Basilica Bell-Haunt MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Spirit |
| Released | 2019-01-25 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Ravnica Allegiance |
| Set code | RNA |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 4 |
| Number | 156 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Yeong-Hao Han |
Text of card
When Basilica Bell-Haunt enters the battlefield, each opponent discards a card and you gain 3 life.
You can hear their tolling only when your debt is due.
Cards like Basilica Bell-Haunt
Basilica Bell-Haunt serves as a unique presence in the realm of creature cards within Magic: The Gathering with its notable combination of abilities. A close parallel is observed with Kambal, Consul of Allocation. Both cards exert pressure on opponents through passive effects that disrupt their play. While Kambal taxes noncreature spells, Basilica Bell-Haunt forces a discard and provides a lifegain, a two-fold advantage upon entry.
Another card worth comparing is Tidehollow Sculler. Like Basilica Bell-Haunt, it impacts the hand by exiling a card when it hits the field. However, the crucial difference lies in permanence; the exiled card with Sculler can return, whereas Basilica Bell-Haunt’s discard effect is permanent. Moreover, Bell-Haunt offers additional value through its lifegain, enhancing player resilience.
Burglar Rat also embodies the hand-disruption theme but at a lower cost and without the lifegain bonus. It’s a difference maker in early game scenarios, but the Basilica Bell-Haunt provides a sturdier creature later in the game along with a health buffer. Examining these aspects, it’s clear that Basilica Bell-Haunt carves out its niche firmly amongst MTG’s creatures with its multifaceted defensive and disruptive capabilities.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The dual functionality of Basilica Bell-Haunt not only allows you to place a creature on the battlefield but also compels your opponent to discard a card. This creates a swing in card presence that can be significant, directly influencing the flow of the match in your favor.
Resource Acceleration: Despite not directly producing mana or tokens, the card indirectly contributes to resource acceleration by potentially removing a key piece from your opponent’s hand. This disruption can set them back, slowing their game plan while you continue to develop your board unhindered.
Instant Speed: While Basilica Bell-Haunt does not act at instant speed, its presence on the board is a hindrance to opponents who must consider its impact during their own turn. This can lead to scenarios where they may hold back cards or play suboptimally in anticipation of potential interactions with your vigilant creature.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One drawback of the Basilica Bell-Haunt is its ability that forces the opponent to discard a card upon entering the battlefield. While advantageous in disrupting the opponent, this card might not offer the same value later in the game when the opponent has an empty hand.
Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both white and black mana to cast, Basilica Bell-Haunt demands a deck firmly rooted in the Orzhov color combination. This mana specificity can hamper inclusion in more diverse or color-flexible strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing two white and two black mana, it sits at a more expensive tier for its creature type. There are creatures with lower mana costs that provide similar or greater impact on the game state, potentially making Basilica Bell-Haunt a less appealing choice for decks looking to maximize efficiency.
Reasons to Include Basilica Bell-Haunt in Your Collection
Versatility: Basilica Bell-Haunt serves a dual role in your decks, providing both a substantial defensive body and a way to disrupt your opponent’s hand. Its notable toughness makes it a solid blocker against a wide array of creatures.
Combo Potential: This card’s entrance effect paves the way for life gain strategies or synergizes with discard mechanisms, enabling various combo plays in Orzhov and other black-and-white decks.
Meta-Relevance: In a format where aggressive red decks or strategies that rely on specific cards are prevalent, Basilica Bell-Haunt disrupts your opponent’s tempo by forcing a discard while bolstering your life total, providing a significant swing in your favor.
How to beat
Basilica Bell-Haunt is a unique card in the MTG realm that brings a blend of life gain and distress to your opponent by forcing a card discard. To effectively counter this, players need to either prevent it from entering the battlefield through counterspells or remove it once it’s in play. Cards like Negate work well for stopping the Bell-Haunt in its tracks while it’s still a spell on the stack.
Alternatively, once the Bell-Haunt has hit the board, it’s critical to have efficient removal at the ready. Instant-speed options like Murderous Rider or Bake into a Pie bypass the life gain ability, maintaining pressure on your opponent’s life total without pause. Building a hand resilient to discard effects, by including cards with escape or afterlife, for example, can neutralize the Bell-Haunt’s secondary effect and leave your opponent’s strategy disrupted.
Going head to head with the Basilica Bell-Haunt requires foresight and precision. Balance your deck with a mix of prevention and timely removal, giving little quarter for the Bell-Haunt to haunt your game. Make smart plays and have counters ready, and you’ll negate the haunting effectively, keeping your strategy intact.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Basilica Bell-Haunt MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica Allegiance, 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 Basilica Bell-Haunt and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Basilica Bell-Haunt has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Basilica Bell-Haunt card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2019-01-25 | You gain 3 life even if some or all of your opponents can’t discard a card. |