Corpse Dance 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
Buyback(You may pay an additional
Complete guide
Corpse Dance is a powerful black instant that allows you to repeatedly reanimate creatures if you have the mana to spare. Thanks to the Buyback mechanic and its specific targeting rules, it offers unique graveyard utility that catches opponents off guard. By manipulating the top of your graveyard, you can cycle through your strongest threats every single turn.
What it Does
Corpse Dance returns the top creature card of your graveyard to the battlefield. Unlike most reanimation spells, you do not choose a target when you cast it; instead, you determine which creature is on top of your graveyard as the spell resolves. The creature gains haste, but it is temporary—it will be exiled at the beginning of the next end step.
How it Resolves Step by Step
First, as you cast the spell, you decide whether to pay the Buyback cost of {2}. Once the spell resolves, you look at your graveyard and identify the creature card physically located on top. You put that creature onto the battlefield and it gains haste. Finally, if you paid the Buyback cost, Corpse Dance returns to your hand; otherwise, it is put into your graveyard. The delayed trigger to exile the creature is created and will trigger at the next end step.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error is trying to choose a creature that isn't on top of the graveyard. In formats where Corpse Dance is legal, players are not allowed to rearrange the order of their graveyard. Another mistake is forgetting that the exile trigger only happens once. If the creature leaves the battlefield before the end step, or if the trigger is countered, the creature won't be exiled later. Note that the haste effect only lasts until the end of the current turn, even if the creature stays on the board.
When to Play it
Corpse Dance is best played during your opponent's end step if you want the creature to stick around through your own turn, or during combat to surprise an attacker. Because it has Buyback, it serves as a late-game engine, allowing you to reuse 'enter the battlefield' effects or powerful attackers as long as you can keep them at the top of your graveyard.
Interaction examples
Deadly DisputeYou resolve Corpse Dance to bring back a creature. Before the end step begins, you cast Deadly Dispute, sacrificing that creature as a cost. Because the creature is no longer on the battlefield when the end step trigger occurs, it is not exiled. The creature remains in your graveyard, potentially at the top, ready to be reanimated again.
Deadly RollickIf your opponent casts Deadly Rollick to exile the creature you just returned, the creature will be exiled by the removal spell instead of the Corpse Dance trigger. Since Corpse Dance only exiles the creature if it is still on the battlefield at the beginning of the end step, the delayed trigger will simply do nothing when it eventually resolves.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Corpse Dance
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
The effect only grants Haste until the end of the current turn. If the creature somehow manages to stick around until a later turn, it will no longer have Haste.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Corpse Dance only exiles the card if the card is still on the battlefield at the beginning of the end step.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Scholar of the Ages + Corpse Dance + Culling the Weak
- 1Cast Culling the Weak by paying
and sacrificing Scholar of the Ages, adding . - 2Cast Corpse Dance by paying , returning Scholar of the Ages from your graveyard to the battlefield.
- 3When Scholar of the Ages enters the battlefield, it triggers, returning Culling the Weak and Corpse Dance to your hand from your graveyard.
- 4Repeat.
Burnt Offering + Corpse Dance + Scholar of the Ages
- 1Cast Burnt Offering by paying and sacrificing Scholar of the Ages, adding and then an amount of additional and/or
equal to its mana value minus 2. - 2Cast Corpse Dance with buyback by paying
, returning Scholar of the Ages from your graveyard to the battlefield. - 3When Scholar of the Ages enters the battlefield, it triggers, returning Burnt Offering and another instant or sorcery from your graveyard to your hand.
- 4Repeat.
Scholar of the Ages + Corpse Dance + Sacrifice
- 1Cast Sacrifice by paying and sacrificing Scholar of the Ages, adding seven .
- 2Cast Corpse Dance by paying , returning Scholar of the Ages from your graveyard to the battlefield.
- 3Scholar of the Ages triggers, returning Sacrifice and Corpse Dance from your graveyard to your hand.
- 4Repeat.
Corpse Dance + Priest of Gix + Ashnod's Altar
- 1Cast Corpse Dance with buyback, returning Priest of Gix from your graveyard to the battlefield.
- 2Priest of Gix triggers, adding .
- 3Sacrifice Priest of Gix to Ashnod's Altar adding
. - 4Repeat.
Ashnod's Altar + Dualcaster Mage + Corpse Dance
- 1Cast Corpse Dance by paying its mana cost, targeting any applicable target.
- 2Holding priority, cast Dualcaster Mage by paying its mana cost.
- 3When Dualcaster Mage enters, it triggers, targeting Corpse Dance.
- 4Holding priority, activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing Dualcaster Mage.
- 5Resolve the Dualcaster Mage trigger, copying Corpse Dance, with the copy targeting Dualcaster Mage
- 6Resolve the Corpse Dance copy, returning Dualcaster Mage from your graveyard to the battlefield.
- 7Repeat from step 3.
Phyrexian Altar + Dualcaster Mage + Corpse Dance
- 1Cast Corpse Dance by paying its mana cost, targeting any applicable target.
- 2Holding priority, cast Dualcaster Mage by paying its mana cost.
- 3When Dualcaster Mage enters, it triggers, targeting Corpse Dance.
- 4Holding priority, activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing Dualcaster Mage.
- 5Resolve the Dualcaster Mage trigger, copying Corpse Dance, with the copy targeting Dualcaster Mage
- 6Resolve the Corpse Dance copy, returning Dualcaster Mage from your graveyard to the battlefield.
- 7Repeat from step 3.
Goblin Bombardment + Dualcaster Mage + Corpse Dance
- 1Cast Corpse Dance by paying its mana cost, targeting any applicable target.
- 2Holding priority, cast Dualcaster Mage by paying its mana cost.
- 3When Dualcaster Mage enters, it triggers, targeting Corpse Dance.
- 4Holding priority, activate Goblin Bombardment by sacrificing Dualcaster Mage.
- 5Resolve the Dualcaster Mage trigger, copying Corpse Dance, with the copy targeting Dualcaster Mage
- 6Resolve the Corpse Dance copy, returning Dualcaster Mage from your graveyard to the battlefield.
- 7Repeat from step 3.
Viscera Seer + Dualcaster Mage + Corpse Dance
- 1Cast Corpse Dance by paying its mana cost, targeting any applicable target.
- 2Holding priority, cast Dualcaster Mage by paying its mana cost.
- 3When Dualcaster Mage enters, it triggers, targeting Corpse Dance.
- 4Holding priority, activate Viscera Seer by sacrificing Dualcaster Mage.
- 5Resolve the Dualcaster Mage trigger, copying Corpse Dance, with the copy targeting Dualcaster Mage
- 6Resolve the Corpse Dance copy, returning Dualcaster Mage from your graveyard to the battlefield.
- 7Repeat from step 3.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Corpse Dance
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.