Ghoulcaller Gisa MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Wizard
Power 3
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Gisa excels in card advantage, multiplying your board presence and maintaining a full hand of creatures.
  2. Generates resource acceleration through zombie tokens, essential for furthering deck synergies and powerful plays.
  3. Strategic timing of Gisa’s ability can create instant armies, significantly impacting board states and gameplay.

Text of card

, , Sacrifice another creature: Put X 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens onto the battlefield, where X is the sacrificed creature's power.

"Geralf, must you always whine? I agreed to nothing. I'll raise ghouls anytime I wish."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ghoulcaller Gisa is a powerhouse when it comes to generating card advantage. By sacrificing a single creature, you can create a number of 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens equal to that creature’s power. This ability allows you to quickly multiply your board presence and keeps your hand full of threatening creatures to deploy.

Resource Acceleration: The tokens created by Ghoulcaller Gisa can be pivotal for resource acceleration. Not only do these zombies serve as blockers or attackers, but they can also be converted into additional resources through various sacrifice outlets, potentially fueling further powerful plays and synergies within your deck.

Instant Speed: Though Ghoulcaller Gisa’s ability isn’t at instant speed, the strategic depth it adds is significant. Careful timing of her ability can allow you to capitalize on end-of-turn plays, essentially creating an army of undead at a moment’s notice before your turn begins, ready to swing in for potentially lethal damage or control the board state.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Ghoulcaller Gisa allows you to create a number of 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens, it requires you to sacrifice another creature. This can be particularly disadvantageous if you’re faced with a board state that values quality over quantity or during situations where you’re struggling to maintain creature presence.

Specific Mana Cost: Ghoulcaller Gisa demands both specific (black) and generic mana for casting. With a cost of three colorless and two black mana, it necessitates a significant black mana investment, which may pose a hurdle for multi-colored or color-flexible decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in at a total of five mana to get her on the field, Ghoulcaller Gisa sits on the higher end of the mana curve. Given her ability also necessitates immediate access to another creature to be sacrificed, the total cost for the desired value could be seen as steep, especially when considering other cards that can populate the board or utilize graveyard synergies more economically.


Reasons to Include Ghoulcaller Gisa in Your Collection

Versatility: Ghoulcaller Gisa offers a unique play style that supports a wide variety of deck builds. Her ability to create numerous zombie tokens by sacrificing a single creature makes her an excellent addition to any black-centric or zombie-themed deck.

Combo Potential: This powerful legendary creature excels at generating a vast army of tokens, perfect for combo interactions. Whether it’s powering up sacrifice engines, or amplifying death-triggered abilities, her synergy with other cards can create devastating effects on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where board presence and creature strategies prevail, Ghoulcaller Gisa stands out. Her ability to rapidly populate the board with tokens can outpace opponents and adapt quickly to the ever-changing meta, ensuring your deck’s resilience in various competitive scenarios.


How to Beat Ghoulcaller Gisa

Ghoulcaller Gisa is a popular commander in Magic: The Gathering, best known for her ability to overwhelm opponents with a relentless tide of Zombie tokens. When dissecting the most effective strategies against her, consider that this card thrives on sacrifice synergy. Therefore, one potential counterplay is to utilize graveyard disruption tools. Graveyard hate cards, such as Rest in Peace or Relic of Progenitus, can eliminate the possibility of recycling creatures for more tokens.

Another approach is to target Gisa directly before her ability can be activated. Instant-speed removal spells like Path to Exile or Rapid Hybridization allow you to respond promptly and efficiently. Moreover, since Gisa’s value engine requires a plentiful board presence, mass removal spells that clear multiple creatures at once can significantly hamper the strategy’s effectiveness.

Sustaining consistent pressure is also key. By keeping the Ghoulcaller’s controller on the back foot and managing their resources, you can prevent them from establishing the commanding position Gisa needs. In essence, a combination of proactive removal, strategic pressure, and graveyard disruption can thwart the undead onslaught she aims to create.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the dynamics of Ghoulcaller Gisa can elevate your MTG gameplay, especially if you have an affinity for strategies that revolve around token generation and sacrifice mechanics. This legendary figure from Magic the Gathering’s lore offers a unique playstyle that melds board control with creature synergy. For players keen on constructing a zombie horde or leveraging graveyard interactions, Gisa’s capabilities should not be overlooked. Have your gameplay tactics refined and ready to combat any challenge, and remember, in a world as vast and deep as MTG, each card can secure your triumph. Let’s delve deeper and ensure Ghoulcaller Gisa’s undead legion leads you to victory.


Cards like Ghoulcaller Gisa

Delving into the world of Magic: The Gathering, Ghoulcaller Gisa stands out as a powerful mono-black commander that creates an army of the undead. Its ability to sacrifice a creature and create a number of 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens equal to that creature’s power draws a parallel to other black cards favoring graveyard play like Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder. Endrek Sahr thrives off creature casting, producing Thrull tokens, yet lacks the direct control Gisa offers in manipulating the board state through sacrifice.

Stitcher Geralf, Gisa’s blue-aligned counterpart from Innistrad, also manipulates creatures but in a different fashion. Geralf mills cards and stitches together a zombie monstrosity whose power and toughness are defined by the exiled cards’ characteristics, highlighting a variance in strategy compared to Gisa’s predictable and repeatable token generation. Another notable card is Grave Titan, who effortlessly creates zombie tokens when entering the battlefield or attacking, though its static ability doesn’t grant the player the same level of agency in token management as Ghoulcaller Gisa does.

Through this lens, Ghoulcaller Gisa shines with a unique combination of control, repeatability, and synergy with other zombie-themed cards, solidifying its position as a formidable option for players who relish the undead horde strategy.

Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder - MTG Card versions
Stitcher Geralf - MTG Card versions
Grave Titan - MTG Card versions
Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder - Time Spiral (TSP)
Stitcher Geralf - Commander 2014 (C14)
Grave Titan - Magic 2011 (M11)

Cards similar to Ghoulcaller Gisa by color, type and mana cost

Skyshroud Vampire - MTG Card versions
Entropic Specter - MTG Card versions
Predatory Nightstalker - MTG Card versions
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Malakir Bloodwitch - MTG Card versions
Caustic Crawler - MTG Card versions
Shriekmaw - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Vampire - Tempest (TMP)
Entropic Specter - Exodus (EXO)
Predatory Nightstalker - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Fallen Angel - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Stone Catapult - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Sengir Vampire - Arena Beginner Set (ANB)
Hollow Dogs - Beatdown Box Set (BTD)
Grotesque Hybrid - Torment (TOR)
Earwig Squad - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Indulgent Tormentor - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Sootfeather Flock - Legions (LGN)
Zombie Cutthroat - Scourge (SCG)
Gluttonous Zombie - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Vermiculos - Mirrodin (MRD)
Woebearer - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Wei Elite Companions - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Halo Hunter - Zendikar (ZEN)
Malakir Bloodwitch - Zendikar (ZEN)
Caustic Crawler - Worldwake (WWK)
Shriekmaw - Magic Online Theme Decks (TD0)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ghoulcaller Gisa MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2014 and Jumpstart, 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 Ghoulcaller Gisa and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ghoulcaller Gisa Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2014-11-07 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12014-11-07Commander 2014C14 232015normalblackKarla Ortiz
22020-07-17JumpstartJMP 2362015normalblackKarla Ortiz
32022-01-28Commander Collection: BlackCC2 22015normalblackAaron J. Riley
42023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 1612015normalblackKarla Ortiz
52023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 5122015normalblackKarla Ortiz

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ghoulcaller Gisa has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
GladiatorLegal
TimelessLegal

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