Magic: The Gathering‘s new Aetherdrift expansion is just one of many new MTG sets I’m extremely about in 2025 – but it has the distinct advantage of spotlighting one of my favourite Creature types: Zombies. While it’s also about a multiversal race, Amonkhet is one of the major featured planes, and new cards will introduce more “Mummy” Zombie Creatures, as well as Zombie-adjacent Artifacts.
As someone currently playing with a deck inspired by The Mummy (2017) – Gisa and Geralf is my commander – I’m super excited to reveal one such new Artifact, in the form of Cursecloth Wrappings. With its powerful zombie-buffing abilities, it’s going right into my Zombie EDH Deck.
Here’s a first, exclusive look at three variants for this card, courtesy of Wizards of the Coast:
And here’s the full art by Dominik Mayer, in all its glory:
Cursecloth Wrappings is a very handy Artifact that costs two black and two generic mana to cast. Once it’s played, and as long as it remains on the battlefield, it gives each of your Zombies a +1/+1 buff. (It’s important to note here that Mummies are Zombie-type Creatures in MTG.)
For an additional impact, you can also tap this Artifact to give a creature in your graveyard the “Embalm” ability until the end of your turn. A creature with Embalm can be resurrected as a Zombie: you can pay its mana cost, then the original card is exiled, and you create a Copy that retains all of that Creature’s abilities. It also becomes a white Zombie in addition to its other types, and it loses its mana cost. In this case, Embalm is a sorcery.
I love this card a lot, particularly for its Embalm ability. Many Zombie Decks – including the one I built – rely on cards entering the graveyard and being resurrected, but it’s much easier to do so when cards are Zombie type. With Embalm, you’re essentially turning any Creature into a Zombie, allowing them to exit the graveyard for maximum havoc. Then, as an additional impact, they’re immediately buffed by Cursecloth Wrappings.
It’s really good stuff.
What’s even better is that Wizards of the Coast have provided me with a second lot of preview images that reveal Cursecloth Wrappings will get the Japan Showcase treatment, with two collectible cards rocking full art, and one featuring a wonderful “fracture foil” treatment.
Cursecloth Wrappings: Japan Showcase Cards
Personally, I have to accept that I’m going to keep grabbing packs until I find one of these variants. All versions of Cursecloth Wrappings are wonderful – but just look at the Japan Showcase cards. Look at them! The anime art style is fantastic and crisp, and the layout is so well-designed. I’m not just saying that because this looks like an anime version of The Mummy (2017)’s villain, Ahmanet.
It’s a strong, expressive card with so many neat little details, from the jewels on the mummy’s outfit, to the twirl of mummy wrappings around them. I think I need this card – and in fact, I will mindlessly covet it until I get my grubby hands on it.
At the very least, there’s not long to go before there’s a chance to find it.
MTG‘s Aetherdrift expansion is set to launch on 14 February 2025. As part of this launch, there will be a range of pre-release events taking place from 7 February 2025 at local and global WPN stores. You can find your nearest one via the WPN locator.
