The 27 Best Aftermath Cards in Magic Ranked

Last updated on February 27, 2024

Riches | Illustration by Greg Opalinski

You may have heard of split cards in Magic: The Gathering. While some split cards let you cast one or both sides in the same turn, there are split cards with an aftermath mechanic where you cast one side, wait for the card to hit the graveyard, then cast the aftermath portion.

How is the aftermath mechanic different from other split cards in Magic: The Gathering? Let’s find out!

What Are Aftermath Cards in MTG?

The aftermath mechanic was first introduced in the Amonkhet expansion of Magic: The Gathering. You cast the first part of the card’s split frame from your hand. When the spell resolves, it’s placed in the graveyard like normal.

When you’re ready to cast your aftermath spell, do it with enough mana and at the appropriate time. However, rather than casting from your hand like a traditional spell, you cast this aftermath card from the graveyard. Once the aftermath spell resolves, you exile it as it leaves the stack.

Other split cards in MTG read “Word” and “Word”. For example, Armed // Dangerous reads as “Armed and Dangerous” and Assault // Battery reads as “Assault and Battery”. These ones are different from the aftermath cards because you can cast one or both split sides of the split card from your hand.

The aftermath cards read “Word” to “Word”. For example, you read Reason // Believe as “Reason to Believe” and Dusk // Dawn as “Dusk to Dawn”.

Now that you know the basics of aftermath cards in MTG, we can jump into ranking all 27!

#27. Spring // Mind

Spring // Mind lets you ramp with mana and gives you a card draw. Landfall decks would benefit from landfall triggers when Spring is cast. While 6 mana to draw two cards for the Mind side seems costly and steep, it can help you in a pinch to find answers since you can cast it at instant speed.

#26. Road // Ruin

The Road portion of Road // Ruin has the same mana cost and ability to search for a basic land and place it on the battlefield tapped like the Spring side of Spring // Mind.

However, Ruin is a much better spell than Mind on the aftermath side where you can get rid of a problem creature based on how many lands you have. Landfall-themed Omnath Commander decks would greatly benefit from Road // Ruin in the 99, like Omnath, Locus of Creation and Omnath, Locus of Rage.

#25. Farm // Market

Surprise your opponents by casting the Farm side of Farm // Market to destroy whatever creature they’re attacking or blocking with. Drawing two cards, weighing your options, and discarding two cards can help you get you closer to your win condition when you cast the Market side from the graveyard.

You can copy both sides of Farm // Market in a Sevinne, the Chronoplasm Commander deck. This spell, Commit // Memory, and Dusk // Dawn are a few aftermath cards you can include in a Vega, the Watcher Commander deck to get card draw triggers when you cast the aftermath side.

#24. Reason // Believe

Reason // Believe brings the value of looking ahead into your deck by scrying three cards for only 1 blue mana. Potentially add to your army by casting Believe and viewing the top card of your library.

Simic commanders that revolve around scrying and/or card draw would benefit from Reason // Believe in the 99. Consider Elrond, Master of Healing, Galadriel of Lothlórien, and Legolas, Counter of Kills.

#23. Reduce // Rubble

Any Izzet deck can gain value from Reduce // Rubble in the build. Goblin Electromancer, Niv-Mizzet, Parun, and Balmor, Battlemage Captain synergize well with this aftermath card.

Be sure to cast Reduce when your opponent has 2 or less mana open to pay the cost of 3 for negating the spell. If you have another spell you want to cast but need more lands, cast Rubble to reset three of your lands to keep your turn going.

#22. Failure // Comply

Failure // Comply, while it may directly remove the problem from the game, can hinder an opponent for a turn or two in building their board state. Even setbacks in a Magic game change the tide for others playing it.

Before a spell resolves, you can cast Failure to bounce it to its opponent’s hand, which means they wasted mana trying to cast this spell. If you’re playing Commander, the Comply portion can prevent them from casting their commander until the next turn if it’s still in the command zone.

#21. Prepare // Fight

Prepare // Fight temporarily pumps a creature and gives them lifelink to help you block when a larger creature is attacking you. When this creature becomes buffed enough with other instants, sorceries, artifact equipment, or enchantments, you can eventually cast Fight to destroy the problem creature before it has a chance to attack you again. How’s that for preparing to fight?

#20. Claim // Fame

Do you need a blocker, but you don’t have any creature cards in your hand for your Rakdos? Claim // Fame returns a small creature from your graveyard to the battlefield to act as a chump blocker for the time being.

On the flip side, you can cast both sides in the same turn so this creature can become an attacker since Fame buffs the creature and gives it haste.

#19. Destined // Lead

Golgari decks get the protection and combat benefits they need with Destined // Lead. Make a creature of yours indestructible until end of turn if it’s about to be removed or die from combat damage. If you have a buffed creature and your opponent has an army of low-powered creatures, casting Lead reassures a one-sided board wipe since they’re forced to block with any untapped creatures they have.

#18. Start // Finish

Orzhov decks go from Start // Finish with this aftermath card. Cast the Start side to begin building your army. Once you have enough creatures for the sacrifice cost of Finish, you’re ready to destroy one of your opponent’s creatures.

Thalisse, Revenant Medium and Teysa, Orzhov Scion are examples of Orzhov token commanders that can benefit from Start // Finish in the 99.

#17. Grind // Dust

Grind // Dust can take care of up to two problem creatures for you in any Legacy, Brawl, Vintage, Historic, Explorer, Commander, or Modern deck. Choose one or two creatures when casting Grind for them to get a negative counter on each of them. Then, if you have enough mana in the same turn, you can quickly exile them so they aren’t issues anymore. That is, of course, if you didn’t put a negative counter on a commander.

#16. Cut // Ribbons

The new Rowan, Scion of War commander from Wilds of Eldraine would love to Cut // Ribbons an army. If you lost life during the turn you cast this card, you can pay one red mana to deal four damage to a target creature instead of two mana total. If it’s late in the game and you have enough mana for X to finish everyone off, cast Ribbons to get the job done.

#15. Indulge // Excess

Token decks can go wide with their creature base when casting Indulge // Excess. Consider the Indulge side a possible game finisher for token commander decks like Jinnie Fay, Jetmir's Second, Jolene, the Plunder Queen, and Omnath, Locus of Rage.

Be sure to have enough mana to cast Excess before the end of your turn to hit the jackpot with Treasure tokens for every creature that dealt combat damage to an opponent that turn. It’s Value City over here! Not the old store that shut down X years ago, but there’s definitely value in getting more mana to cast spells later in the game.

#14. Dusk // Dawn

Dusk // Dawn can handle out-of-control Voltron decks your opponents are running when you have smaller creatures on board. Dusk rids of all creatures beyond 3 power and then Dawn returns all the creatures from your graveyard to hand with 2 or less power so you have access to your resources after the board wipe.

#13. Never // Return

The Scarab God and Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia are commanders whereas Never // Return synergizes well. A creature or planeswalker on your opponent's side is gone just by casting 3 black mana, then you can turn around and exile this creature to get a Zombie token in return. Now you’ve got more zombies going after your opponent’s creatures’ brains!

#12. Appeal // Authority

Selesnya token or Voltron commanders will rejoice with Appeal // Authority in their arsenal. Pump up Cadira, Caller of the Small to get combat damage through to create Rabbit tokens.

Shanna, Sisay's Legacy can double its power until end of turn when you cast Appeal with trample reassuring at least some combat damage gets through to your opponent. Mitigate your opponent’s defense by tapping down two of their creatures with Authority in the same turn as a game finisher.

#11. Consign // Oblivion

It’s time to Consign // Oblivion to protect your battlefield and reduce your opponent’s resources. Returning any nonland permanent to an opponent’s hand can hinder them from building their board state. You can also do this to one of your nonland permanents at instant speed if it’s going to face targeted removal or a board wipe.

Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow is a very popular commander that features this card in its build. Ninjutsu your way to victory by casting Oblivion in the aftermath portion so your opponent has to get rid of two cards, stopping them from implementing their original combat strategy.

#10. Leave // Chance

Sometimes, amassing a lot of creatures is something you just don’t want to Leave // Chance. Instantly return all your permanents facing a board wipe to your hand with Leave, so your opponent only board wipes themself.

If it turns out you have a new strategy and don’t need all the permanents you just returned to your hand, discard however many you want to draw cards equal to how many you discarded when you cast Chance.

#9. Driven // Despair

Everyone knows there isn’t as much card draw for green decks as there are for blue decks. Your opponents are Driven // Despair when you cast the Driven portion to give your creatures trample. Plus, you get card draw equal to however many creatures deal combat damage that turn. Cast Despair on the next turn with the potential for an opponent to discard up to their entire hand if you have seven or more creatures that dealt combat damage that turn.

#8. Heaven // Earth

Flying creatures are bothersome when you don’t have any on your side of the battlefield. Cast the Heaven portion of Heaven // Earth to potentially destroy all the flying creatures on your opponent’s side. If you need a general board wipe later in the game, cast Earth and put enough mana into the X cost to make it happen.

#7. Struggle // Survive

Landfall and lands matters decks rejoice with Struggle // Survive in their build. Remove a creature from your opponent’s side of the field based on however many lands you have when you cast Struggle. All players can get back their resources from the graveyard when you cast Survive by shuffling them into their libraries. They have less chance of getting back the card you just removed with Struggle when you immediately cast Survive in the same turn.

Phylath, World Sculptor, Obuun, Mul Daya Ancestor, Radha, Heart of Keld, Mina and Denn, Wildborn, and all the Omnath commanders are just some of the many lands matters commanders.

#6. Onward // Victory

Voltron decks like Zurgo Helmsmasher will go Onward // Victory with a pump in power on the Onward side and temporary double strike ability on the Victory side. Make your Voltron commander stronger with equipment and auras so they get double the power when you cast Onward. Make sure to have enough mana up in the same turn to cast Victory from the graveyard so that your Voltron commander not only has double its original power, but also gains double strike, essentially quadrupling its original power!

#5. Refuse // Cooperate

Izzet commanders focusing on instant and sorcery spells like Sevinne, the Chronoplasm and Rootha, Mercurial Artist will Refuse // Cooperate with this card in their build.

As an opponent casts a spell, throw damage at their life total based on its mana value with Refuse. It’s like a tit for tat if you do this in response to a counterspell. On top of that, copying a game-winning instant or sorcery can reassure victory. Imagine casting Maddening Cacophony and then the Cooperate portion with Bruvac the Grandiloquent already on the battlefield. You get infinite mill already with Cooperate, but it’s just the principle that you can add such an insult to injury happen at the end of a game.

#4. Insult // Injury

Speaking of Insult // Injury, treat the Insult side as a game finisher. Your opponent will have no way to prevent the damage coming to them, plus it’s doubled until end of turn. Voltron commanders with red in their color identity like Tiana, Ship's Caretaker and Akiri, Line-Slinger will benefit from this card in the deck build.

If you still have a bit to go to whittle down your opponent’s life total, slow down a creature with 2 damage and a player’s life total or planeswalker loyalty points with another 2 damage.

#3. Mouth // Feed

Hungry, Hungry Hippo! Oops, wrong game. But you’ll have another Mouth // Feed on your battlefield when casting the Mouth portion of this card for a Hippo token. Dinosaur commanders like Ghalta, Primal Hunger get a lot of value with the Feed portion of the card drawing cards based on if they’re power 3 or greater.

#2. Commit // Memory

If you have an uncontrollable creature coming after you, cast the Commit portion of Commit // Memory so your opponent has to wait two turns to access the card again. However, if you leave up enough mana in the same turn to cast Memory, you can have all players, including that opponent you targeted with Commit, shuffle their library. Now there’s less of a chance of that problem creature returning to the battlefield.

#1. Rags // Riches

Rags // Riches allows you to potentially board wipe the battlefield early in the game if opponents have low-powered creatures. Later in the game, as creatures get stronger, you can cast Riches to get control of one of each of your opponents’ creatures. If your opponent only has their commander out when you cast Riches, that’s definitely a win-win. Hopefully, they don’t have any target removal or a board wipe to bring it back to the command zone.

Best Aftermath Payoffs

Commanders with static abilities related to when instant and sorcery cards leave your graveyard are some of the best aftermath payoffs. One example is Murktide Regent, which gets pumped up from whatever instants and sorceries you exile when casting the spell. When you cast the aftermath side of Commit // Memory, Murktide Regent gets a +1/+1 counter on it.

Fun fact: Commit // Memory is the only mono-blue aftermath card in MTG’s arsenal.

Jeskai commanders that have special effects related to instant and sorcery spells can also benefit from aftermath cards. On attack, Narset, Enlightened Master lets you exile the top four cards of your library and play any non-creature spells (instants and sorceries) without paying their mana costs.

How is that for value? You can get a free cast on the first split portion of the aftermath card so you have mana to cast the aftermath side before your turn resolves, if applicable.

Kykar, Wind's Fury gets token triggers when you cast both sides of an aftermath card since all of them are instants and sorceries. You can place up to nine of the 27 aftermath cards in the 99 for Kykar, which means you have access to an extra nine spells to trigger Kykar’s token-creating static ability.

Can You Play Both Sides of Aftermath on the Same Turn?

No, you can’t play both sides of an aftermath card on the same turn. You must cast the first portion of an aftermath card from your hand. Once the card hits the graveyard, you can cast the aftermath portion on the same turn, if you have enough mana. Alternatively, you can cast the aftermath portion in a later turn with the correct mana base and timing based on if it is an instant or sorcery spell.

Is Aftermath an Activated Ability?

Aftermath isn’t an activated ability. It’s a keyword ability representing how the other half of these split cards can be cast from the graveyard.

What Is the Mana Value of an Aftermath Card?

The mana value of an aftermath card varies. Check the top right of the split card frame where it says “aftermath” to find out how much mana value you have to pour into it to cast the spell. For example, the Excess side of Indulge // Excess costs 2 mana to cast while the Cooperate side of Refuse // Cooperate costs 3 mana.

Can You Counter an Aftermath Spell When Cast from the Graveyard?

Yes, you can counter an aftermath spell when it’s cast from the graveyard. The person who cast the aftermath spell must pass priority to anyone who wishes to respond like any other spell cast in the game. Of course, if a player has an instant spell with enough untapped mana or a mana ability on a card already on the battlefield, the aftermath spell can be thwarted in some way.

Can You Copy Aftermath Spells?

Aftermath spells can be copied. Since they’re instants or sorceries, you can copy them with cards that say you can do so. Wandering Archaic can let an opponent copy an aftermath spell if the spell’s original owner doesn’t pay 2 mana to negate that ability. Riku of Two Reflections lets you copy an aftermath spell as long as you pay a blue and a red.

Can You Flashback or Jump-start an Aftermath Spell?

Since an aftermath card goes into exile once you cast the aftermath side, you can’t flashback or jump-start it. However, if you cast the first portion of an aftermath spell and it’s still in the graveyard without the aftermath portion being cast, you can flashback or jump-start the first portion again from your graveyard.

What’s the Aftermath for You?

Commit // Memory | Illustration by Ryan Alexander Lee

The aftermath mechanic allows you to cast one side of a split card from your hand and another spell from your graveyard at any later point in the game.

Aftermath cards are a fun way to get more instant and sorcery spell triggers off your favorite commanders. Come check out our Draftsim Facebook page for more updates on the latest news and content about your favorite tabletop game!

See you next time!