Back in Town is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Return X target outlaw creature cards from your graveyard to the battlefield. (Assassins, Mercenaries, Pirates, Rogues, and Warlocks are outlaws.)
Complete guide
Back in Town is a powerful reanimation spell from the Outlaws of Thunder Junction set that brings your fallen villains back for a second act. By paying a flexible mana cost, you can flood the board with a specific group of creature types known as outlaws.
Defining the Outlaws
In Magic, the term 'outlaw' serves as a collective grouping for five specific creature types: Assassins, Mercenaries, Pirates, Rogues, and Warlocks. Back in Town only looks for these types. A card with multiple of these types is still just one outlaw, and a card with none of these types cannot be targeted, even if it feels thematic.
How it Resolves
When you cast Back in Town, you first choose a value for X and select X target outlaw creature cards in your graveyard. Upon resolution, all targeted cards that are still in the graveyard are moved directly to the battlefield simultaneously. If any targets become illegal before the spell resolves, the remaining legal targets will still be returned.
Common Pitfalls
The most important thing to remember is that 'outlaw' is not a creature type itself. You cannot name 'outlaw' for effects that ask you to choose a creature type. Additionally, ensure the cards in your graveyard actually have the required sub-types; for example, a generic Warrior or Soldier is not an outlaw and cannot be returned by this spell.
When to Play It
Back in Town is best utilized in the late game or after a board wipe has cleared your field. Since it scales with mana, it can act as a single target reanimation spell for three mana or a game-ending mass resurrection if you have the resources to pay for a large X value.
Interaction examples
Toxic DelugeSuppose your opponent casts Toxic Deluge, paying enough life to send your board of Rogues and Warlocks to the graveyard. On your next turn, you can cast Back in Town where X equals the number of creatures lost. This brings your entire team back to the battlefield at once, reversing the impact of the board wipe.
Demonic TutorIf your graveyard is currently empty, you can use Demonic Tutor to search your library for a high-impact outlaw, such as a powerful Pirate or Assassin. After discarding it or seeing it perish in combat, you can then cast Back in Town to return it to play, potentially several turns earlier than its normal mana cost would allow.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Back in Town
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
A card, spell, or permanent is an outlaw if it has the Assassin, Mercenary, Pirate, Rogue, or Warlock creature type. It doesn’t matter if it has more than one of those creature types; as long as it has at least one, it’s an outlaw.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Outlaw is not a creature type. If an effect asks you to choose a creature type, you can’t choose outlaw.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If an ability refers to an outlaw or whether a player controls an outlaw, it’s referring only to permanents with one or more of the creature types specified above. Notably, it’s not referring to any spell or card not on the battlefield. However, other abilities may refer to an “outlaw spell” or “outlaw card” in a zone other than the battlefield. Those abilities refer to spells and cards with one or more of the specified creature types.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Back in Town
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.