Bloodghast MTG Card


Bloodghast grants card advantage and strategic resilience, bolstering graveyard-based MTG strategies. Synergy with landfall and instant-speed reentry makes Bloodghast a flexible asset in various decks. Despite mana cost constraints, its potential in combos and various playstyles justifies its collection value.
Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Vampire Spirit
Abilities Landfall
Power 2
Toughness 1

Text of card

Bloodghast can't block. Bloodghast has haste as long as an opponent has 10 or less life. Landfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may return Bloodghast from your graveyard to the battlefield.


Cards like Bloodghast

Bloodghast has carved a niche for itself among recursive creatures in Magic: The Gathering. It’s often weighed against Nether Traitor and Reassembling Skeleton. Nether Traitor returns from the graveyard much like Bloodghast, but requires that another creature dies to trigger its ability. Reassembling Skeleton, though easier to recur from the graveyard by paying some mana, doesn’t boast the same self-sufficient mechanism as Bloodghast.

Another card worth mentioning is Gravecrawler. Similarly, it can be cast from the graveyard, but unlike Bloodghast, it requires a Zombie on the battlefield to do so. Prized Amalgam also shares this self-recurrence theme, but it hinges on another creature returning from the graveyard to trigger its comeback. Both of these conditions showcase the uniqueness of Bloodghast, which simply demands a landfall event to spring back into play.

Ultimately, Bloodghast stands out for its ability to return to the battlefield without additional costs or strict conditions, which exemplifies its strength in decks that can regularly play lands and benefit from creature recursion. This grants it a favored status in various MTG strategies, from aggressive plays to combo enablers.

Nether Traitor - MTG Card versions
Reassembling Skeleton - MTG Card versions
Gravecrawler - MTG Card versions
Prized Amalgam - MTG Card versions
Nether Traitor - MTG Card versions
Reassembling Skeleton - MTG Card versions
Gravecrawler - MTG Card versions
Prized Amalgam - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Bloodghast by color, type and mana cost

Drudge Skeletons - MTG Card versions
Nether Shadow - MTG Card versions
Erg Raiders - MTG Card versions
Cuombajj Witches - MTG Card versions
Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions
Bog Imp - MTG Card versions
Wall of Corpses - MTG Card versions
Blighted Shaman - MTG Card versions
Rabid Rats - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Bat - MTG Card versions
Ravenous Rats - MTG Card versions
Flesh Reaver - MTG Card versions
Bloodcurdler - MTG Card versions
Nantuko Shade - MTG Card versions
Piper of the Swarm - MTG Card versions
Undead Augur - MTG Card versions
Shepherd of Rot - MTG Card versions
Swarm of Rats - MTG Card versions
Skullsnatcher - MTG Card versions
Nezumi Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Drudge Skeletons - MTG Card versions
Nether Shadow - MTG Card versions
Erg Raiders - MTG Card versions
Cuombajj Witches - MTG Card versions
Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions
Bog Imp - MTG Card versions
Wall of Corpses - MTG Card versions
Blighted Shaman - MTG Card versions
Rabid Rats - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Bat - MTG Card versions
Ravenous Rats - MTG Card versions
Flesh Reaver - MTG Card versions
Bloodcurdler - MTG Card versions
Nantuko Shade - MTG Card versions
Piper of the Swarm - MTG Card versions
Undead Augur - MTG Card versions
Shepherd of Rot - MTG Card versions
Swarm of Rats - MTG Card versions
Skullsnatcher - MTG Card versions
Nezumi Cutthroat - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Bloodghast. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Crab VineCrab Vine ModernCrab VineModern Challenge 32 2024-04-26
HogaakHogaak LegacyHogaakLegacy Challenge 32 2024-05-01
DredgeDredge VintageDredgeVintage Challenge 32 2024-05-04
Sultai ScamSultai Scam LegacySultai ScamLegacy Preliminary 2024-05-03

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Bloodghast card enables a consistent return to the battlefield, ensuring a persistent presence that effectively generates card advantage. This relentless ability means you’re rarely without a creature in play, affording you more opportunities to apply pressure or use it as a resource for various in-game mechanics.

Resource Acceleration: Due to its resilience and synergy with landfall, Bloodghast excels at fueling graveyard strategies and accelerating resources indirectly. It can be crucial for strategies that require a steady flow of creatures to the grave, acting as a recurring asset for numerous deck archetypes.

Instant Speed: While Bloodghast itself does not function at instant speed, its automatic return from the graveyard can occur whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control. This timing flexibility allows it to dodge sorcery-speed graveyard hate and make surprise reentries to support or enable other instant-speed interactions during your turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Bloodghast lacks an inherent discard mechanism, making it less synergistic with strategies that leverage graveyard interactions through self-discard.

Specific Mana Cost: Bloodghast’s strict black mana cost necessitates a dedicated commitment to black within your deck, potentially limiting its integration into multicolored strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Bloodghast’s initial cost is moderate, repeatedly paying two black mana for a 2/1 creature without an immediate impact on the board may not always be the most mana-efficient play.


Reasons to Include Bloodghast in Your Collection

Versatility: Bloodghast thrives in a variety of deck archetypes, significantly enhancing strategies that capitalize on creature recurrence. Its ability to return from the graveyard provides a consistent presence on the battlefield, making it useful in both aggressive and control-oriented decks.

Combo Potential: The card’s landfall ability, which allows it to come back into play whenever a land enters under your control, offers excellent synergy with decks that focus on sacrificing creatures for greater benefits or reanimating powerful monsters. It serves as an effective piece in intricate combo chains as well.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where graveyard mechanics are prevalent, Bloodghast holds significant strategic value. Its resilience against removal and capability to continually apply pressure make it an asset in numerous competitive environments.


How to beat Bloodghast

Bloodghast is a potent card renowned for its resilience, returning from the graveyard to the battlefield with ease whenever a land is played. This can make it seem like an unending challenge for many players, but there are effective strategies to overcome this persistent threat. Handling Bloodghast frequently involves graveyard disruption. Cards such as Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void can prevent Bloodghast from returning, as they remove or negate the abilities of cards in graveyards.

Another approach is to employ exile effects. Rather than destroying Bloodghast, cards like Path to Exile or Scavenging Ooze can permanently remove it from the game, mitigating its chances of resurgence. Controlling the number of lands your opponent plays is also crucial. Land destruction or effects that limit land drops can curb the frequency with which Bloodghast returns. It’s important to plan ahead and remove Bloodghast at a time when the opponent can’t immediately trigger its landfall ability, preventing it from making an immediate comeback. Adapt your strategy with these methods, and turning the tide against Bloodghast becomes a reality.


BurnMana Recommendations

Bloodghast is a force to be reckoned with, providing MTG players with an endlessly tenacious creature that just won’t stay buried. This vampiric spirit adds durability and agility to various strategies, dancing between the graveyard and the battlefield each time a land is played. Whether you’re bolstering an aggressive lineup or engineering intricate combos, Bloodghast can be a linchpin in your deck’s performance. With strategic planning and smart deck building, it can become an unstoppable force. Dive into the depths of MTG deck tech, and let Bloodghast guide your path to victory. For deeper insight into making the most of this relentless revenant, join us and expand your strategic horizons.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bloodghast MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar and Iconic Masters, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Bloodghast and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Bloodghast Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2009-10-02 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12009-10-02ZendikarZEN 832003NormalBlackDaarken
22017-11-17Iconic MastersIMA 822015NormalBlackDaarken
32019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 62015NormalBlackDan Mumford
42020-09-26The ListPLST ZEN-832003NormalBlackDaarken
52023-07-18Historic Anthology 7HA7 92015NormalBlackDaarken
62023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 1842015NormalBlackLixin Yin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Bloodghast has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
GladiatorLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Bloodghast card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2009-10-01 Bloodghast's landfall ability triggers only if it's already in your graveyard at the time a land enters the battlefield under your control.
2009-10-01 The landfall ability triggers whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control for any reason. It triggers whenever you play a land, as well as whenever a spell or ability (such as Rampant Growth) causes you to put a land onto the battlefield under your control. It will even trigger when a spell or ability causes another player to put a land onto the battlefield under your control (as can happen with Yavimaya Dryad's ability, for example).
2009-10-01 When a land enters the battlefield under your control, each landfall ability of the permanents you control will trigger. You can put them on the stack in any order. The last ability you put on the stack will be the first one that resolves.