Ghastly Demise MTG Card
2001-10-01 - Number 139
2002-08-14 - Number cr139sb
2020-11-20 - Number 129
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
Text of card
Destroy target nonblack creature if its toughness is less than or equal to the number of cards in your graveyard.
"Anyone can snap her fingers and yank a soul. I prefer to kill creatively." —Braids, dementia summoner
Cards like Ghastly Demise
Ghastly Demise is a notable removal spell in Magic: The Gathering that has carved a niche among one-mana spells aimed at creature destruction. When compared to other cards like Fatal Push, Ghastly Demise offers a unique advantage depending on the number of cards in your graveyard, thus potentially removing larger creatures as the game progresses. In contrast, Fatal Push can be more immediately impactful due to its revolt trigger, but it lacks the scaling power of Ghastly Demise.
Dismember is another parallel, offering flexibility through its phyrexian mana cost which can make it easier to cast in non-black decks. Although Dismember can deal with most threats, it comes at the cost of life points, which can be a significant trade-off in close games. In comparison, Ghastly Demise requires no life payment and could be considered safer in that aspect.
Therefore, while analysing the strengths of various single-target removal spells, Ghastly Demise can be highly effective in the right deck, particularly one designed to fill the graveyard quickly, thereby amplifying its potential as the game goes on.
Cards similar to Ghastly Demise by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While Ghastly Demise doesn’t directly provide card draw, it offers card efficiency by potentially removing a player’s threat for just one black mana. This cost-effective removal can lead to card advantage when you dismantle key components of your opponent’s strategy without committing significant resources.
Resource Acceleration: Ghastly Demise itself isn’t a tool for mana generation, but its low cost allows for greater resource acceleration as you can manage threats while developing your board or holding up mana for other spells. Its single mana requirement ensures you can progress your game plan without a significant delay.
Instant Speed: The ability to cast Ghastly Demise at instant speed gives you a reactive tool to precisely time the removal of opponents’ creatures. This can disrupt combat, eliminate a blocker or attacker at a critical moment, or simply remove a creature in response to an opponent’s spell that targets it, sometimes resulting in a two-for-one scenario. Instantaneous interaction is a cornerstone of powerful gameplay in MTG.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: As you analyze your deck’s strategy, a point to consider with Ghastly Demise is its strict requirement for graveyard setup. This card’s effectiveness is directly tied to the number of cards in your graveyard, potentially rendering it less useful during the early game or in decks that do not naturally fill the graveyard quickly.
Specific Mana Cost: Ghastly Demise necessitates a single black mana, which is beneficial for mono-black or black-centered decks. However, this mana specificity means it might not seamlessly fit into multi-colored decks that are not focused on black mana, limiting its universal application.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While one might argue that a single black mana is cost-effective, the real cost of Ghastly Demise comes from needing a substantial graveyard. Other removal options in the game might not have this dependency and can offer immediate and more guaranteed removal without the setup, which might be more advantageous in fast-paced or aggressive metagames.
Reasons to Include Ghastly Demise in Your Collection
Versatility: Ghastly Demise offers removal for any deck that stacks the graveyard. Its ability to target creatures with toughness less than the number of cards in your graveyard makes it flexible for both early-game threats and some later threats as well.
Combo Potential: This card is an excellent complement in decks focused on self-mill or reanimator strategies. By increasing your graveyard count, you efficiently manage potential blockers or threats while enabling your strategy.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where aggressive creature-based decks are prevalent, having an efficient and cost-effective removal spell like Ghastly Demise helps to maintain board control and tempo, which can be a deciding factor in many games.
How to beat
Ghastly Demise offers a potent removal option in Magic: The Gathering, easily dealing with creatures as your graveyard fills up. Its one-mana cost makes it a nimble choice for players aiming to maintain tempo while controlling the board. The card excels in formats where the graveyard can be populated quickly, making it highly efficient in the right deck. Nevertheless, conquering this removal spell is about adapting your strategy and understanding your opponent’s graveyard threshold.
To counter Ghastly Demise, consider employing tactics that limit graveyard growth, such as incidental graveyard removal or leveraging cards that exile cards from the graveyard – think Scrabbling Claws or Relic of Progenitus. Also, decks that run larger creatures can naturally outsize the damage threshold of Ghastly Demise, making it less of a concern. Strategies that focus on indestructible or hexproof creatures can also trivialize the threat posed by this card. It’s about prediction and preparation, ensuring that the power of Ghastly Demise doesn’t catch you off guard.
In summary, navigating around Ghastly Demise’s potential involves a proactive approach towards graveyard management and a deck-building philosophy that includes creatures resilient to targeted removal. By doing so, you can diminish the impact of this powerful yet conditional black spell.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ghastly Demise MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey and World Championship Decks 2002, 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 Ghastly Demise 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
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Printings
The Ghastly Demise Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2001-10-01 and 2020-11-20. Illustrated by Gary Ruddell.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2001-10-01 | Odyssey | ODY | 139 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Gary Ruddell | |
| 2 | 2002-08-14 | World Championship Decks 2002 | WC02 | cr139sb | 1997 | Normal | Gold | Gary Ruddell | |
| 3 | 2020-11-20 | Commander Legends | CMR | 129 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Gary Ruddell |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ghastly Demise has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ghastly Demise card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2020-11-10 | Because Ghastly Demise isn't put into your graveyard until it's finished resolving, it won't be counted when determining whether the creature is destroyed. |
| 2020-11-10 | Ghastly Demise can target any nonblack creature. Compare the creature's toughness to the number of cards in your graveyard as Ghastly Demise resolves to see if that creature is destroyed. |