Unearth Mechanic and "Corpse Expert"

[RoninX]

The "Unearth" Mechanic reads:

Unearth 3:b: (When you pay the unearth cost, put this creature from your graveyard into play. It gains haste until end of turn. Remove this card from the game at end of turn or if it would leave play. Play this ability only at time you could play a sorcery.)


The first card we've seen with it comes from Lotus Noire (french mag)

Corpse Expert (connaisseur en cadavre) 4:b:
Creature - Zombie Wizard (U)
When Corpse Expert comes into play, you may search your library for a Creature card and put it into your graveyard. If you do, shuffle your library.
Unearth (Put ~ from your graveyard into play, it gains haste until EoT, remove it from the game at EoT or if it should leave play. You may Unearth only when you could play a sorcery)
3/3


On first glance this seems kind of an expensive implementation - but if there is enough support for it to produce a linear deck then it could have some definite potential. Corpse Expert certainly fits a reanimation theme to a T.

[tendo]

oh god, this set is shaping up so nicely. I just wish balthor and laquatos champion would come back.

[mtglordtom24]

What it does is set up a solid curve of unearthing. This guy fetches another creature with Unearth, possibly a busted one and sets it up to come right back. How soon we forget how strong "Buried Alive" effects are. What seems to be missed on this guy with the people I spoke to about him is that with the Unearth mechanic, he is effectively a tutor. Graveyard-centric decks could become very powerful... especially in a format without Tormod's Crypt... It just seems like an overly fun mechanic to be playing anyway. Almost like a Dredge 2.0 that isn't free or completely busted... but who knows?

[RoninX]

What seems to be missed on this guy with the people I spoke to about him is that with the Unearth mechanic, he is effectively a tutor.

That is what I meant by linear decks... unearth into better unearth. But good point - everyone loves a tutor.

Graveyard-centric decks could become very powerful... especially in a format without Tormod's Crypt... It just seems like an overly fun mechanic to be playing anyway. Almost like a Dredge 2.0 that isn't free or completely busted... but who knows?

The fact the unearth has a no questions asked RFG ability means that I think they tried hard to avoid bustedness, which is a good sign - but sometimes R&D can over compensate.

[Icey101]

[quote=RoninX;1428129]The "Unearth" Mechanic reads:

Unearth 3:b: (When you pay the unearth cost, put this creature from your graveyard into play. It gains haste until end of turn. Remove this card from the game at end of turn or if it would leave play. Play this ability only at time you could play a sorcery.)
quote]

I am really glad they put this in there.

[ewallhagen]

Too bad Haakon, Stromgald Scourge rotates out. He could be fun with this. Extended possibilities?

EDIT: Love the mechanic though.

[maxhanuman]

The Orb results showed a lot of 'Haste', 'Graveyard', 'until end of turn' and 'RFG': this explains why. Since every creature with the Unearth mechanic gives two hits for Unearth, we should be seeing 13 creatures in Shards with this ability. That accounts for more than half of the haste hits, unfortunately. Also knocks the number of 'sorceries' in the set to a max 20.

This ability + Kelpie = ensuing hilarity

[Tapped_0ut]

No turn to mist shenanigans with these guys! You get one shot with em and that's it, but this is a great mechanic and is definitely going to be fun to play around with... As Maxhanuman already said, Kelpie with this is good times indeed!

[mtglordtom24]

They did attempt to prevent bustedness, which I think opens up for an unearther with a cost that doesn't include mana, like a one time Ichorid... but since you can't do it everyturn, it isn't busted.

[Meldethar]

Is it just me or is Unearth going to require errata the same as what Tokens got when Momentary Blink came to be?

Because I believe Blinking an Unearth creature would put the creature back into play still.

Mmm... Extended :drool:

[RoninX]

Is it just me or is Unearth going to require errata the same as what Tokens got when Momentary Blink came to be?

Because I believe Blinking an Unearth creature would put the creature back into play still.

Mmm... Extended :drool:

I don't think so. They dealt with that quite explicitly in the reminder text: "Remove this card from the game at end of turn or if it would leave play"

So you can blink it, but you simply RFG it based on the unearth text and blink can't put it back into play because blink did not remove it. Blink is rotating too, so the confusion should be minimal.

[Golgari_Spy]

does anyone have the original French wording so someone who knows French can verify the translation

the restriction makes sense, although the card isn't really that exciting, it seems like it will be a bit slow (of course I could be wrong)

[slayerkid6]

Yeah, I'm not so sure about this mechanic having widespread potential unless the set were to feature a number of big creatures that can only get in one good shot before they die anyway. Otherwise I'm thinking cards like Hag-Hedge mage, desecrator hag and Disturbing plot are a bit *cough* more practical as you don't find yourself spending lots of mana on "One turn Warriors"

[RoninX]

If you are interested, they have the image with the French wording up on MTGSalvation.

[mtglordtom24]

I really think there is a lot of potential for "Undredge"... you like that? Unearth, the ability smells a little like Dredge, but I think if you can have a steady stream of Unearth cards where every turn (likely including turn 1, if it's to be really good) you get a creature into play and that creature deals some damage and hopefully has an effect to accompany that damage, it could be a strong clock and a strong tempo deck. It would be almost entirely block though, except for maybe Oona's Prowler, because the mechanic doesn't have much support in prior sets.

[Tapped_0ut]

I could see a deck that works similar to the Bridge decks of the past, that dump a lot of creatures into the GY and then bring them all back for one turn FTW. I don't think Unearth will be all that useful unless you're sure to get through the damage... Maybe in a control/sweeper deck?

[ListenGood]

I think if there ends up being cheaper unearth cards... they could easily find a place in extended as graveyard themes are soo much better there... right?

[David88]

There will probably be cards that make this mechanic competitive in constructed (see mulldrifter and shriekmaw) but we'd probably need to see something that combos really well to make this card competitive (perhaps something that combines well with mulldrifter). If Body Double weren't rotating out I could see Reveillark combo decks happy to see this

[Golgari_Spy]

If you are interested, they have the image with the French wording up on MTGSalvation.
I would look for it, but I generally try to avoid their forums (to keep my sanity)

edit: never mind, found it elsewhere, I agree with the translation

[ArcticMonkey]

...because the mechanic doesn't have much support in prior sets.

Any cheap unearth creatures would find a home in the current River Kelpie decks being posted. I've built one and the problem I have is that I don't really have anything in the 2 drop slot, so a nice 2 drop with unearth would be sweet.

[mtglordtom24]

While it is true that River Kelpie has great synergy with Unearth, not much else does. And perhaps Unearth is a Black heavy ability and a double blue splash in whatever deck is unreasonable, who knows.

[RoninX]

While it is true that River Kelpie has great synergy with Unearth, not much else does. And perhaps Unearth is a Black heavy ability and a double blue splash in whatever deck is unreasonable, who knows.

Remember that double anything is essentially a non-issue thanks to the filter lands

:u::u: is the new :u: and :g::g::g::g: is the new :g::g:

[mtglordtom24]

Is true, but you have to get a filter land in play, and if the mechanic really ends up in just B, would 4 Sunken Ruins be enough? Plus... I hate River Kelpie in standard.

[oOZergStyleOo]

has anyone thought of using corpse expert to get a big fatty in the grave and then reanimate with mannequin or something like that. Maybe the unearth mechanic will find a spot in Quick'NToast, which i still think will be around when ts cycles out.

Also, i like the ability because it has the same as my favorite band! :cool:

Does anyone else think that bridge from below will be reprinted will shards? It would make sense with unearth.:confused:

[Destroyer51]

Does anyone else think that bridge from below will be reprinted will shards? It would make sense with unearth.:confused:

orb of insight says no. thank god.

[maxhanuman]

Use 'Corpse Expert' to get a fatty in the grave? It costs five to play! How fat is this fatty???

[mtglordtom24]

It cost's four to Unearth and I wouldn't be surprised if there was a card like-

Loose Soil Shovel- 1B
Artifact
Unearth costs you 2 less
At the beggining of your upkeep, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.

That would be a strong card for the mechanic and it's mana cost would be playable... I want this card to exist now...