Makeshift Mannequin
Instant
Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield with a mannequin counter on it. For as long as that creature has a mannequin counter on it, it has "When this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it."
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Lorwyn
- Price
- $0.25
- EDHREC rank
- #17918
Makeshift Mannequin reanimates any creature at instant speed for four mana — that's the whole pitch, and it's a good one. The mannequin counter is a real cost, but looping it with Scholar of the Ages or sacrificing the creature before it would die anyway turns the downside into a footnote.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Makeshift Mannequin earns its slot — instant-speed reanimation at four mana lines up cleanly with end-of-turn windows, and the singleton format means your best creature is usually worth a dedicated recovery spell. In Legacy and Vintage it's too slow and too conditional; those formats have Reanimate and Animate Dead doing the same job for one mana at sorcery speed and no strings attached. Modern has enough cheaper reanimation and graveyard hate that Makeshift Mannequin doesn't crack lists. Stick to Commander, where the instant speed is a genuine differentiator and the four-mana ask is affordable.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Scholar of the AgesSacrificeMakeshift Mannequin
Infinite black mana; Infinite death triggers; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite magecraft triggers; Infinite sacrifice triggers; Infinite storm count; Return all instant and sorcery cards from your graveyard to your hand
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Scholar of the AgesBurnt OfferingMakeshift Mannequin
Infinite black mana; Infinite death triggers; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite magecraft triggers; Infinite red mana; Infinite storm count; Return all instant and sorcery cards from your graveyard to your hand
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
$0.25 bulk tier
At $0.25, Makeshift Mannequin is pure bulk — a no-hesitation include if the effect fits your deck. Bulk instant-speed reanimation doesn't spike without a breakout Standard printing, so expect the price to stay flat.
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Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.