{"id":1979,"date":"2026-10-23T06:57:44","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T06:57:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krakenthemeta.com\/blog\/mtg-undying\/"},"modified":"2026-10-29T06:57:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T06:57:22","slug":"mtg-undying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krakenthemeta.com\/blog\/mtg-undying\/","title":{"rendered":"Undying MTG: How It Works, Every Undying Card and an $80 Mikaeus Deck (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Undying<\/strong> is a Magic: The Gathering keyword that brings a creature back once. When a creature with undying dies, if it had no +1\/+1 counters on it, it returns to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a +1\/+1 counter on it.<\/strong> The counter is what stops it coming back a second time: die again with that counter still on, and it stays in the graveyard.<\/p>\n\n

Undying debuted in Dark Ascension (3 February 2012) as the black and green half of a pair with persist, which returns creatures with a -1\/-1 counter instead. Only 22 tournament-legal cards have the keyword, and 20 of the 26 undying cards listed below cost under a dollar. Its reputation comes from one card: Mikaeus, the Unhallowed<\/strong> gives undying to every other non-Human creature you control. Pair it with any persist creature, or anything that can remove its own +1\/+1 counter, plus a free sacrifice outlet, and the loop never ends.<\/p>\n\n

This guide covers how undying works (including the counter rules that decide whether it comes back), every undying card ranked by Commander play, the loops it makes, legality in every format and an $80.42 budget Mikaeus deck<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

What is undying in MTG?<\/h2>\n\n

Undying is rule 702.93 of the Comprehensive Rules. Rule 702.93a defines it as a triggered ability: “Undying” means “When this permanent is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, if it had no +1\/+1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a +1\/+1 counter on it.”<\/p>\n\n

Dark Ascension printed 12 creatures with undying, plus Mikaeus and Undying Evil to grant it, and Avacyn Restored added six more three months later. Since then the keyword has appeared only on single cards in supplemental products: Nardole, Resourceful Cyborg (Doctor Who, 2023), Witch-king, Sky Scourge (Lord of the Rings Commander, 2023), Hancock, Ghoulish Mayor (Fallout, 2024) and Gleeful Arsonist (Duskmourn Commander, 2024). Scryfall lists 24 cards with the keyword, but two are joke cards that are not legal anywhere (Garbage Elemental from Unstable and a Phyrexian Midway Bamboozle sticker sheet from Unfinity). Four more cards grant<\/em> undying without having it: Mikaeus, the Unhallowed, Undying Evil, Endling and the Haunted One Background.<\/p>\n\n

Two cards have “Undying” in their names and nothing to do with the keyword: Undying Flames<\/strong> (an epic burn spell from Saviors of Kamigawa) and Shadow of the Goblin<\/strong>, whose “Undying Vengeance” is a flavor name for a damage trigger.<\/p>\n\n

\"A
Geralf’s Messenger (Dark Ascension): the undying card that made Standard players groan. Every time it enters, an opponent loses 2 life. Art by Kev Walker. Image via Scryfall; \u00a9 Wizards of the Coast.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

How undying works<\/h2>\n\n

Undying looks simple, but almost every interesting question about it is about counters. These are the situations that come up, with the source for each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Situation<\/th>What happens<\/th>Source<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
A creature with undying and no +1\/+1 counters dies<\/td>Undying triggers. It returns to the battlefield with a +1\/+1 counter<\/td>CR 702.93a<\/td><\/tr>\n
It dies again with that counter still on it<\/td>Undying doesn’t trigger. It stays in the graveyard<\/td>CR 702.93a<\/td><\/tr>\n
Static +1\/+1 bonuses (Mikaeus, anthems, Evernight Shade’s pump)<\/td>They aren’t counters, so they don’t stop undying<\/td>Mikaeus, the Unhallowed and Evernight Shade rulings<\/td><\/tr>\n
A -1\/-1 counter is put on a creature with a +1\/+1 counter<\/td>State-based actions remove one of each. With no +1\/+1 counter left, undying will return it again (a single point of damage from a source with wither<\/a> does exactly this)<\/td>CR 704.5q; Endling ruling, 2019-06-14<\/td><\/tr>\n
It dies to -1\/-1 counters while it still has a +1\/+1 counter<\/td>No return. Undying looks at the creature as it last existed, and at that moment the +1\/+1 counter was still on it<\/td>Endling ruling, 2019-06-14<\/td><\/tr>\n
The card leaves the graveyard before the trigger resolves (Bojuka Bog, Cemetery Reaper)<\/td>It doesn’t come back<\/td>Endling ruling, 2019-06-14<\/td><\/tr>\n
It is exiled, bounced or tucked instead of dying<\/td>Undying never triggers. It only sees the battlefield-to-graveyard move<\/td>CR 702.93a<\/td><\/tr>\n
A creature has two instances of undying<\/td>Both trigger, but only the first to resolve returns it. It gets one +1\/+1 counter, not two<\/td>Endling ruling, 2019-06-14<\/td><\/tr>\n
The returned creature<\/td>It is a new object. Auras and other counters are gone, Equipment falls off, it has summoning sickness, and its enters abilities trigger again<\/td>Endling and Demonlord of Ashmouth rulings<\/td><\/tr>\n
You stole a creature with undying and it dies<\/td>It returns under its owner’s<\/em> control, not yours<\/td>CR 702.93a<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table>\n\n

The practical upshot: undying is a one-time death insurance on its own, but anything that removes the +1\/+1 counter re-arms it. That is the door to every combo below.<\/p>\n\n

Undying vs persist<\/h2>\n\n

Persist (CR 702.79a) is the mirror image: “When this permanent is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, if it had no -1\/-1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a -1\/-1 counter on it.” Persist came first, in Shadowmoor (2008), on 25 Commander-legal cards. Undying is the stronger keyword card for card, because the creature comes back bigger<\/em> instead of smaller. A 1\/1 with undying returns as a 2\/2; a 1\/1 with persist returns as a 0\/0 and dies.<\/p>\n\n

The two keywords break each other open. Give a persist creature undying and it alternates forever: it dies with no counters and returns with one; dies with a -1\/-1 counter, so persist can’t trigger but undying can, and returns with a +1\/+1 counter; dies with a +1\/+1 counter, so undying can’t trigger but persist can. Each return is a new object carrying only the one counter it came back with, so there is always one keyword ready. Our persist guide<\/a> covers that side of the pair.<\/p>\n\n

Every undying card, ranked by Commander play<\/h2>\n\n

Here are the 22 tournament-legal undying cards plus the four that grant it, ranked by how many Commander decks on EDHREC play each one. Prices are the cheapest printing on Scryfall on 23 October 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Card<\/th>Cost<\/th>Type<\/th>P\/T<\/th>First set<\/th>Commander decks (EDHREC)<\/th>Cheapest<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed<\/strong> (grants undying)<\/td>{3}{B}{B}{B}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>5\/5<\/td>DKA (2012)<\/td>119,924<\/td>$22.22<\/td><\/tr>\n
Gleeful Arsonist<\/strong><\/td>{2}{R}<\/td>Creature<\/td>1\/2<\/td>DSC (2024)<\/td>60,958<\/td>$5.72<\/td><\/tr>\n
Undying Evil<\/strong> (grants undying)<\/td>{B}<\/td>Instant<\/td>\u2014<\/td>DKA (2012)<\/td>37,533<\/td>$0.39<\/td><\/tr>\n
Haunted One<\/strong> (grants undying)<\/td>{2}{B}<\/td>Legendary Enchantment<\/td>\u2014<\/td>CLB (2022)<\/td>34,231<\/td>$7.78<\/td><\/tr>\n
Flayer of the Hatebound<\/strong><\/td>{5}{R}<\/td>Creature<\/td>4\/2<\/td>DKA (2012)<\/td>31,012<\/td>$0.24<\/td><\/tr>\n
Hancock, Ghoulish Mayor<\/strong><\/td>{2}{B}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>2\/1<\/td>PIP (2024)<\/td>23,950<\/td>$1.07<\/td><\/tr>\n
Young Wolf<\/strong><\/td>{G}<\/td>Creature<\/td>1\/1<\/td>DKA (2012)<\/td>21,586<\/td>$0.16<\/td><\/tr>\n
Butcher Ghoul<\/strong><\/td>{1}{B}<\/td>Creature<\/td>1\/1<\/td>AVR (2012)<\/td>20,895<\/td>$0.23<\/td><\/tr>\n
Geralf’s Messenger<\/strong><\/td>{B}{B}{B}<\/td>Creature<\/td>3\/2<\/td>DKA (2012)<\/td>17,341<\/td>$2.37<\/td><\/tr>\n
Pyreheart Wolf<\/strong><\/td>{2}{R}<\/td>Creature<\/td>1\/1<\/td>DKA (2012)<\/td>9,361<\/td>$0.21<\/td><\/tr>\n
Strangleroot Geist<\/strong><\/td>{G}{G}<\/td>Creature<\/td>2\/1<\/td>DKA (2012)<\/td>8,138<\/td>$0.15<\/td><\/tr>\n
Witch-king, Sky Scourge<\/strong><\/td>{5}{B}{R}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>5\/5<\/td>LTC (2023)<\/td>7,873<\/td>$2.63<\/td><\/tr>\n
Vorapede<\/strong><\/td>{2}{G}{G}{G}<\/td>Creature<\/td>5\/4<\/td>DKA (2012)<\/td>7,097<\/td>$0.45<\/td><\/tr>\n
Geralf’s Mindcrusher<\/strong><\/td>{4}{U}{U}<\/td>Creature<\/td>5\/5<\/td>DKA (2012)<\/td>6,661<\/td>$0.20<\/td><\/tr>\n
Nardole, Resourceful Cyborg<\/strong><\/td>{1}{U}<\/td>Legendary Artifact Creature<\/td>1\/2<\/td>WHO (2023)<\/td>4,636<\/td>$0.27<\/td><\/tr>\n
Endling<\/strong> (grants undying)<\/td>{2}{B}{B}<\/td>Creature<\/td>3\/3<\/td>MH1 (2019)<\/td>3,707<\/td>$0.28<\/td><\/tr>\n
Treacherous Pit-Dweller<\/strong><\/td>{B}{B}<\/td>Creature<\/td>4\/3<\/td>AVR (2012)<\/td>2,912<\/td>$0.34<\/td><\/tr>\n
Sightless Ghoul<\/strong><\/td>{3}{B}<\/td>Creature<\/td>2\/2<\/td>DKA (2012)<\/td>2,579<\/td>$0.24<\/td><\/tr>\n
Evernight Shade<\/strong><\/td>{3}{B}<\/td>Creature<\/td>1\/1<\/td>AVR (2012)<\/td>2,519<\/td>$0.11<\/td><\/tr>\n
Hound of Griselbrand<\/strong><\/td>{2}{R}{R}<\/td>Creature<\/td>2\/2<\/td>AVR (2012)<\/td>2,235<\/td>$0.30<\/td><\/tr>\n
Demonlord of Ashmouth<\/strong><\/td>{2}{B}{B}<\/td>Creature<\/td>5\/4<\/td>AVR (2012)<\/td>1,704<\/td>$0.28<\/td><\/tr>\n
Howlgeist<\/strong><\/td>{5}{G}<\/td>Creature<\/td>4\/2<\/td>AVR (2012)<\/td>1,291<\/td>$0.08<\/td><\/tr>\n
Vengeful Vampire<\/strong><\/td>{4}{B}{B}<\/td>Creature<\/td>3\/2<\/td>DKA (2012)<\/td>622<\/td>$0.25<\/td><\/tr>\n
Stormbound Geist<\/strong><\/td>{1}{U}{U}<\/td>Creature<\/td>2\/2<\/td>DKA (2012)<\/td>611<\/td>$0.07<\/td><\/tr>\n
Nearheath Stalker<\/strong><\/td>{4}{R}<\/td>Creature<\/td>4\/1<\/td>DKA (2012)<\/td>410<\/td>$0.18<\/td><\/tr>\n
Relentless Skaabs<\/strong><\/td>{3}{U}{U}<\/td>Creature<\/td>4\/4<\/td>DKA (2012)<\/td>351<\/td>$0.10<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table>\n\n

The deck counts mostly measure something other than undying. Gleeful Arsonist<\/strong> (60,958 decks) is played to punish opponents for casting noncreature spells; undying just makes it hard to kill. Flayer of the Hatebound<\/strong> (31,012) earns its slot in reanimator decks, because every creature that enters from your graveyard deals damage equal to its power. Haunted One<\/strong> (34,231) is a Background that gives your commander, and every creature sharing a type with it, +2\/+0 and undying until end of turn whenever the commander becomes tapped.<\/p>\n\n

For a deck actually built on the keyword, Mikaeus, the Unhallowed<\/strong> is the card. It is in 119,924 decks, more than the next two undying cards combined, and leads 2,187 of them as commander.<\/p>\n\n

\"A
Putrid Goblin (Modern Horizons): a two-mana persist creature with no other text, and the cheapest half of the Mikaeus loop. Art by Winona Nelson. Image via Scryfall; \u00a9 Wizards of the Coast.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Undying combos: how the loops work<\/h2>\n\n

Every undying loop needs the same three pieces: something with undying, a way to get rid of the +1\/+1 counter, and a way to kill the creature for free. Mikaeus provides the first for your whole team. These are the loops that matter, using cards from the deck at the end of this guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Card<\/th>Pieces<\/th>What one loop does<\/th>Result<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Triskelion<\/strong><\/td>Mikaeus + Triskelion + a free sacrifice outlet<\/td>Triskelion enters with three +1\/+1 counters, and with undying it comes back with four. Remove all four to deal 4 damage, sacrifice it with no counters on it, and it returns with four again<\/td>Infinite damage to any targets<\/td><\/tr>\n
Putrid Goblin<\/strong><\/td>Mikaeus + any persist creature + a free sacrifice outlet<\/td>Sacrifice it; persist and undying take turns returning it, as explained above<\/td>Infinite deaths and enters triggers. With Blood Artist, Zulaport Cutthroat or Falkenrath Noble out, every opponent drains to zero<\/td><\/tr>\n
Blasting Station<\/strong><\/td>Mikaeus + any persist creature + Blasting Station<\/td>Tap Blasting Station and sacrifice the creature for 1 damage. It returns, and Blasting Station untaps whenever a creature enters<\/td>Infinite damage with no other outlet needed<\/td><\/tr>\n
Carrion Feeder<\/strong><\/td>Mikaeus + any persist creature + Carrion Feeder<\/td>Feeder is the outlet. Each sacrifice puts a +1\/+1 counter on it<\/td>An arbitrarily large Carrion Feeder (it can’t block, so attack with it)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Vampire Hexmage<\/strong><\/td>Mikaeus + Hexmage<\/td>Sacrifice Hexmage to remove all counters from a creature that already used its undying. Hexmage comes back too, with undying<\/td>Not a loop, but it resets your best undying creature at instant speed<\/td><\/tr>\n
Syr Konrad, the Grim<\/strong><\/td>Any persist loop above<\/td>Konrad triggers when a creature dies and again when a creature card leaves your graveyard, so each loop pings each opponent twice<\/td>A second, Human win condition (it doesn’t get undying from Mikaeus)<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table>\n\n

Two warnings. Midnight Reaper and Undead Augur draw you a card and hurt you on each death, so with them out you choose how many times to loop: you’ll draw your deck or lose your life total before an infinite. And Mikaeus only gives undying to non-Human<\/em> creatures; Zulaport Cutthroat and Syr Konrad are Humans, and Bastion of Remembrance’s token is a Human Soldier.<\/p>\n\n

Mikaeus isn’t the only enabler. Solemnity<\/strong> ({2}{W}) says counters can’t be put on creatures, so an undying creature returns without one and is ready to return again. Any undying creature plus Solemnity plus a free sacrifice outlet loops without Mikaeus at all.<\/p>\n\n

How many enablers exist<\/h3>\n\n

Searching every Commander-legal card’s Oracle text on Scryfall gives a sense of how deep each piece of the combo runs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Group<\/th>Commander-legal cards<\/th>Examples<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Free “Sacrifice a creature:” outlets (no mana or tap cost)<\/td>55<\/td>Viscera Seer, Carrion Feeder, Ashnod’s Altar, Phyrexian Altar, Goblin Bombardment<\/td><\/tr>\n
Persist creatures<\/td>25<\/td>Putrid Goblin, Kitchen Finks, Glen Elendra Archmage, Murderous Redcap<\/td><\/tr>\n
“Remove a +1\/+1 counter from” abilities<\/td>92<\/td>Triskelion, Walking Ballista, Crystalline Crawler, Retribution of the Ancients<\/td><\/tr>\n
Cards that put -1\/-1 counters on a creature<\/td>97<\/td>Grim Affliction, Plague Belcher, Yawgmoth, Thran Physician, Devoted Druid<\/td><\/tr>\n
“Whenever a creature you control dies” payoffs<\/td>64<\/td>Pitiless Plunderer, Bastion of Remembrance, Grave Pact, The Meathook Massacre<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table>\n\n

Counts are approximate: Oracle-text searches catch wording, not intent. They still show the shape of it. With 55 free outlets and 92 self-counter-removers, Mikaeus has far more partners than any other undying card needs.<\/p>\n\n

Best undying commanders<\/h2>\n\n

Five legendary cards have or grant undying. Only Mikaeus is a true undying commander; the others use the keyword as a bonus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commander<\/th>Colors<\/th>What it does with undying<\/th>Decks as commander (EDHREC)<\/th>Cheapest<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed<\/strong><\/td>Black<\/td>Gives every other non-Human creature +1\/+1 and undying. The combo commander<\/td>2,187<\/td>$22.22<\/td><\/tr>\n
Witch-king, Sky Scourge<\/strong><\/td>Black-Red<\/td>A 5\/5 flier with undying. Attacking with Wraiths exiles the top cards of your library equal to their total power, and you can play them this turn<\/td>974<\/td>$2.63<\/td><\/tr>\n
Hancock, Ghoulish Mayor<\/strong><\/td>Black<\/td>Your other Zombies and Mutants get +X\/+X for each counter on Hancock. Undying brings it back with a counter already on it<\/td>327<\/td>$1.07<\/td><\/tr>\n
Nardole, Resourceful Cyborg<\/strong><\/td>Blue<\/td>Taps for {U} per counter on it (noncreature spells only). Has Doctor’s companion, so it pairs with a Time Lord Doctor<\/td>24<\/td>$0.27<\/td><\/tr>\n
Haunted One<\/strong><\/td>Black<\/td>A Background: your commander and creatures sharing its type get +2\/+0 and undying whenever the commander becomes tapped<\/td>Background (paired)<\/td>$7.78<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table>\n\n

Hancock is the interesting budget alternative. It has undying itself, and proliferate (Grim Affliction, Contagion Clasp) grows the bonus it gives your whole Zombie team. Our Zombie commander guide<\/a> covers more options for that tribe.<\/p>\n\n

\"Two
Endling (Modern Horizons): {B} to give itself undying until end of turn, and {1} to shift its stats, so it can shrink itself to death on demand. Art by Livia Prima. Image via Scryfall; \u00a9 Wizards of the Coast.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Is undying legal in Standard, Modern and Commander?<\/h2>\n\n

All 26 cards are legal in Commander, Legacy and Vintage, and none is banned or a Game Changer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Format<\/th>Undying cards legal (of 26)<\/th>Notes<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Standard<\/td>0<\/td>No undying card has been in a Standard set since Avacyn Restored<\/td><\/tr>\n
Pioneer<\/td>0<\/td>Every undying card predates Return to Ravnica or is from a non-Pioneer product<\/td><\/tr>\n
Modern<\/td>21<\/td>Every Dark Ascension and Avacyn Restored card plus Endling. Not legal: the five cards from Commander and Universes Beyond products (Haunted One, Nardole, Witch-king, Hancock, Gleeful Arsonist)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Pauper<\/td>6<\/td>Butcher Ghoul, Young Wolf, Sightless Ghoul, Nearheath Stalker, Stormbound Geist, Undying Evil<\/td><\/tr>\n
Arena (Historic, Timeless, Brawl)<\/td>2<\/td>Young Wolf and Endling<\/td><\/tr>\n
Commander, Legacy, Vintage<\/td>26<\/td>All of them<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table>\n\n

Undying had its competitive moment in 2012 Standard, where Geralf’s Messenger, Strangleroot Geist and Vorapede were hard for control decks to answer: a removal spell only got them halfway. Today the cheap commons see occasional Pauper play, and the keyword lives in Commander.<\/p>\n\n

Budget Mikaeus, the Unhallowed undying deck ($80.42)<\/h2>\n\n

This is a mono-black Mikaeus deck built around the loops above, with every card checked against Scryfall for Commander legality and color identity. It costs $80.42<\/strong> using the cheapest printing of each card (23 October 2026), and Mikaeus is more than a quarter of that.<\/p>\n\n

The plan: play cheap Zombies and value creatures that Mikaeus makes die twice, then assemble Mikaeus + a persist creature (Putrid Goblin, Lingering Tormentor, Puppeteer Clique or Lesser Masticore) + a free outlet (Viscera Seer, Carrion Feeder, Nantuko Husk, Woe Strider, Yahenni or Blasting Station), with a drain payoff out. Triskelion is the second, independent combo. Diabolic Tutor finds whichever piece is missing, and Victimize, Phyrexian Reclamation and Gravecrawler bring back pieces that get removed.<\/p>\n\n

Even without a combo, Mikaeus turns every enters trigger into two: Gray Merchant of Asphodel drains twice, Ravenous Chupacabra and Fleshbag Marauder remove two creatures, Solemn Simulacrum fetches two lands and draws two cards. Grim Affliction and Plague Belcher put -1\/-1 counters on your own creatures to re-arm their undying.<\/p>\n\n

Budget Mikaeus Undying - Commander Deck<\/h4>

100 cards \u2014 one click loads the full list into a TCGplayer cart so you can check real prices and grab the whole deck at once.<\/p>Buy this deck on TCGplayer<\/a>Affiliate link \u2014 buying through it supports KrakenTheMeta at no extra cost to you.<\/span><\/div>\n\n

The ten most expensive cards:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Card<\/th>Role in the deck<\/th>Cheapest printing<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed<\/strong><\/td>Commander: +1\/+1 and undying for every other non-Human<\/td>$22.22 (CMM)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Blasting Station<\/strong><\/td>Free sacrifice outlet that untaps on every return: infinite damage with any persist creature<\/td>$12.67 (5DN)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Skullclamp<\/strong><\/td>Two cards every time an equipped creature dies, and it dies twice under Mikaeus<\/td>$5.00 (FIC)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Blood Artist<\/strong><\/td>Drain 1 on every death, yours or theirs<\/td>$3.01 (VOC)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Phyrexian Reclamation<\/strong><\/td>Returns combo pieces to hand from the graveyard<\/td>$2.97 (TDC)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Bontu’s Monument<\/strong><\/td>Cost reduction and a drain on every creature spell<\/td>$2.46 (FDC)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Geralf’s Messenger<\/strong><\/td>Drains 2 every time it enters; has its own undying<\/td>$2.37 (DKA)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Carrion Feeder<\/strong><\/td>Free sacrifice outlet that grows with every loop<\/td>$1.64 (FDC)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Swiftfoot Boots<\/strong><\/td>Hexproof and haste for Mikaeus<\/td>$1.53 (FDC)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Bojuka Bog<\/strong><\/td>Graveyard hate on a land: exile an opponent’s graveyard before they reanimate<\/td>$1.36 (MB2)<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table>\n\n

Where to spend more first: Ashnod’s Altar ($13.70) and Phyrexian Altar are the best free outlets because they make mana, Walking Ballista ($5.59) is a third self-contained combo, and Persistent Constrictor adds another persist creature. If you want to see a no-budget version of the commander, a KrakenTheMeta user has published a competitive Mikaeus, the Unhallowed list<\/a>. To check how your own build curves out and which pieces it is missing, paste it into the free deck analyzer<\/a>, or look up current prices on our card price finder<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

Undying vs other ways to survive<\/h2>\n\n

Undying is the “let it die” answer to removal. It beats destroy effects, sacrifice effects, board wipes and damage, because it triggers whenever the creature dies, however that happened. It loses to exile (Swords to Plowshares, Rest in Peace, which also exiles anything that would hit a graveyard), bounce and -1\/-1 counter effects that kill a creature still carrying its +1\/+1 counter. Graveyard hate in response to the trigger (Bojuka Bog, Cemetery Reaper’s exile ability) also stops it.<\/p>\n\n

Compare that with regenerate<\/a>, which only stops destruction and damage, and indestructible, which stops destruction but not sacrifice or -X\/-X. Sacrifice decks love undying for the opposite reason opponents hate it: the creature you sacrifice for value comes back to be sacrificed again. Our aristocrats guide<\/a> covers the archetype it fits, and proliferate<\/a> is the counter mechanic that works against you (it adds more +1\/+1 counters) or for you (on -1\/-1 counters).<\/p>\n\n

Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n

What does undying do in MTG?<\/h3>\n

When a creature with undying dies, if it had no +1\/+1 counters on it, it returns to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a +1\/+1 counter. Since it now has a counter, it won’t return a second time unless that counter is removed.<\/p>\n\n

Does undying work with Mikaeus’s +1\/+1 bonus?<\/h3>\n

Yes. Mikaeus gives +1\/+1 as a static bonus, not a counter, so it doesn’t stop undying from triggering.<\/p>\n\n

What happens when undying and persist are on the same creature?<\/h3>\n

It returns forever as long as you can kill it. Each time it dies, it has exactly one kind of counter, so the other keyword triggers and brings it back with the opposite counter. With a free sacrifice outlet that is an infinite loop.<\/p>\n\n

Do -1\/-1 counters reset undying?<\/h3>\n

Yes. A +1\/+1 counter and a -1\/-1 counter on the same creature cancel out (CR 704.5q), so a single -1\/-1 counter on an undying creature that has already returned lets undying trigger again. But if the -1\/-1 counters kill it while the +1\/+1 counter is still on it, it doesn’t return.<\/p>\n\n

Does undying work if the creature is exiled?<\/h3>\n

No. Undying only triggers when the creature goes from the battlefield to a graveyard. Exile, bounce and “put on the bottom of its owner’s library” effects get around it.<\/p>\n\n

Does a creature returned by undying have summoning sickness?<\/h3>\n

Yes. It is a new object that just entered the battlefield, so it can’t attack or use tap abilities this turn unless it has haste. Its enters abilities trigger again.<\/p>\n\n

If I steal a creature with undying and it dies, who gets it back?<\/h3>\n

Its owner. Undying returns it “under its owner’s control”, so a stolen undying creature goes back to the player who owns it.<\/p>\n\n

Can a creature have undying twice?<\/h3>\n

It can have two instances, for example Endling’s own ability plus Mikaeus, but they don’t add up. Both trigger, the first returns the card, and the second does nothing. It comes back with one +1\/+1 counter.<\/p>\n\n

What is the best undying commander?<\/h3>\n

Mikaeus, the Unhallowed, by a wide margin: it leads 2,187 decks on EDHREC and gives undying to your whole team. Witch-king, Sky Scourge (974) is the next most popular, but it only has undying itself.<\/p>\n\n

Is undying in Standard?<\/h3>\n

No. No undying card is legal in Standard or Pioneer. The keyword was last printed in a Standard set in Avacyn Restored (2012); its recent cards came from Commander and Universes Beyond products.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Undying in MTG returns a creature with a +1\/+1 counter. 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