Mikaeus, the Unhallowed 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
Intimidate (This creature can't be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or creatures that share a color with it.) Whenever a Human deals damage to you, destroy it. Other non-Human creatures you control get +1/+1 and have undying. (When a creature with undying dies, if it had no +1/+1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control with a +1/+1 counter on it.)
Complete guide
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed is a powerhouse legendary Zombie Cleric that serves as the ultimate insurance policy for your undead army. By granting your non-Human creatures both a stat boost and the resilient undying keyword, he ensures your board presence is incredibly difficult to dismantle.
A Shield Against the Living
Mikaeus has three distinct roles. First, he has Intimidate, making him difficult to block. Second, he acts as a deterrent against Humans; if any Human deals damage to you (combat or otherwise), Mikaeus automatically triggers to destroy it. Finally, he buffs your other non-Human creatures with +1/+1 and grants them undying. This means if one of those creatures dies without a +1/+1 counter on it, it returns to the battlefield stronger than before.
How Undying and Stat Buffs Work
When a non-Human creature you control dies, the game checks its status just before it left the battlefield. If it had no +1/+1 counters, undying triggers. It is important to note that the +1/+1 Mikaeus provides via his static ability is not a counter; therefore, it does not prevent undying from triggering. If Mikaeus and your other creatures are destroyed simultaneously (such as by a board wipe), the undying ability granted by Mikaeus still triggers for those creatures, and they will return to the battlefield safely.
Timing and Triggers
Mikaeus’s ability to destroy Humans triggers on any damage, including non-combat damage or damage from a Human you control. If a Human deals lethal damage to you or Mikaeus simultaneously, the destruction ability still triggers and will resolve even if Mikaeus is no longer on the battlefield. When a creature returns via undying, it enters as a new object with a single +1/+1 counter, meaning it won't have undying again until that counter is removed.
When to Deploy Mikaeus
Mikaeus is best played when you already have a board of non-Human creatures with powerful Enter-the-Battlefield effects. He turns every trade in combat into a win for you and protects your key utility creatures from targeted removal. Because he costs six mana including three black pips, he is a significant investment that should be protected to maximize the value of his undying aura.
Interaction examples
With Mikaeus on the battlefield, Gray Merchant of Asphodel enters and drains your opponents. If the Merchant is then destroyed or sacrificed, undying triggers because it had no +1/+1 counters. It returns to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter, triggering its devotion ability a second time for even more life drain.
Syr Konrad, the GrimSyr Konrad, the Grim is a Human, so he does not receive the +1/+1 bonus or undying from Mikaeus. Furthermore, if Syr Konrad deals damage to you (perhaps via a redirection effect or a spell), Mikaeus's triggered ability will activate and destroy Syr Konrad. However, every time one of your other non-Human creatures dies and returns via Mikaeus's undying, Syr Konrad will trigger twice: once when the creature dies and once when it leaves the graveyard to return to the battlefield.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Any damage dealt to you by a Human will cause Mikaeus’s ability to trigger, including noncombat damage dealt to you by a Human and damage dealt to you by a Human you control.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If a Human deals damage to you at the same time that Mikaeus is dealt lethal damage, Mikaeus’s triggered ability triggers. That Human will be destroyed even though Mikaeus has left the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If a non-Human creature you control without a +1/+1 counter dies at the same time as Mikaeus, that creature’s undying ability granted by Mikaeus triggers and will return it to the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
The +1/+1 bonus that Mikaeus gives to other non-Human creatures you control isn’t a counter. It won’t prevent undying from triggering.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Ashnod's Altar
- 1Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing the creature with persist, adding
. - 2When that creature dies, its persist ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 3Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing the persist creature, adding .
- 4When the persist creature dies, its undying ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 5Repeat.
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Phyrexian Altar
- 1Activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing the creature with persist, adding one mana.
- 2When that creature dies, its persist ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 3Activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing the persist creature, adding one mana.
- 4When the persist creature dies, its undying ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 5Repeat.
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Carrion Feeder
- 1Activate Carrion Feeder by sacrificing the creature with persist.
- 2When that creature dies, its persist ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 3Resolve the Carrion Feeder ability.
- 4Activate Carrion Feeder by sacrificing the persist creature.
- 5When the persist creature dies, its undying ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 6Resolve the Carrion Feeder ability.
- 7Repeat.
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Viscera Seer
- 1Activate Viscera Seer by sacrificing the creature with persist.
- 2When that creature dies, its persist ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 3Resolve the Viscera Seer ability.
- 4Activate Viscera Seer by sacrificing the persist creature.
- 5When the persist creature dies, its undying ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 6Resolve the Viscera Seer ability.
- 7Repeat.
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Altar of Dementia
- 1Activate Altar of Dementia by sacrificing the creature with persist.
- 2When that creature dies, its persist ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 3Resolve the Altar of Dementia ability.
- 4Activate Altar of Dementia by sacrificing the persist creature.
- 5When the persist creature dies, its undying ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 6Resolve the Altar of Dementia ability.
- 7Repeat.
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Warren Soultrader + Blood Artist
- 1Activate Warren Soultrader by paying 1 life and sacrificing the persist creature.
- 2When the persist creature dies, its persist ability triggers if it didn't have a -1/-1 counter on it, and its undying ability triggers if it didn't have a +1/+1 counter on it. Blood Artist also triggers regardless.
- 3Resolve the Blood Artist trigger, causing target opponent to lose 1 life and you to gain 1 life.
- 4Resolve the persist trigger, if applicable, returning the creature from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 5Resolve the undying trigger, if applicable, returning the creature from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 6Resolve the Warren Soultrader ability, creating a Treasure token.
- 7Repeat
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Yawgmoth, Thran Physician + Gray Merchant of Asphodel
- 1Activate Yawgmoth by paying 1 life and sacrificing Gray Merchant, targeting any other nontoken non-Human creature you control.
- 2Gray Merchant dies, triggering its undying ability, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 3Gray Merchant enters the battlefield, causing each opponent to lose life equal to your devotion to black, and causing you to gain life equal to the life lost this way.
- 4Resolve the Yawgmoth ability from step 1, putting a -1/-1 counter on the additional creature and causing you to draw a card.
- 5Activate Yawgmoth by paying 1 life and sacrificing the additional creature, targeting Gray Merchant.
- 6The creature dies, triggering its undying ability, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 7Resolve the Yawgmoth ability, putting a -1/-1 counter on Gray Merchant and causing you to draw a card.
- 8Repeat.
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Plague Belcher + Carrion Feeder
- 1Activate Carrion Feeder by sacrificing Plague Belcher.
- 2When Plague Belcher dies, its undying ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 3When Plague Belcher enters the battlefield, it triggers, putting a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 4Resolve the Carrion Feeder ability
- 5Repeat.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.