Common Misplays with Remember the Fallen, and How to Play It Right

Common Misplays with Remember the Fallen, and How to Play It Right

In TCG ·

Remember the Fallen MTG card art with white sorcery glow, commemorating the Mirrans' memory

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Common Misplays Involving Remember the Fallen

White sorceries rarely shout for attention in the way hammering removal or wheel effects do, but Remember the Fallen from Double Masters proves that a well-timed, well-targeted fetch can swing the tempo and swing the board. With a modest mana cost of 2W and a versatile oracle text that invites you to choose one or both targets, this card rewards thoughtful sequencing more than brute force. The flavor text, “When the Mirrans had fallen, Planeswalkers carried the burden of remembrance,” hints at a design that rewards planning and memory—two qualities that make or break many decision points at the table 🧙‍♂️🔥.

1) Assuming you can fetch two creatures or two artifacts

One of the most common misplays is treating Remember the Fallen as a two-for-one creature fetch. The card’s oracle text says you may return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand and target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand, and you may choose one or both. You can fetch at most one creature and at most one artifact, not multiple. It’s tempting to think you can rebuild your graveyard value with a pair of creatures, but the spell stops at one creature and one artifact unless you’re lucky enough to have two targets in the graveyard (one creature, one artifact) ready to go. Plan your targets ahead of time: if your graveyard only has a creature you’ll want for your board, you’ll still get to fetch it—perhaps better than drawing into something new, depending on the matchup. This nuance matters in long, grindy games where every card draw counts 🧩.

2) Overlooking the artifact option when it matters most

White often shines with permanents and auras, but Remember the Fallen doubles as a graveyard tutor for artifacts. In decks that rely on artifacts for mana acceleration (think mana rocks) or for a pivotal artifact-based combo, remember that you can fetch an artifact from the graveyard on the same cast as you fetch a creature. If your opponent has graveyard hate or your own graveyard is thinning, you might still want to pull a key artifact back to hand to replay on the next turn. Underutilizing the artifact option is a frequent slip—especially in formats where a single artifact can unlock a sequence of plays (think of equipment or a mana rock that untaps or ramps). Don’t sleep on the second half of this spell; it can be the seed for a game-changing turn soon after 🧠⚡.

3) Casting too early or too late in the game plan

Timing is everything with this spell. Casting Remember the Fallen early, when your graveyard is sparse, is often underwhelming—you’re paying 3 mana for potentially less immediate impact. Conversely, waiting too late can miss the moment to recoup a crucial threat or a needed artifact for a combo. The sweet spot is usually after you’ve built up a handful of options in your graveyard or when you need a specific creature or artifact to stabilize the board or fuel a follow-up play the same turn. Treat it as a “set-up spell” rather than a one-off reset button. The decision to fetch now or later should hinge on whether your new hand improves your board state immediately or simply cycles your resources for the long game 🎯.

4) Ignoring graveyard hate in the matchup

Remember the Fallen’s power hinges on the viability of your graveyard. In metagames where Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void, or other graveyard banes are common, it’s easy to misjudge how often this spell will actually rescue a creature or an artifact. If the graveyard is frequently sanitized, you might weigh marginal gains against the risk of mana wasted on a non-deliverable spell. A practical response is to hold the spell in hand in anticipation of a moment where the cost of not having the target is higher than the cost of casting a sorcery that may fail to find what you want. It’s not failure to recognize the risk—it’s smarter play to plan for contingency and have a backup plan ready 🔒.

5) Forgetting the color and structure of your deck

Although the spell itself is white, the strategic value comes from recognizing how your deck’s synergy with graveyard recursion and artifacts can shine. A white-heavy strategy benefits from Remember the Fallen when you’re weaving together creature recursion with artifact-based acceleration or value engines. If your list leans into legendary behemoths, go-wide board states, or artifact synergies, this spell becomes a bridge between graveyard resilience and resource recovery. The white school’s emphasis on equality of options—adapting to what’s available in the graveyard—aligns perfectly with this card’s modal nature 🏛️.

Remember the Fallen is not flashy, but it is precise. It rewards decks that plan several turns ahead, that value the redundancy of graveyard resources, and that don’t shy away from a little white interruption to pull the exact piece they need from the past.

Art and design fans will notice the flavor text and the crisp, restrained illustration by Eric Deschamps, which captures a moment of quiet remembrance amid a chaotic cosmos. The set, Double Masters, is known for reprints and streamlined power in a compact mana cost bracket, and this card is a perfect example: it doesn’t demand a blockbuster engine; it rewards thoughtful play and a patient build. If you’re building a white-centric graveyard deck that also has a knack for artifacts, Remember the Fallen is a natural include—an efficient, flexible tool that invites you to leverage what you’ve already put into the yard 🧙‍♂️🎨.

Practical tips for playing Remember the Fallen well

  • Pre-plan targets: know which creature and which artifact you want back, so you’re not scrambling mid-combat.
  • Pair with graveyard-safe engines: cards that refill your graveyard on demand increase the odds you’ll have the exact targets you want when you cast Remember the Fallen.
  • Keep artifacts relevant: fetch artifacts that immediately impact the next turn (mana acceleration, removal, or a key equipment) to maximize tempo.
  • Watch for graveyard hate: if your opponent is packing graveyard disruption, weigh the odds of success and consider holding the spell until the moment you genuinely need it.
  • Remember the synergy with color and board state: white’s flexibility shines when you’re balancing creature resilience with artifact utility.

Connections beyond the battlefield

In the broader MTG ecosystem, Remember the Fallen demonstrates how a seemingly modest spell can snowball into a pivotal moment when you thread it through a careful plan. It’s a reminder that memory—of cards drawn, of threats removed, of artifacts reclaimed—can be as potent as raw mana advantage. If you’re curious to see how this kind of design threads into modern and classic decks, explore the network of articles and resources linked below—the five pieces offer a snapshot of how data, culture, and strategy intersect in our shared hobby 🧙‍♂️🔥💎.

More from our network

Neoprene Mouse Pad Round Rectangular Non-Slip Colorful Desk Pad

Remember the Fallen

Remember the Fallen

{2}{W}
Sorcery

Choose one or both —

• Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.

• Return target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand.

When the Mirrans had fallen, Planeswalkers carried the burden of remembrance.

ID: 287ca034-9cea-4b84-98ba-76c24f038edb

Oracle ID: 7ed3918d-509a-4fe6-a32d-5899df8f9046

Multiverse IDs: 489700

TCGPlayer ID: 219521

Cardmarket ID: 486259

Colors: W

Color Identity: W

Keywords:

Rarity: Common

Released: 2020-08-07

Artist: Eric Deschamps

Frame: 2015

Border: black

EDHRec Rank: 15086

Penny Rank: 13323

Set: Double Masters (2xm)

Collector #: 27

Legalities

  • Standard — not_legal
  • Future — not_legal
  • Historic — not_legal
  • Timeless — not_legal
  • Gladiator — not_legal
  • Pioneer — not_legal
  • Modern — legal
  • Legacy — legal
  • Pauper — legal
  • Vintage — legal
  • Penny — legal
  • Commander — legal
  • Oathbreaker — legal
  • Standardbrawl — not_legal
  • Brawl — not_legal
  • Alchemy — not_legal
  • Paupercommander — legal
  • Duel — legal
  • Oldschool — not_legal
  • Premodern — not_legal
  • Predh — legal

Prices

  • USD: 0.09
  • USD_FOIL: 0.09
  • EUR: 0.04
  • EUR_FOIL: 0.12
  • TIX: 0.03
Last updated: 2025-11-20