Mishra, Tamer of Mak Fawa — ruling 1

Despite the appearance of the reminder text, the unearth abilities that Mishra, Tamer of Mak Fawa grants are activated abilities of each individual artifact card in your graveyard. They're not activated abilities of Mishra.

Mishra, Tamer of Mak Fawa — ruling 2

If you activate a card's unearth ability but that card is removed from your graveyard before the ability resolves, that unearth ability will do nothing as it resolves.

Mishra, Tamer of Mak Fawa — ruling 3

Activating a card's unearth ability isn't the same as casting that card. The unearth ability is put on the stack, but the card is not. Spells and abilities that interact with activated abilities (such as Defabricate's second mode) will interact with unearth, but spells and abilities that interact with spells (such as Scatter Ray) will not.

Mishra, Tamer of Mak Fawa — ruling 4

At the beginning of the next end step, a permanent returned to the battlefield with unearth is exiled. This is a delayed triggered ability, and it can be countered by effects such as Defabricate that counter triggered abilities. If the ability is countered, the permanent will stay on the battlefield and the delayed triggered ability won't trigger again. However, the replacement effect will still exile the permanent if it eventually leaves the battlefield.

Mishra, Tamer of Mak Fawa — ruling 5

Unearth grants haste to the permanent that's returned to the battlefield (even if it's not a creature card). However, neither of the "exile" abilities is granted to that permanent. If that permanent loses all its abilities, it will still be exiled at the beginning of the next end step, and if it would leave the battlefield, it is still exiled instead.

Mishra, Tamer of Mak Fawa — ruling 6

If a permanent returned to the battlefield with unearth would leave the battlefield for any reason, it's exiled instead—unless the spell or ability that's causing the permanent to leave the battlefield is actually trying to exile it! In that case, it succeeds at exiling it. If that spell or ability later returns the card to the battlefield (as Static Net might, for example), the permanent card will return to the battlefield as a new object with no relation to its previous existence. The unearth effects will no longer apply to it.

Mishra, Tamer of Mak Fawa : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Mishra, Tamer of Mak Fawa 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

Permanents you control have "Ward—Sacrifice a permanent." Each artifact card in your graveyard has unearth . (: Return the card from your graveyard to the battlefield. It gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step or if it would leave the battlefield. Unearth only as a sorcery.)

Complete guide

Mishra, Tamer of Mak Fawa is a powerhouse for artifact-centric decks, offering both a daunting layer of protection and a way to recur threats from the grave. By granting Ward to all your permanents and Unearth to your artifacts, he ensures your board is difficult to touch and your graveyard is never truly empty.

Protection Through Sacrifice

Mishra grants every permanent you control—including lands, enchantments, and himself—the Ward ability. Unlike standard mana-based Ward, this version requires an opponent to sacrifice a permanent to prevent their spell or ability from being countered. This creates a high cost for interaction, often forcing opponents to trade their own board presence just to target one of your cards.

The Mechanics of Unearth

While Mishra is on the battlefield, every artifact card in your graveyard gains an Unearth cost of {1}{B}{R}. Unearth is an activated ability that can only be used at sorcery speed. When it resolves, the artifact returns with haste, but it is under a 'time limit.' It must be exiled at the beginning of the next end step, or if it would leave the battlefield for any other reason.

Understanding the Exile Clause

The exile effect from Unearth is a replacement effect. If the unearthed permanent would go anywhere else (like your hand or graveyard), it is exiled instead. However, if an effect tries to exile the card anyway, it succeeds, and the card becomes a 'new object' with no memory of the Unearth status. Additionally, the end-step exile is a triggered ability; if this trigger is countered, the permanent stays on the battlefield indefinitely, though it will still be exiled if it ever tries to leave later.

Interaction examples

Value Recursion with Solemn Simulacrum

Solemn Simulacrum

If Solemn Simulacrum is in your graveyard, you can pay {1}{B}{R} to Unearth it. It enters the battlefield, triggering its ability to find a basic land. Because it has haste, you can attack with it immediately. At the end of the turn, the Unearth delayed trigger will exile it. Note: You will NOT draw a card when it is exiled, because it did not 'die' (go to the graveyard); the Unearth replacement effect sent it directly to exile.

Stacking Wards with Roaming Throne

Roaming Throne

When you control both Mishra and Roaming Throne (with 'Human' or 'Artificer' chosen), your permanents are exceptionally safe. If an opponent targets Mishra, both his natural Ward and the Ward granted by himself trigger. Furthermore, if you choose a type shared with Mishra, Roaming Throne does not double the Ward triggers because Ward is a keyword on the permanent being targeted, not a triggered ability belonging to Mishra himself. However, Roaming Throne will have both Ward {2} and 'Ward—Sacrifice a permanent' simultaneously. An opponent must pay both costs or their spell is countered.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Mishra, Tamer of Mak Fawa

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1October 14, 2022· Wizards of the Coast
Despite the appearance of the reminder text, the unearth abilities that Mishra, Tamer of Mak Fawa grants are activated abilities of each individual artifact card in your graveyard. They're not activated abilities of Mishra.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2October 14, 2022· Wizards of the Coast
If you activate a card's unearth ability but that card is removed from your graveyard before the ability resolves, that unearth ability will do nothing as it resolves.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3October 14, 2022· Wizards of the Coast
Activating a card's unearth ability isn't the same as casting that card. The unearth ability is put on the stack, but the card is not. Spells and abilities that interact with activated abilities (such as Defabricate's second mode) will interact with unearth, but spells and abilities that interact with spells (such as Scatter Ray) will not.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4October 14, 2022· Wizards of the Coast
At the beginning of the next end step, a permanent returned to the battlefield with unearth is exiled. This is a delayed triggered ability, and it can be countered by effects such as Defabricate that counter triggered abilities. If the ability is countered, the permanent will stay on the battlefield and the delayed triggered ability won't trigger again. However, the replacement effect will still exile the permanent if it eventually leaves the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5October 14, 2022· Wizards of the Coast
Unearth grants haste to the permanent that's returned to the battlefield (even if it's not a creature card). However, neither of the "exile" abilities is granted to that permanent. If that permanent loses all its abilities, it will still be exiled at the beginning of the next end step, and if it would leave the battlefield, it is still exiled instead.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#6October 14, 2022· Wizards of the Coast
If a permanent returned to the battlefield with unearth would leave the battlefield for any reason, it's exiled instead—unless the spell or ability that's causing the permanent to leave the battlefield is actually trying to exile it! In that case, it succeeds at exiling it. If that spell or ability later returns the card to the battlefield (as Static Net might, for example), the permanent card will return to the battlefield as a new object with no relation to its previous existence. The unearth effects will no longer apply to it.
No other card is named in this ruling.