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For the longest time,Magic: The Gatheringdidn’t care about the graveyard, but nowadays, a card in the yard is almost as much an asset as being in your hand. Thanks to mechanics like descend, you actually want your cards in the graveyard.
The Lost Caverns of Ixalanis all about diving into the ancient depths of a bygone civilization, so of course one of the main mechanics of the set will evoke a descent into a dangerous and alien place. Descending ain’t easy, but for those that take the plunge, the rewards can be generous indeed.
What Is Descend?
Descend is anew keywordintroduced in The Lost Caverns of Ixalan that’s actually three mechanics in one. There’s “descend,” “descend X,” and “fathomless descend.”
Descendas an event is fairly simple.Whenever a permanent card is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you’ve “descended.“The reminder text is: “You descended if a permanent card was put into your graveyard from anywhere.”
Descend X(or “descend” with a number)is a triggered ability that occurs when you have the requisite number of permanent cards in your graveyard. Descend 4, for example, would trigger as soon as there are four permanent cards in your graveyard.
Descend requirespermanentcards specifically, which means an artifact, battle, creature, enchantment, land, or planeswalker card. Instants and sorceries won’t trigger descend.
Fathomless descentis similar to descend X, butthe ability will be dependant on the number of permanent cards currently in your graveyard when the ability is activated(usually as a comes-into-play effect). For example, Souls of the Lost’s power is equal to the number of permanents in your graveyard as it comes into play.
Descend only requires the card to hit the graveyard–it doesn’t need to stay there. Descend X requires cards to be in the graveyard in order to trigger, but once it has,those cards no longer need to be in the graveyard.
All Cards With Descend In The Lost Caverns Of Ixalan
There are35 cards with descendin The Lost Caverns of Ixalan. Here they are in alphabetical order.
Description
Akawalli, The Seething Tower
One generic, one black, one green, Legendary Creature - Fungus - 3/3 - Uncommon
Descend 4 — As long as there are four or more permanent cards in your graveyard, Akawalli, the Seething Tower gets +2/+2 and has trample.
Descend 8 — As long as there are eight or more permanent cards in your graveyard, Akawalli gets an additional +2/+2 and can’t be blocked by more than one creature.
Basking Capybara
One generic, one green, Creature - Capybara - 1/3 - Common
Descend 4 — Basking Capybara gets +3/+0 as long as there are four or more permanent cards in your graveyard.
Brass’s Tunnel-Grinder
Two generic, one red legendary artifact - Rare
When Brass’s Tunnel-Grinder enters the battlefield, discard any number of cards, then draw that many cards plus one.
At the beginning of your end step, if you descended this turn, put a bore counter on Brass’s Tunnel-Grinder. Then if there are three or more bore counters on it, remove those counters and transform it.(You descended if a permanent card was put into your graveyard from anywhere.)
Legendary land - Cave - Rare
(Transforms from Brass’s Tunnel-Grinder.)
Tap: Add one red mana.
Whenever you cast a permanent spell using mana produced by Tecutlan, the Searing Rift, discover X, where X is that spell’s mana value.
Broodrage Mycoid
Three generic, one black, Creature - Fungus - 4/3 - Common
At the beginning of your end step, if you descended this turn, create a 1/1 black Fungus creature token with “This creature can’t block.”(You descended if a permanent card was put into your graveyard from anywhere.)
Bygone Marvels
Two green, Sorcery - Rare
Descend 8 — When you cast this spell, if there are eight or more permanent cards in your graveyard, copy this spell twice. You may choose new targets for the copies.
Return target permanent card from your graveyard to your hand. Exile Bygone Marvels.
Canonized In Blood
One generic, one black, Enchantment - Uncommon
At the beginning of your end step, if you descended this turn, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control.(You descended if a permanent card was put into your graveyard from anywhere.)
Five generic, two black mana, Sacrifice Canonized in Blood: Create a 4/3 white and black Vampire Demon creature token with flying.
Child of the Volcano
Three generic, one red, Creature - Elemental - 3/3 - Common
Trample
At the beginning of your end step, if you descended this turn, put a +1/+1 counter on Child of the Volcano.(You descended if a permanent card was put into your graveyard from anywhere.)
Chupacabra Echo
Two generic, two black, Creature - Beast Horror Spirit - 3/2 - Uncommon
Fathomless descent — When Chupacabra Echo enters the battlefield, target creature an opponent controls gets -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the number of permanent cards in your graveyard.
Coati Scavenger
Two generic, one green, Creature - Raccoon - 3/2 - Uncommon
Descend 4 — When Coati Scavenger enters the battlefield, if there are four or more permanent cards in your graveyard, return target permanent card from your graveyard to your hand.
Corpses of the Lost
Two generic, one black, Enchantment - Rare
Skeletons you control get +1/+0 and have haste.
When Corpses of the Lost enters the battlefield, create a 2/2 black Skeleton Pirate creature token.
At the beginning of your end step, if you descended this turn, you may pay 1 life. If you do, return Corpses of the Lost to its owner’s hand.(You descended if a permanent card was put into your graveyard from anywhere.)
Council of Echoes
Four generic, two blue, Creature - Spirit Advisor - 4/4 - Uncommon
Flying
Descend 4 — When Council of Echoes enters the battlefield, if there are four or more permanent cards in your graveyard, return up to one target nonland permanent other than Council of Echoes to its owner’s hand.
Deep Goblin Skulltaker
Two generic, one black, Creature - Goblin Warrior - 2/2 - Common
Menace
At the beginning of your end step, if you descended this turn, put a +1/+1 counter on Deep Goblin Skulltaker.(You descended if a permanent card was put into your graveyard from anywhere.)
Didact Echo
Four generic, one blue, Creature - Spirit Cleric - 3/2 - Common
When Didact Echo enters the battlefield, draw a card.
Descend 4 — Didact Echo has flying as long as there are four or more permanent cards in your graveyard.
Echo of the Dusk
One generic, one black, Creature - Vampire Spirit - 2/2 - Common
Descend 4 — As long as there are four or more permanent cards in your graveyard, Echo of Dusk gets +1/+1 and has lifelink.
Enterprising Scallywag
One generic, one red, Creature - Goblin Pirate - 2/2 - Uncommon
At the beginning of your end step, if you descended this turn, create a Treasure token.(You descended if a permanent card was put into your graveyard from anywhere.)
Frilled Cave-Wurm
Three generic, one blue, Creature - Salamander Wurm - 2/5 - Common
Descend 4 — Frilled Cave-Wurm gets +2/+0 as long as there are four or more permanent cards in your graveyard.
One generic, two black, Instant - Common
Target creature gets -5/-5 until end of turn.
Descend 4 — That creature gets -10/-10 until end of turn instead if there are four or more permanent cards in your graveyard.
Malamet Veteran
Four generic, one green, Creature - Cat Warrior - 5/4 - Common
Descend 4 — Whenever Malamet Veteran attacks, if there are four or more permanent cards in your graveyard, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
Three generic, Legendary Artifact - Rare
Tap: Draw a card, then discard a card.
Four generic mana, Tap: Transform Matzalantli, the Great Door. Activate only if there are four or more permanent types among cards in your graveyard.(Artifact, battle, creature, enchantment, land, and planeswalker are permanent types.)
Legendary Land - Rare
(Transforms from Matzalantli.)
Fathomless descent — Tap: Add X mana of any one color, where X is the number of permanent cards in your graveyard.
Molten Collapse
One black, one red, Sorcery - Rare
Choose one. If you descended this turn, you may choose both instead.(You descended if a permanent card was put into your graveyard from anywhere.)• Destroy target creature or planeswalker. • Destroy target noncreature, nonland permanent with mana value 1 or less.
One white, Creature - Bat - 1/1 - Uncommon
Flying, lifelink
At the beginning of your end step, if you descended this turn, scry 1.(You descended if a permanent card was put into your graveyard from anywhere.)
One generic, one blue, Enchantment - Aura - Common
Enchant creature or Vehicle
When Song of Stupefaction enters the battlefield, you may mill two cards.(You may put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard.)
Fathomless descent — Enchanted permanent gets -X/-0, where X is the number of permanent cards in your graveyard.
Souls of the Lost
One generic, one black, Creature - Spirit - /+1 - Rare
As an additional cost to cast this spell, discard a card or sacrifice a permanent.
Fathomless descent — Souls of the Lost’s power is equal to the number of permanent cards in your graveyard and its toughness is equal to that number plus 1.
Squirming Emergence
One generic, one black, one green, Sorcery - Rare
Fathomless descent — Return to the battlefield target nonland permanent card in your graveyard with mana value less than or equal to the number of permanent cards in your graveyard.
One black, Creature - Goblin Rogue - 1/1 - Rare
At the beginning of your end step, if you descended this turn, put a +1/+1 counter on Stalactite Stalker.
Two generic, one black mana, Sacrifice Stalactite Stalker: Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn, where X is Stalactite Stalker’s power.
Starving Revenant
Two generic, two black, Creature - Spirit Horror - 4/4 - Rare
When Starving Revenant enters the battlefield, surveil 2. Then for each card you put on top of your library, you draw a card and you lose 3 life.
Descend 8 — Whenever you draw a card, if there are eight or more permanent cards in your graveyard, target opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
Stinging Cave Crawler
Two generic, one black, Creature - Insect Horror - 1/3 - Uncommon
Deathtouch
Descend 4 — Whenever Stinging Cave Crawler attacks, if there are four or more permanent cards in your graveyard, you draw a card and you lose 1 life.
Terror Tide
Two generic, two black, Sorcery - Rare
Fathomless descent — All creatures get -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the number of permanent cards in your graveyard.
The Ancient One
One blue, one black, Legendary Creature - Spirit God - 8/8 - Mythic Rare
Descend 8 — The Ancient One can’t attack or block unless there are eight or more permanent cards in your graveyard.
Two generic, one blue, one black mana: Draw a card, then discard a card. When you discard a card this way, target player mills cards equal to its mana value.
The Everflowing Well
Two generic, one blue, Legendary Artifact - Rare
When The Everflowing Well enters the battlefield, mill two cards, then draw two cards.
Descend 8 — At the beginning of your upkeep, if there are eight or more permanent cards in your graveyard, transform The Everflowing Well.
(Transforms from The Everflowing Well.)
Tap: Add one blue mana.
Whenever you cast a permanent spell using mana produced by The Myriad Pools, up to one other target permanent you control becomes a copy of that spell until end of turn.
The Mycotyrant
One generic, one black, one green, Legendary Creature - Elder Fungus - / - Mythic Rare
The Mycotyrant’s power and toughness are each equal to the number of creatures you control that are Fungi and/or Saprolings.
At the beginning of your end step, create X 1/1 black Fungus creature tokens with “This creature can’t block,” where X is the number of times you descended this turn.(You descend each time a permanent card is put into your graveyard from anywhere.)
Uchbenbak, the Great Mistake
Three generic, one blue, one black, Legendary Creature - Skeleton Horror - 6/4 - Uncommon
Vigilance, menace
Descend 8 — Four generic, one blue, one black mana: Return Uchbenbak, the Great Mistake from your graveyard to the battlefield with a finality counter on it. Activate only if there are eight or more permanent cards in your graveyard and only as a sorcery.(If a creature with a finality counter on it would die, exile it instead.)
Wail of the Forgotten
One blue, one black, Sorcery - Rare
Descend 8 — Choose one. If there are eight or more permanent cards in your graveyard as you cast this spell, choose one or more instead. • Return target nonland permanent to its owner’s hand. • Target opponent discards a card. • Look at the top three cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the rest into your graveyard.
Waterlogged Hulk
One blue, Artifact - Uncommon
Tap: Mill a card. (Put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
Craft with Island and three generic, one blue mana(Three generic, one blue mana, Exile this artifact, Exile an Island you control or an Island card from your graveyard: Return this card transformed under its owner’s control. Craft only as a sorcery.)
Artifact - Vehicle - Uncommon
Vigilance
Descend 8 — Watertight Gondola can’t be blocked as long as there are eight or more permanent cards in your graveyard.
Crew 1(Tap any number of creatures you control with total power 1 or more: This Vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.)
Zoyowa Lava-Tongue
One black, one red, Legendary Creature - Goblin Warlock - 2/2 - Uncommon
At the beginning of your end step, if you descended this turn, each opponent may discard a card or sacrifice a permanent. Zoyowa Lava-Tongue deals 3 damage to each opponent who didn’t.(You descended if a permanent card was put into your graveyard from anywhere.)
