Ghost Council of Orzhova MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ghost Council of Orzhova offers a notable edge by providing a repeatable life-draining ability. Each time you activate its ability, you’re essentially forcing a two-life point swing in your favor, edging you closer to victory while diminishing your opponent’s resources.

Resource Acceleration: This spectral council can also function as a form of indirect resource acceleration. By flickering another creature with an enter-the-battlefield effect, you’re able to reuse those abilities. This effectively multiplies the resources at your disposal without the need for additional cards.

Instant Speed: The activation of the Ghost Council’s exile ability can be done at instant speed, offering tactical flexibility. This allows you to avoid unfavorable combat or removal spells during your opponent’s turn, ensuring that your key creature remains a persistent threat on the board.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Ghost Council of Orzhova commands a certain level of strategy, notably requiring you to sacrifice a creature whenever you desire its exile and return ability. This can be a setback for players without expendable creatures, potentially putting them at a disadvantage if their board presence is already weak.

Specific Mana Cost: The Ghost Council of Orzhova comes with a rather specific mana requirement for casting – two white and two black mana. This can limit the card’s integration into multicolored decks or make it difficult to play if your mana base isn’t properly tuned to accommodate such costs.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an initial casting cost of four mana, Ghost Council of Orzhova might appear costly when compared to other cards with similar effects. This could deter players from including it in their decks, especially in formats where tempo and efficiency are crucial to outpacing opponents.

Reasons to Include Ghost Council of Orzhova in Your Collection

Versatility: Ghost Council of Orzhova serves multiple roles within a deck. Its life-draining ability coupled with its evasion from being targeted through its flicker-effect make it a resilient threat in many game situations. This versatility ensures it finds a place in both aggressive and control-oriented decks.

Combo Potential: This card is a favorite among players who love intricate combos. It has natural synergy with cards that trigger off entering or leaving the battlefield. Additionally, its ability to return to the battlefield at the end of turn can be exploited with various other card interactions for substantial benefits.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames where longer, grindy matches prevail, Ghost Council of Orzhova shines. Its consistent life swing mechanic can tip the scales in your favor, making it a relevant choice for players aiming to outlast their opponents and control the pace of the match.

How to beat

Overcoming the Ghost Council of Orzhova requires strategy and the right arsenal in a Magic the Gathering matchup. This formidable card, known for its resilience, can evade removal by flickering out of play. To beat it, consider using exile effects that don’t rely on destruction, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares. These can handle the Ghost Council before they have a chance to use their exile ability. Another tactic is to employ graveyard hate cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void, which prevent the card from returning once it has left the field. Additionally, employing instant-speed disruption when the Ghost Council tries to leave the battlefield can prevent it from dodging your threats. Remember, timing is key—interrupting the Ghost Council’s abilities and denying its lifegain and drain can shift the tide of the battle in your favor. Board presence is also crucial; developing a gameplay that outpaces the council’s life-draining ability will help secure your victory against this elusive adversary in an MTG game.