Ghostly Visit MTG Card
1999-05-01 - Number 76
2009-09-07 - Number 67
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Sorcery |
Text of card
Destroy any one creature that isn't black.
Cao Cao was haunted to death by the ghosts of the empresses and other high courtiers he had murdered.
Cards like Ghostly Visit
Ghostly Visit is an interesting spell in the realm of creature retrieval in Magic: The Gathering. Its effect is somewhat comparable to that of Disentomb, which offers the straightforward utility of bringing a creature back from the graveyard to your hand. Ghostly Visit, however, is exclusive to creatures with a certain power threshold, resurrecting only those with power 2 or less, which gears it towards decks with smaller, value-oriented creatures.
Further comparison can be drawn to Raise Dead, another staple in the genre of reanimation. Raise Dead doesn’t have any power restrictions, offering flexibility at the cost of one mana. Yet, Ghostly Visit stands out with its Spiritcraft ability — it can trigger additional effects when you control a spirit or Arcane spell, resulting in potential combo plays or value gains.
Ultimately, in the setting of Magic: The Gathering, Ghostly Visit finds a niche place among creature retrieval spells. Its specificity towards low-power creatures could be a hindrance in some decks but a boon in others that capitalize on synergies with spirits or utilize a host of utility creatures, making it a card with potential for tactical depth.
Cards similar to Ghostly Visit by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Ghostly Visit provides a significant edge by bringing a creature back from the graveyard to your hand. This recovers a valuable resource and gives you an additional opportunity to deploy threats, ensuring that you’re equipped to outmaneuver your opponent’s strategies.
Resource Acceleration: While Ghostly Visit itself does not directly accelerate resources, the reusability of a creature card can indirectly contribute to your resource efficiency. By reclaiming a creature, you’re effectively saving the mana and time that would have been spent drawing and playing a new one.
Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Ghostly Visit at instant speed allows for tactical surprise and the ability to make decisions with the most current information. It enables you to respond during your opponent’s turn, potentially disrupting their plans, or to end your turn for a sudden shift in board presence.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Ghostly Visit requires players to discard a card, meaning that using it comes with the potential downside of diminishing your hand, which could leave you at a disadvantage particularly if your strategy relies on having multiple options each turn.
Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost for Ghostly Visit necessitates a specific arrangement, including at least one black mana. This makes it less flexible, especially for decks that are not heavily invested in black mana or multicolor decks that may struggle with mana consistency.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana cost, Ghostly Visit may find itself in competition with other cards that could potentially offer similar or better effects for less or the same cost. This can be especially pertinent in faster-paced games where efficiency and speed are crucial for sustaining momentum.
Reasons to Include Ghostly Visit in Your Collection
Versatility: Ghostly Visit can slide seamlessly into a variety of decks, notably those that lean on graveyard mechanics or seek to capitalize on creature deaths.
Combo Potential: With its ability to bring creatures back from the graveyard, Ghostly Visit offers synergy with other cards that trigger on casting spells or creature entering the game from unusual zones.
Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where recursion is key and games tend to tilt towards longer play, having this card can provide a consistent edge by reusing powerful creatures or enabling late-game comebacks.
How to beat
Overcoming a Ghostly Visit during a match in Magic: The Gathering requires a strong understanding of graveyard interaction and disruption. The spell, falling into the category of black instant cards, affords players the opportunity to return target creature card from their graveyard to the battlefield for a turn. This card can serve as a pivotal play, turning the tides of the game by reintroducing formidable creatures at a critical moment.
To counter this, consider incorporating graveyard hate cards into your deck. These disrupt the normal graveyard dynamics and can limit the effectiveness of reanimation strategies inherent in a Ghostly Visit play. Cards like Relic of Progenitus or Tormod’s Crypt can exile cards from the graveyard, thereby neutralizing the threat. Moreover, instant-speed removal spells enable you to deal with the reanimated creature before it can make a significant impact. By planning ahead and including cards that mitigate graveyard-based strategies, you can diminish the value Ghostly Visit brings to your opponent’s deck.
Understanding the strategic points at which to disrupt a Ghostly Visit’s reanimation process is essential. Effective timing of your responses and a keen awareness of the graveyard’s composition can guide you to victory against decks that rely heavily on such tactics.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ghostly Visit MTG card by a specific set like Portal Three Kingdoms and Masters Edition III, 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 Ghostly Visit 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
Printings
The Ghostly Visit Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1999-05-01 and 2009-09-07. Illustrated by Kang Yu.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999-05-01 | Portal Three Kingdoms | PTK | 76 | 1997 | Normal | White | Kang Yu | |
| 2 | 2009-09-07 | Masters Edition III | ME3 | 67 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Kang Yu |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ghostly Visit has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |