Excava, the Risen Past 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
Flying, haste Whenever Excava attacks, return up to one target artifact, creature, or non-Aura enchantment card with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield with a finality counter on it. It's a 1/1 Spirit creature with flying in addition to its other types. (If a creature with a finality counter on it would die, exile it instead.)
How it works : Excava, the Risen Past
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If a card in a graveyard has
in its mana cost, X is 0 for the purpose of determining its mana value.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
An artifact creature card or enchantment creature card returned this way will have base power and toughness 1/1.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If another effect causes one of the returned permanents to become a creature and sets its base power and toughness as it does so, that creature will have that power and toughness; it won't be 1/1. However, a Vehicle returned this way will remain a 1/1 if you crew it, and a Spacecraft returned this way will remain a 1/1 even if enough charge counters are placed on it for it to become a creature.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
An Equipment that's also a creature can't be attached to anything. You can activate its equip ability, but it won't become attached.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Excava, the Risen Past + Solemnity + Breath of Fury
- 1Declare Excava and the creature with Breath of Fury attached as attackers.
- 2Excava triggers, returning up to one creature with haste and mana value 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield. It won't enter with a finality counter on it due to Solemnity.
- 3Deal combat damage using the creature that has Breath of Fury attached.
- 4Breath of Fury triggers, causing you to sacrifice the creature it is attached to, then attach Breath of Fury to a creature with haste and mana value 3 or less, then causing you to untap all creatures you control and to get an additional combat phase after this one.
- 5Repeat each combat phase.
Excava, the Risen Past + Solemnity + Breath of Fury + Anger
- 1Declare Excava and the creature with Breath of Fury attached as attackers.
- 2Excava triggers, returning up to one creature with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield. It won't enter with a finality counter on it due to Solemnity.
- 3Deal combat damage using the creature that has Breath of Fury attached.
- 4Breath of Fury triggers, causing you to sacrifice the creature it is attached to, then attach Breath of Fury to another creature with mana value 3 or less, then causing you to untap all creatures you control and to get an additional combat phase after this one.
- 5Repeat each combat phase.
Excava, the Risen Past + Second Chance + Solemnity
- 1At the beginning of your upkeep, Second Chance triggers, causing you to sacrifice it and get an extra turn after this one.
- 2Declare Excava as an attacker. It triggers, returning Second Chance from your graveyard to the battlefield. It won't enter with a finality counter due to Solemnity.
- 3Repeat each turn.
Excava, the Risen Past + Solemnity + Breath of Fury + Lavaleaper
- 1Declare Excava and the creature with Breath of Fury attached as attackers.
- 2Excava triggers, returning up to one creature with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield. It won't enter with a finality counter on it due to Solemnity.
- 3Deal combat damage using the creature that has Breath of Fury attached.
- 4Breath of Fury triggers, causing you to sacrifice the creature it is attached to, then attach Breath of Fury to another creature with mana value 3 or less, then causing you to untap all creatures you control and to get an additional combat phase after this one.
- 5Repeat each combat phase.
Excava, the Risen Past + Solemnity + Breath of Fury + Purphoros, Bronze-Blooded
- 1Declare Excava and the creature with Breath of Fury attached as attackers.
- 2Excava triggers, returning up to one creature with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield. It won't enter with a finality counter on it due to Solemnity.
- 3Deal combat damage using the creature that has Breath of Fury attached.
- 4Breath of Fury triggers, causing you to sacrifice the creature it is attached to, then attach Breath of Fury to another creature with mana value 3 or less, then causing you to untap all creatures you control and to get an additional combat phase after this one.
- 5Repeat each combat phase.
Excava, the Risen Past + Solemnity + Breath of Fury + Tannuk, Steadfast Second
- 1Declare Excava and the creature with Breath of Fury attached as attackers.
- 2Excava triggers, returning up to one creature with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield. It won't enter with a finality counter on it due to Solemnity.
- 3Deal combat damage using the creature that has Breath of Fury attached.
- 4Breath of Fury triggers, causing you to sacrifice the creature it is attached to, then attach Breath of Fury to another creature with mana value 3 or less, then causing you to untap all creatures you control and to get an additional combat phase after this one.
- 5Repeat each combat phase.
Excava, the Risen Past + Solemnity + Breath of Fury + Fervor
- 1Declare Excava and the creature with Breath of Fury attached as attackers.
- 2Excava triggers, returning up to one creature with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield. It won't enter with a finality counter on it due to Solemnity.
- 3Deal combat damage using the creature that has Breath of Fury attached.
- 4Breath of Fury triggers, causing you to sacrifice the creature it is attached to, then attach Breath of Fury to another creature with mana value 3 or less, then causing you to untap all creatures you control and to get an additional combat phase after this one.
- 5Repeat each combat phase.
Excava, the Risen Past + Solemnity + Breath of Fury + Samut, Tyrant Smasher
- 1Declare Excava and the creature with Breath of Fury attached as attackers.
- 2Excava triggers, returning up to one creature with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield. It won't enter with a finality counter on it due to Solemnity.
- 3Deal combat damage using the creature that has Breath of Fury attached.
- 4Breath of Fury triggers, causing you to sacrifice the creature it is attached to, then attach Breath of Fury to another creature with mana value 3 or less, then causing you to untap all creatures you control and to get an additional combat phase after this one.
- 5Repeat each combat phase.
Legal formats
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