the hand and then again from the graveyard, ensuring its usefulness in various game states.

Combo Potential: This card opens the door to numerous combo opportunities, often acting as the linchpin in bringing back game-changing creatures at a fraction of their casting cost. The ability to reanimate powerful creatures can quickly turn the tide of a game or even close it out on the spot.

Meta-Relevance: Given its impact in Eternal formats where graveyards are frequently utilized as a resource, Unburial Rites holds a firm place in the meta. It allows decks to circumvent traditional mana costs and timing restrictions, adapting well against control archetypes that rely on removing threats from the board.


How to beat

Unburial Rites is a powerful reanimation spell that allows players to return a creature card from their graveyard to the battlefield. This can often swing the game in favor of the player who casts it, especially if they bring back a high-cost, impactful creature. One effective strategy to counter this card in Magic: The Gathering is to utilize graveyard disruption. Cards like Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze can actively remove key creatures from graveyards before Unburial Rites can be used or exile the target in response to the spell.

Another approach is to hold up counterspells to prevent Unburial Rites from resolving when it’s cast from hand or flashbacked from the graveyard. A well-timed Dovin’s Veto or Negate can neutralize this threat and maintain control of the game’s pace. Additionally, using hand disruption tactics like Thoughtseize can be beneficial by discarding Unburial Rites before it can be played, significantly weakening the opponent’s strategy.

Staying proactive is essential; recognizing the signs of a reanimator strategy and countering it through graveyard control, counterspells, and hand disruption will help players successfully navigate against the inevitable return that Unburial Rites promises.


BurnMana Recommendations

If you’re delving into the strategic depth of MTG, Unburial Rites is a card worth considering for its power to command the battlefield from beyond the grave. Its dual casting option—once from your hand and again with Flashback—lets you capitalize on creatures that your opponents have struggled to deal with once already. It’s a heavy hitter in graveyard-synergy decks and essential for dramatic comebacks. Adept at redefining game states, this card challenges opponents and secures advantages. Ready to weave Unburial Rites into your arsenal of plays? Join us to enhance your strategy and fully realize the potential of your deck’s resurrection capabilities.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Unburial Rites MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad and Modern Masters 2017, 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 Unburial Rites and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Unburial Rites Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 2011-09-30 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by Ryan Pancoast.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12011-09-30InnistradISD 1222003NormalBlackRyan Pancoast
22017-03-17Modern Masters 2017MM3 852015NormalBlackRyan Pancoast
32018-12-07Ultimate MastersUMA 1192015NormalBlackRyan Pancoast
42020-04-17Commander 2020C20 1392015NormalBlackRyan Pancoast
52020-09-26The ListPLST ISD-1222003NormalBlackRyan Pancoast
62021-07-23Forgotten Realms CommanderAFC 1112015NormalBlackRyan Pancoast
72022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 952015NormalBlackRyan Pancoast
82023-03-21Shadows of the PastSIS 362015NormalBlackRyan Pancoast

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Unburial Rites has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
GladiatorLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2021-03-19 A spell cast using flashback will always be exiled afterward, whether it resolves, is countered, or leaves the stack in some other way.
2021-03-19 If a card with flashback is put into your graveyard during your turn, you can cast it if it's legal to do so before any other player can take any actions.
2021-03-19 To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost (such as a flashback cost) you're paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was.
2021-03-19 You can cast a spell using flashback even if it was somehow put into your graveyard without having been cast.
2021-03-19 You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions, including those based on the card's type. For instance, you can cast a sorcery using flashback only when you could normally cast a sorcery.
2021-03-19Flashback
-ost]” means “You may cast this card from your graveyard by paying
-ost] rather than paying its mana cost” and “If the flashback cost was paid, exile this card instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack.”