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Defossilize

Black

1 printing listed in our catalog, from newest to oldest.

Defossilize, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan printing
The Lost Caverns of Ixalan LCI · No. 103 2023-11-17

Card text

{4}{B}
Sorcery
Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. That creature explores, then it explores again. (Reveal the top card of your library. Put that card into your hand if it's a land. Otherwise, put a +1/+1 counter on that creature, then put the card back or put it into your graveyard. Then repeat this process.)
Keywords: Explore
EDHREC rank #13885 Uncommon Not on the Reserved List
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Standard ✓ Legal
Pioneer ✓ Legal
Modern ✓ Legal
Legacy ✓ Legal
Vintage ✓ Legal
Pauper ∅ Not legal
Commander ✓ Legal
Oathbreaker ✓ Legal
Brawl ✓ Legal
Historic ✓ Legal
Timeless ✓ Legal
Alchemy ∅ Not legal
Explorer ∅ Not legal
Gladiator ✓ Legal
Penny ✓ Legal
Duel ✓ Legal

Official rulings

6 rulings · in English, source Scryfall

Once an ability that causes a creature to explore begins to resolve, no player may take any other actions until it's done. Notably, opponents can't try to remove the exploring creature after you reveal a nonland card but before it receives a counter.

2023-11-10 · Wizards of the Coast

In some unusual cases, noncreature permanents may explore. For example, if the creature card returned by Defossilize is somehow not a creature once it's on the battlefield, it can still explore. You'll take all the same actions, and you may end up putting a +1/+1 counter on the permanent. (Note that some effects target a creature, and those effects would still require a legal target to have it explore.)

2023-11-10 · Wizards of the Coast

If an ability instructs a creature to explore, its controller reveals the top card of their library. If it's a land card, they'll put it into their hand. Otherwise, they'll put a +1/+1 counter on that creature, then choose to either leave that card on top of their library or put it into their graveyard.

2023-11-10 · Wizards of the Coast

If no card is revealed, most likely because that player's library is empty, the exploring creature receives a +1/+1 counter.

2023-11-10 · Wizards of the Coast

If a resolving spell or ability instructs a specific creature to explore but that creature has left the battlefield, the creature still explores. If you reveal a nonland card this way, you won't put a +1/+1 counter on anything, but you may put the revealed card into your graveyard. Effects that trigger "whenever a creature explores" trigger as appropriate.

2023-11-10 · Wizards of the Coast

Some spells or abilities might cause a creature to explore multiple times in a row. If you reveal a nonland card when a creature explores and leave it on top of your library, then the creature explores again immediately afterwards, you'll reveal the same card again.

2023-11-10 · Wizards of the Coast

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