Reveillark

Reveillark Lite Guide

Commander Anthology Volume II Rare
Mana Cost: {4}{W}
Type: Creature — Elemental
P/T: 4/3
Reveillark Text:
Flying When this creature leaves the battlefield, return up to two target creature cards with power 2 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield. Evoke {5}{W} (You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it's sacrificed when it enters.)
Artist: Jim Murray
Collector Number: 35
Release Date: 2018-06-08
Art crop

Strategy Guide

Last updated 2025-06-30
TL;DR Summary

Reveillark is a rare, 4/3 flying Elemental that can return up to two creature cards from the graveyard to the battlefield when it leaves play. This effect can be particularly potent in Commander decks, where creatures with power 2 or less are common.

Key Strengths:

  • Allows for the reuse of valuable creatures
  • Enables a more dynamic and responsive gameplay experience
  • Can be used to create complex interactions between cards

Typical Uses:

  • Reveillark can serve as a late-game card that provides an opportunity for a comeback or a second wind.
  • It can also be used in combination with Ancestral Recall or other draw spells to accelerate its own return to the battlefield.
  • In some cases, it may even be used as a pseudo-synergy with cards like Atraxa, Praetors' Voice, which can help to create an environment conducive to Reveillark's reuse.

Impact in Commander Decks:

  • Can greatly enhance the deck's resilience and ability to adapt to changing circumstances
  • Can also serve as a way to create complex interactions between cards and develop more intricate strategies.
Card Mechanics & Interactions

Reveillark: A Creature of Resurrection

Reveillark is a 4/3 Elemental creature with flying, costing {4}{W} to cast. Its evoke ability allows it to be played for its evoke cost of {5}{W}, but with the caveat that it's sacrificed when it enters the battlefield.

Key Abilities and Interactions

  • Flying: This grants Reveillark the ability to attack over any other creature, making it a formidable flyer in the skies. Players often pair flying creatures like Serra Angel or Noble Hierarch with Reveillark to take advantage of this synergy.
  • Evoke Ability: The evoke ability allows players to cast Reveillark for its lower evoke cost and then sacrifice it immediately, effectively creating a 2-for-1 situation. This can be particularly useful in combination with cards like Soul Warden, which triggers whenever a creature dies. Players can use the sacrificed Reveillark as fodder for Soul Warden's trigger.
  • Oracle Text: When Reveillark leaves the battlefield, its oracle text comes into play, allowing it to return up to two target creature cards with power 2 or less from the graveyard to the battlefield.

Notable Edge Cases and Interactions

  • Life Total Manipulation: Players often use Reveillark in combination with Sorin's Thirst, which triggers when a player loses life. By sacrificing Reveillark and triggering Sorin's Thirst, players can create a situation where they gain life while also returning creatures to the battlefield.
  • Graveyard Synergy: When using Reveillark to return creatures from the graveyard, consider pairing it with cards like Baleful Covenant or Soul Return. These cards reward players for having creature-heavy graveyards, allowing them to fuel their spells and abilities more efficiently.
  • Commander Games: In Commander games, Reveillark's ability can be particularly impactful. Players often build around commander creatures that have a strong graveyard synergy, like Zurgo Bellstriker or Kiora, Master of the Depths. Reveillark can help to fuel these synergies by returning creatures from the graveyard and creating an advantage for the controlling player.

Example Decklists

  • R/W Lifegain Combo: A common build featuring Reveillark alongside cards like Sorin's Thirst, Soul Warden, and Gilded Light.
  • W/G Graveyard Synergy: A more aggressive deck using Reveillark to fuel Baleful Covenant or Soul Return while featuring commander creatures like Kiora, Master of the Depths.

These examples illustrate how Reveillark can be integrated into a variety of Commander decks, from lifegain combo to graveyard synergy.

Strategic Applications

Reveillark is a versatile creature that excels in midrange and control-oriented Commander decks. Its ability to return creatures from the graveyard makes it an excellent enabler for combo and recursion strategies.

Common Archetypes

  • Midrange: Reveillark thrives in midrange decks, where it can provide a consistent source of card advantage while also serving as a formidable attacker.
  • Control: In control decks, Reveillark's ability to return creatures from the graveyard makes it an excellent tool for disrupting opponents and creating chaos.
  • Lifegain: Decks focused on lifegain can leverage Reveillark's evoked form to generate tokens and fuel their life-gaining strategies.

Role on the Battlefield

Reveillark is a 4/3 flyer with a moderate power level, making it a solid addition to any deck. Its ability to return creatures from the graveyard makes it an excellent enabler for combo and recursion strategies. When paired with cards like Sylvan Caryatid or Estrid's Invocation, Reveillark can create complex and dynamic board states.

Decks that Benefit

  • Token decks: Decks focused on generating tokens, such as Vorthos or Rakdos-based token decks, can benefit from Reveillark's ability to return creatures from the graveyard.
  • Life gain decks: Decks centered around lifegain, like Kemba, Kha Regent, can use Reveillark's evoked form to generate tokens and fuel their life-gaining strategies.
  • Combo decks: Decks that rely on recursion and combo strategies, such as Ad Nauseam or Twin Trials, can leverage Reveillark's ability to return creatures from the graveyard.

In summary, Reveillark is a versatile creature that excels in midrange and control-oriented Commander decks. Its ability to return creatures from the graveyard makes it an excellent enabler for combo and recursion strategies, making it a valuable addition to any deck focused on card advantage and complexity.

Advanced Techniques

Reveillark excels in combo-heavy and synergistic decks that rely on graveyard manipulation. Its evoke ability allows for a more affordable entry point into the game, and its flying makes it a formidable force once it's on the board.

One intriguing combination involves pairing Reveillark with Sulfur Falls, which enables the graveyard exodus of more than just creatures with power 2 or less. This synergy creates an explosive potential when combined with removal spells that target creatures in the graveyard, such as Vraska's Contempt. With a large enough graveyard, it becomes increasingly difficult for opponents to maintain control.

Another interaction worth noting is pairing Reveillark with Gisela, Blade of Gold and Gold, which allows for additional card advantage through the evoke ability. The combination creates a cycle where Gisela generates tokens that can be used as sacrifice fodder, allowing players to repeatedly cast Reveillark for its evoke cost. This, in turn, fuels further graveyard manipulation and recursion.

In terms of rules interactions, Reveillark's ability is particularly interesting when combined with Soratami Mirror Sense. When Soratami Mirror Sense is destroyed by an opponent's ability or spell, the creature it was attached to is returned to its owner's hand. If a player had previously cast Reveillark for its evoke cost and it left the battlefield, the creatures with power 2 or less can be returned to the field even after the Soratami Mirror Sense has been destroyed.

When considering Reveillark in a Commander deck, one must keep in mind the potential for explosive combos when paired with other cards that manipulate the graveyard. The card's value lies in its ability to create an immense number of threats on demand, and experienced players can maximize this potential by combining it with removal spells and recursion engines.

Common Mistakes

Common Mistakes with Reveillark

Reveillark can be a powerful addition to a Commander deck, but players often misuse this card due to timing issues or misunderstandings of its evocation ability. Here are some common mistakes to watch out for:

  • Incorrectly Timing the Evoke Ability: Some players try to cast Reveillark with evoke and then immediately sacrifice it, thinking that the creature will return from the graveyard when it leaves the battlefield as a result of being sacrificed. However, the evoke ability allows you to cast the spell at its reduced cost and is not triggered by leaving the battlefield.
  • Misunderstanding the Return Ability: When Reveillark leaves the battlefield due to sacrifice or destruction, it returns up to two target creature cards with power 2 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield. This means that players often try to return more than two creatures or attempt to return larger creatures that don't meet the power requirement.
  • Poor Synergies: Reveillark is best paired with creatures that can easily be returned from the graveyard and provide a significant impact on the board when played. Players often pair it with smaller, less impactful creatures or those that are not well-suited for returning to the battlefield.

Common Misplay Examples

Error Reason
Casting Reveillark with evoke and immediately sacrificing it Incorrect timing of the evoke ability
Returning too many creatures from the graveyard Misunderstanding the return ability's power requirement
Pairing Reveillark with smaller, less impactful creatures Poor synergy choices

Correct Usage

To maximize Reveillark's potential, players should focus on casting it at its regular mana cost and pairing it with creatures that meet the return criteria. For example:

  • Example 1: Cast Reveillark at 4W and sacrifice it to return two target creature cards with power 2 or less from your graveyard.
  • Example 2: Play a smaller creature like Tin Street Dodger with power 2 or less, use its ability to send the creature to the graveyard, then cast Reveillark to return the creature to the battlefield.

By understanding and avoiding these common mistakes, players can effectively integrate Reveillark into their Commander deck and make the most of its potential.

Conclusion

Reveillark is a versatile and impactful creature that can bring significant value to Commander decks. Its ability to return up to two creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield when it leaves play makes it an excellent option for token-based strategies, particularly those centered around creatures with power 2 or less.

In decks featuring Snapcaster Mage and other card draw engines, Reveillark can provide a much-needed late-game acceleration mechanism, allowing players to maintain tempo and pressure against opponents. Additionally, its evoke ability enables it to be cast at a lower mana cost, making it more accessible in decks with restrictive mana bases.

A notable example of Reveillark's effectiveness is in combination with Vedalken Shackles or Flood-based control strategies. By returning powerful tokens from the graveyard, players can maintain card advantage and apply additional pressure against opponents.

Reveillark's power and toughness make it a formidable presence on the battlefield, particularly when paired with Luminarch Ascension, [Mox Opal, or other mana accelerants that enable early-game aggression. However, its relatively high mana cost of 5W means it may not be the best fit for more aggressive strategies.

When considering inclusion in a Commander deck, players should weigh Reveillark's potential to provide late-game acceleration and token generation against its higher cost and vulnerability to removal spells. In decks where card draw and graveyard synergy are key components, Reveillark is an excellent choice that can bring significant value and impact.