Dig Up the Body
Instant
Casualty 1 (As you cast this spell, you may sacrifice a creature with power 1 or greater. When you do, copy this spell.)
Mill two cards, then you may return a creature card from your graveyard to your hand. (To mill a card, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Streets of New Capenna
- Price
- $0.15
- EDHREC rank
- #15300
Dig Up the Body returns a creature from your graveyard to your hand for two mana at instant speed — the surveil 2 stapled on top means you're filtering toward your next threat even when the target isn't already there. It's solid graveyard recursion at a fair rate, not a staple, but it earns its slot in decks that want to loop creatures repeatedly.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Dig Up the Body fits neatly into any black deck that runs creatures as its primary engine — recursion at instant speed matters when opponents try to strand your best threat in the graveyard. The surveil 2 is quietly the best part: it turns a reactive card into a proactive filter, letting you set up future turns while recovering. In Pauper, where common-legal graveyard loops are genuinely powerful, this card sees real play. Modern and Pioneer have enough competition at the two-mana recursion slot that Dig Up the Body rarely makes the cut over narrower but more efficient options.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.15 bulk tier
At $0.15, Dig Up the Body is deep bulk — you're paying almost nothing for a card that pulls legitimate weight in the right shell. Bulk commons this playable don't spike, so no urgency, but stocking a few copies costs less than a sleeve.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.