The Mechanics of Magic: Afterlife

When most people think about the creatures of Magic: The Gathering, I'd imagine the first thought that comes to mind would be something along the lines of dragons, elves, goblins; you know, the creatures that have been oh-so-popularized in the fantasy genre. But what if I told you that one of the game's most underappreciated creatures actually comes straight from beyond the grave? That's right, with its recent unexpected resurrection in Modern Horizons 3's Indebted Spirit, today, we will be talking about the mechanic Afterlife, a ghoulish mechanic that delivers surprisingly haunting value when your creatures finally shuffle off this mortal coil.

The Orzhov Syndicate: Masters of Life, Death, and Beyond

If we're going to talk about Afterlife, we first have to talk about where it comes from--the ever-mysterious Orzhov Syndicate of Ravnica. From the outside, the Orzhov may appear as just your run-of-the-mill church and/or banking guild. But, in reality, the Orzhov Syndicate is well-known for playing by their own set of rules, so much so that not even death can stop them from their quest for absolute control over Ravnica.

With that said, when an Orzhov creature dies, it doesn't just go quietly into the night. Their spirit lingers, and in true ghostly fashion, it continues to serve the Syndicate's interests even after death. It is no stretch to say that the very concept of Afterlife is tied directly to the Orzhov's eerie blend of money, power, and souls.

Afterlife: Literally Life After Death

First introduced in Ravnica Allegiance, Afterlife is a death-triggered ability for creatures with the mechanic. Whenever a creature with Afterlife dies, it leaves behind 1/1 White and Black Spirit creature tokens with flying. The number of tokens left behind depends on the number after the keyword, so cards like Seraph of the Scales, with Afterlife 2, would get you two 1/1 flying Spirit tokens when it dies.

Why Afterlife Matters

Whether you're a fan of token strategies, sacrifice decks, or just straight-up hate board wipes, Afterlife is definitely one of the better mechanics out there for you to try and exploit:

Tokens: I See Dead People

Afterlife fits seamlessly into just about any token-based deck. After all, the more creatures with Afterlife you play, the more flying Spirits you'll generate as the game goes on. Not to mention, if you're using cards that interact specifically with tokens (Anointed Procession, Mondrak, Glory Dominus, Parallel Lives, and the list goes on. No, really, it's a really long list when it comes to cards with token synergy.), your board state will tend to snowball really quickly in just about the best way possible.

Aristocrats: Death is Only the Beginning

In decks focused on sacrifice mechanics, often referred to as Aristocrats decks, Afterlife is a dream come true. Aristocrats strategies revolve around sacrificing your own creatures to fuel powerful effects, and Afterlife makes sure that even when your creature is sacrificed, it leaves a spectral token behind. You can sacrifice the creature, create a token, and then sacrifice the token! Now, in true Orzhov fashion, that's what I call using the whole cow.

Board Wipes: Call an Ambulance, but Not for Me

Few things are more demoralizing in Magic than seeing your entire board wiped clean by a spell like Wrath of God or Damnation. For many decks, this kind of mass removal can often mean having to start again from scratch. But not for Afterlife decks. When a board wipe inevitably hits, while your Afterlife creatures may fall, their spirits will rise, leaving behind an army of 1/1 flying Spirit tokens that can keep the pressure on your opponent for their insolence.

Spectral Flight: A Spirit's Advantage

And let's not just gloss over one of the coolest things about Afterlife: all the tokens it generates have Flying. And as someone who played Mono-Blue Tempo into the ground back in 2019 Standard, trust me when I say that Flying's a pretty big deal.

Outside of the fact that you can, for the most part, chip in damage fairly frequently with your army of Flying Caspers, Flying also allows your Afterlife tokens to play on defense almost indefinitely. So, even if you're up against a deck that's attacking every turn with big creatures, Flying or otherwise, you can trust that your 1/1 flying Spirits will always be there, ready to keep you alive until you figure out your next move.

Cards With Afterlife

If you're starting to get into the spirit of things, here's a complete list of all the Afterlife cards floating about today:

• Afterlife Insurance
• Debtors' Transport
• Gate to the Afterlife
• Imperious Oligarch
• Indebted Spirit
• Knight of Sorrows
• Knight of the Last Breath
• Ministrant of Obligation
• Orzhov Enforcer
• Orzhov Racketeers
• Seraph of the Scales
• Syndicate Messenger
• Tithe Taker

The Future of Afterlife

Even though Afterlife first appeared in Ravnica Allegiance way back in 2019, I'd say the mechanic's flavor alone is perfect for revisiting in future MTG sets--especially those with a dark or graveyard theme. Planes like Innistrad, with its focus on zombies, ghosts, and the undead, maybe the next ideal haunting ground for Afterlife's return.

But until that time comes, the spirits are calling--are you ready to answer?