The Battlefield

Animate Dead

$8.01

Worldgorger Dragon

$1.41

AI DraftFeb 26, 2026

Animate Dead + Worldgorger Dragon

Overview

When Animate Dead targets Worldgorger Dragon in a graveyard and resolves, Animate Dead’s enter-the-battlefield effect returns Worldgorger to the battlefield attached to the Aura (see and ). Worldgorger’s enter-the-battlefield ability then exiles all other permanents you control, which includes the Animate Dead Aura. Animate Dead leaving the battlefield causes a triggered ability that makes the creature (Worldgorger) be sacrificed, which in turn triggers Worldgorger’s leaves-the-battlefield ability to return the exiled cards — including Animate Dead — to the battlefield, which re-triggers Animate Dead’s enter-the-battlefield effect. This produces a repeating cycle of triggered abilities and zone changes (see and Ruling [2022-12-08]).

Step 1

You cast Animate Dead targeting Worldgorger Dragon in a graveyard and it begins to resolve as an Aura spell; Aura resolution follows the two-step process described in .

Step 2

When Animate Dead enters the battlefield, its text changes and its enter-the-battlefield effect returns the enchanted creature card (Worldgorger Dragon) to the battlefield under your control and attaches Animate Dead to that creature (see and the Animate Dead Oracle text).

Step 3

Worldgorger Dragon’s enter-the-battlefield triggered ability goes on the stack and then resolves, exiling all other permanents you control — this includes the Animate Dead Aura because it is a different permanent you control.

Step 4

Animate Dead leaving the battlefield (having been exiled) causes its triggered ability "When this Aura leaves the battlefield, that creature's controller sacrifices it" to trigger; that triggered ability goes on the stack and resolves, causing you to sacrifice Worldgorger Dragon.

Step 5

Worldgorger Dragon’s leaves-the-battlefield triggered ability goes on the stack and resolves, returning the exiled cards (including Animate Dead) to the battlefield under their owners’ control.

Step 6

When Animate Dead re-enters the battlefield, its enter-the-battlefield effect again returns Worldgorger Dragon and attaches to it, re-creating the situation that caused Worldgorger to exile Animate Dead, and the cycle repeats.

Step 7

If Worldgorger somehow leaves the battlefield before its enters-the-battlefield ability resolves, the leaves-the-battlefield ability will trigger and resolve first and return nothing; the enter-the-battlefield ability will then resolve later and exile your permanents (see Ruling [2022-12-08]).

Resolution

The interaction creates a loop of triggered abilities: Animate Dead returns Worldgorger, Worldgorger exiles other permanents (including Animate Dead), Animate Dead leaving causes Worldgorger to be sacrificed, Worldgorger’s leaves-the-battlefield ability returns the exiled cards (including Animate Dead), and the cycle repeats. The relevant ordering and behavior follow Aura resolution rules , Aura attachment rules , the Aura-leaves trigger on Animate Dead, and the Worldgorger leaves-the-battlefield trigger that returns exiled cards; if Worldgorger ever leaves before its enter-the-battlefield ability resolves, the leave-the-battlefield trigger will resolve first and return nothing, and then the enter-the-battlefield ability will later exile your permanents (see Ruling [2022-12-08]).

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