<p>No. You only control creatures on the battlefield and creature spells on the stack. Anywhere else they are creature cards that you own, but do not control.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>109.4.</strong> Only objects on the stack or on the battlefield have a controller. Objects that are neither on the stack nor on the battlefield aren't controlled by any player.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Though if you control the cards in your graveyard isn't really material, <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Otherworldly%20Journey">Otherworldly Journey</a> still couldn't target a creature in a graveyard, this is because if a spell or ability doesn't have any sort of qualifier on it (like Creature spell, Land card) it means a permanent on the battlefield.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>109.2</strong> If a spell or ability uses a description of an object that includes a card type or subtype, but doesn't include the word &quot;card,&quot; &quot;spell,&quot; &quot;source,&quot; or &quot;scheme,&quot; it means a permanent of that card type or subtype on the battlefield.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-11T18:24:52.127Z
This isn't really the right reasoning. It's true that you can only control stuff on the battlefield, but the "you control" clause on Cloudshift isn't the **reason** that you can only target stuff on the battlefield.
murgatroid99
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-11T18:30:30.310Z
@murgatroid99 You're right, while this does answer the question in the title, it isn't exactly answering the one in the body of the question.
diego
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-12-04T15:26:18.323Z
Butt... you say you still own the creatures in your graveyard.. so Trostani Discordant returns cards from the graveyard?
JohanSellberg
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-09T16:54:22.960Z
@JohanSellberg No, because rule 109.2 applies to Trostani Discordant's ability as well.
Fax
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-11T18:21:52.383Z
2015-05-11T19:17:52.387Z
2015-05-11T19:17:52.387Z
diego
<p><a href="http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/Object" rel="noreferrer">Rule 109.2</a> says</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>If a spell or ability uses a description of an object that includes a card type or subtype, but doesn't include the word "card," "spell," "source," or "scheme," it means a permanent of that card type or subtype <strong>on the battlefield</strong>.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>In its targetting clause, Cloudshift says "creature" without any of the specified words, so it's referring to a creature permanent on the battlefield.</p>

<p>In general, you don't control anything in the graveyard. Rule 109.4 says</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Only objects on the stack or on the battlefield have a controller. Objects that are neither on the stack nor on the battlefield aren't controlled by any player.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Effects that deal with cards in the graveyard would refer to their owner.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-11T19:05:52.367Z
Giving this one my +1, due to being the first correct answer, given that two are essentially the same now, and the other is just plain misleading.
Waterseas
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-11T18:21:41.650Z
2015-05-11T19:11:10.053Z
2015-05-11T19:11:10.053Z
murgatroid99
<p><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=240006" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Cloudshift</a> has </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Exile target creature you control, then return that card to the battlefield under your control.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Are creatures already in my graveyard still under my control? Can I return one of them to the battlefield?</p>

<p><em>(No, I don't think <a href="https://boardgames.stackexchange.com/questions/14609/returning-permanents-from-my-graveyard">that one</a> answers my question. It's not "permanent", but "creature you control")</em></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-11T18:39:35.490Z
In the future, you should probably wait a little while before accepting an answer, so that you can evaluate it against other answers.
murgatroid99
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-11T20:42:53.770Z
For the reason people can easily see this as a duplicate, see murgatroid's and diego's answers, which clarify that "creature" means "creature permanent." Unfortunately there are probably a half dozen possible duplicates for that half of your question as well...
Cascabel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-11T22:30:48.677Z
Indeed, one distinction that trips people up is that there are never creatures in your graveyard. Only creature *cards*. The only place you find creatures is on the battlefield.
ghoppe
<magic-the-gathering>
Do I "control" creatures in my graveyard?
Vizzerdrix
# Do I "control" creatures in my graveyard?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-05-11)

[Cloudshift](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=240006) has

> Exile target creature you control, then return that card to the battlefield under your control.

Are creatures already in my graveyard still under my control? Can I return one of them to the battlefield?

*(No, I don't think [that one](https://boardgames.stackexchange.com/questions/14609/returning-permanents-from-my-graveyard) answers my question. It's not "permanent", but "creature you control")*

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: In the future, you should probably wait a little while before accepting an answer, so that you can evaluate it against other answers.  
> **username_2**: For the reason people can easily see this as a duplicate, see murgatroid's and username_4's answers, which clarify that "creature" means "creature permanent." Unfortunately there are probably a half dozen possible duplicates for that half of your question as well...  
> **username_3**: Indeed, one distinction that trips people up is that there are never creatures in your graveyard. Only creature *cards*. The only place you find creatures is on the battlefield.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-05-11. Score: 9 | Accepted answer

[Rule 109.2](http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/Object) says

> If a spell or ability uses a description of an object that includes a card type or subtype, but doesn't include the word "card," "spell," "source," or "scheme," it means a permanent of that card type or subtype **on the battlefield**.

In its targetting clause, Cloudshift says "creature" without any of the specified words, so it's referring to a creature permanent on the battlefield.

In general, you don't control anything in the graveyard. Rule 109.4 says

> Only objects on the stack or on the battlefield have a controller. Objects that are neither on the stack nor on the battlefield aren't controlled by any player.

Effects that deal with cards in the graveyard would refer to their owner.

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: Giving this one my +1, due to being the first correct answer, given that two are essentially the same now, and the other is just plain misleading.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-05-11. Score: 3

No. You only control creatures on the battlefield and creature spells on the stack. Anywhere else they are creature cards that you own, but do not control.

> **109.4.** Only objects on the stack or on the battlefield have a controller. Objects that are neither on the stack nor on the battlefield aren't controlled by any player.

Though if you control the cards in your graveyard isn't really material, [Otherworldly Journey](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Otherworldly%20Journey) still couldn't target a creature in a graveyard, this is because if a spell or ability doesn't have any sort of qualifier on it (like Creature spell, Land card) it means a permanent on the battlefield.

> **109.2** If a spell or ability uses a description of an object that includes a card type or subtype, but doesn't include the word "card," "spell," "source," or "scheme," it means a permanent of that card type or subtype on the battlefield.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This isn't really the right reasoning. It's true that you can only control stuff on the battlefield, but the "you control" clause on Cloudshift isn't the **reason** that you can only target stuff on the battlefield.  
> **username_4**: @username_1 You're right, while this does answer the question in the title, it isn't exactly answering the one in the body of the question.  
> **username_5**: Butt... you say you still own the creatures in your graveyard.. so Trostani Discordant returns cards from the graveyard?  
> **username_6**: @username_5 No, because rule 109.2 applies to Trostani Discordant's ability as well.  

---

