Corpulent Corpse 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
Fear (This creature can't be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or black creatures.) Suspend 5—(Rather than cast this card from your hand, you may pay
Complete guide
Corpulent Corpse is a relentless Zombie that uses the Suspend mechanic to arrive on the battlefield for a bargain price. While it usually costs six mana, you can pay a single black mana to set it aside, waiting for the perfect moment to strike with its evasive Fear ability. This guide explains how to manage its time counters and maximize its impact on the board.
Understanding Fear and Suspend
Corpulent Corpse has two main features: Fear and Suspend 5. Fear is an evasion ability that prevents it from being blocked by anything except black creatures or artifact creatures. Suspend is a special action you take from your hand. Instead of casting it normally, you pay one black mana and exile it with five time counters. This action does not use the stack and cannot be responded to, but you can only do it during your main phase when the stack is empty.
The Upkeep Countdown
Once suspended, a triggered ability triggers at the beginning of each of your upkeeps to remove one time counter. When the very last counter is removed, a second ability triggers that allows you to cast the card without paying its mana cost. If you choose to cast it this way, it gains haste indefinitely. If the ability is countered or you choose not to cast it, the card remains in exile forever without any counters.
Common Mistakes
A common error is trying to suspend the card at instant speed; you must follow normal creature timing rules to begin the suspend process. Additionally, remember that a card is only 'suspended' if it is in exile with at least one time counter. Once that last counter is removed, it is a spell on the stack or a permanent on the field. Finally, note that while the mana cost is waived, you still follow all targeting rules when the spell is finally cast from exile.
When to Play Corpulent Corpse
You should use Suspend early in the game (Turn 1 or 2) to ensure it arrives mid-game when your opponent might not have artifact or black blockers ready. Hard-casting it for six mana is better late in the game when you have excess resources and need a blocker immediately. Because it is a Zombie, it synergizes well with other black-aligned permanents that care about creature types or devotion.
Interaction examples
Gray Merchant of AsphodelYou suspend Corpulent Corpse on turn one. On turn six, the last counter is removed and you cast it. It enters the battlefield with haste. Later that turn, you cast Gray Merchant of Asphodel. Because Corpulent Corpse is on the battlefield, its mana cost (which includes one black mana symbol) contributes to your devotion to black, increasing the life drain effect of the Merchant.
Syr Konrad, the GrimWhile Corpulent Corpse is in exile via Suspend, it is not in the graveyard, so Syr Konrad, the Grim does not trigger. However, if Corpulent Corpse is later destroyed on the battlefield and sent to the graveyard, Syr Konrad will trigger and deal 1 damage to each opponent. If you use Syr Konrad's activated ability to mill cards and Corpulent Corpse is put into your graveyard from your library, Syr Konrad triggers as well.
If you spend six mana to cast Corpulent Corpse normally from your hand, it does not have haste and must wait a turn to attack. If you cast it via Suspend, it gains haste. This allows it to bypass 'summoning sickness' immediately, letting you use its Fear ability to attack the same turn it enters the battlefield.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Corpulent Corpse
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that gives you the option to cast the card when the last time counter is removed.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage's ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Exiling a card with suspend isn't casting that card. This action doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it's exiled.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect refers to a "suspended card," that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card's owner's next upkeep.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn't matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can't be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
Due to a recent rules change to suspend, you are no longer required to cast the suspended card as the second triggered ability of suspend resolves. Instead, as the second triggered ability resolves, you may cast the card. Timing permissions based on the card's type are ignored. If you don't cast the card, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
If you cast a card "without paying its mana cost," such as with suspend, you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #12· Wizards of the Coast
If the card has
in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #13· Wizards of the Coast
The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn't paid.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #14· Wizards of the Coast
A creature cast using suspend will enter the battlefield with haste. It will have haste until another player gains control of it. (In some rare cases, another player may gain control of the creature spell itself. If this happens, the creature won't enter the battlefield with haste.)
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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