Grave Researcher // Reanimate

Card text

At the beginning of your upkeep, surveil 1. Then if there are three or more creature cards in your graveyard, this creature becomes prepared. (While it's prepared, you may cast a copy of its spell. Doing so unprepares it.)

Market price

Latest aggregated market price for the normal finish of this printing: $2.35 (as of 2026-10-23).

The figure covers this printing only; other printings carry their own price on their own page.

Format legality

Legality of Grave Researcher // Reanimate by format. Formats in which it is not legal are not listed.

Other printings of Grave Researcher // Reanimate

Grave Researcher // Reanimate has been printed in 2 sets. The other printings are listed newest first, with the rarity and release year of each.

Official rulings

The 8 most recent official rulings for Grave Researcher // Reanimate, newest first.

• 2026-03-20 In a multiplayer game, if a player leaves the game, all cards that player owns leave as well. If you leave the game, the creature you control from Reanimate is exiled.
• 2026-03-20 If a prepared creature loses all abilities, it won't stop being prepared, and nothing will happen to its alternative characteristics or to the copy of its prepare spell in exile.
• 2026-03-20 A preparation card is a creature card in every zone. For example, while it's in your graveyard, Emeritus of Ideation is a blue creature whose mana value is 5. It can't be the target of Zealous Lorecaster's triggered ability ("When this creature enters, return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand.").
• 2026-03-20 As an effect causes a creature with a prepare spell to become prepared (including effects that state that a creature "enters prepared"), that creature's controller creates a copy of that creature's prepare spell in exile. That copy remains in exile for as long as that permanent is on the battlefield and is prepared. That creature's controller may cast that copy as long as it remains in exile. As they cast it, that creature stops being prepared.
• 2026-03-20 If a prepared creature stops being a creature, it will still be prepared, and the copy of its prepare spell will remain in exile. That permanent's controller will still be able to cast it. The same is true if a prepared creature becomes a copy of something else, even if it's then a permanent without a prepare spell.
• 2026-03-20 A creature with a prepare spell can't become prepared more than once at the same time. For example, Emeritus of Ideation is on the battlefield and is prepared. When it attacks, its last ability triggers. When that ability resolves, its controller may still exile eight cards from their graveyard, but doing so won't cause Emeritus of Ideation to become prepared a second time or create a second copy of Ancestral Recall in exile.
• 2026-03-20 Preparation cards can only be cast with their base characteristics.
• 2026-03-20 If any abilities trigger on the creature entering the battlefield, those abilities resolve after you lose life. If losing life results in you losing the game, those abilities won't resolve.

Similar cards

Other creature cards with a black colour identity, ranked by how often they appear in Commander decks.

• Blood Artist
• Pitiless Plunderer
• Mirkwood Bats
• Zulaport Cutthroat
• Gray Merchant of Asphodel