Willow Geist MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Treefolk Spirit
Abilities Trample
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Willow Geist excels in growing its power with graveyard interactions, enhancing future plays.
  2. It thrives in self-mill strategies, requiring a deck tailored to exploit its abilities.
  3. Flexible yet demanding specific mana types, its evolution is contingent on well-crafted decks.

Text of card

Trample Whenever one or more cards leave your graveyard, put a +1/+1 counter on Willow Geist. When Willow Geist dies, you gain life equal to its power.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Willow Geist offers incremental growth with each card that leaves your graveyard, not only developing the board presence but also setting the stage for future plays that can tip the scales in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: This spiritually attuned creature shines when synergized with self-mill strategies or graveyard manipulations, effectively accelerating your resources by stacking +1/+1 counters for each card that’s exiled from your graveyard.

Instant Speed: With the capability to trigger its ability at instant speed whenever a card leaves your graveyard, Willow Geist provides a dynamic and responsive playstyle. This can swiftly turn it into a formidable threat that adapts to the ever-changing pace of MTG games.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Willow Geist’s abilities rely on triggering through cards being discarded from the graveyard, which demands a deck strategy focused on self-mill or forced discard to optimize its potential.

Specific Mana Cost: This spirit requires green mana, which could restrict it from being easily incorporated into multi-colored decks not focused on green mana or graveyard synergy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a single green mana cost for a 1/1 creature, other creatures or spells at similar mana points might offer more immediate board impact or lower investment risks.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Willow Geist stands out for its ability to adapt to multiple strategies, serving as an essential component in graveyard-centric decks. Its strength grows alongside your graveyard’s potential, making it a perfect fit for green-based synergistic builds.

Combo Potential: As a one-drop with the capability to gain counters each time a card leaves your graveyard, the value of Willow Geist multiplies rapidly. It works exceptionally well with self-mill and reanimation tactics, which are prevalent in a range of powerful combos.

Meta-Relevance: Given the present game dynamics, where graveyard interaction is a common strategy, Willow Geist’s relevance is undeniable. It’s a card that can pay off early in the game and continue to be a threat throughout, especially in environments where cards frequently move in and out of graveyards.


How to beat Willow Geist

Willow Geist may not command widespread fear in the MTG realm, but underestimating this spirit can haunt unwary players. With its growth potential in graveyard-centric decks, it’s crucial to have strategies to prevent its strength from swelling beyond control. To handle Willow Geist effectively, disrupting graveyard synergy is your trump card. Graveyard hate cards such as Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze can nip potentially game-swinging synergy in the bud, ensuring Willow Geist remains a mere wisp on the battlefield.

Additionally, swift removal spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile are adept at clearing Willow Geist before it grows. They’re indispensable tools in a player’s arsenal given their low mana cost and broad application against other threats. Timing is also essential; eliminating Willow Geist in response to triggering abilities that involve the graveyard can maximize efficiency. Deny your opponent the chance to exploit death and decay; maintaining board control can force Willow Geist to wither away into irrelevance.

Ultimately, with a well-tuned plan, this card becomes less of a spectral menace and more of a ghost story told to spook inexperienced challengers. In conclusion, balancing graveyard disruption with timely removal is the hallmark of a player who doesn’t fear the whispers of Willow Geist.


BurnMana Recommendations

As you contemplate the strategic usefulness of Willow Geist for your MTG deck, it’s important to consider how this unique card could enhance your gameplay. Recognizing its strengths and potential to amplify graveyard strategies, it’s a clever addition for those seeking an edge in resource acceleration and board presence. Looking beyond, think about implementing countermeasures for opponents who might use similar tactics. Stay ahead of the game by learning more about managing and countering graveyard-centered decks. Join our community of dedicated players and elevate your MTG experience with insights and discussions on cards like Willow Geist.


Cards like Willow Geist

Willow Geist stands out in MTG as a unique spirit creature card with its ability to grow in strength alongside its controller’s graveyard management strategy. It’s somewhat akin to cards like Scavenging Ooze, which also evolves as it interacts with graveyards, but in this case, by exiling cards to gain counters and life. However, unlike Scavenging Ooze, Willow Geist rewards the controller directly as cards leave the graveyard.

Another card worth mentioning is Tarmogoyf, known for its reliance on graveyard content to determine its power and toughness. Tarmogoyf and Willow Geist share a bond over the importance of graveyard size, yet Willow Geist’s power boost comes from the actual act of card’s departure rather than their presence. Then there’s Soulflayer, which can gain varying abilities based on the creature cards in graveyards, showing a different but related deep connection with graveyard mechanics.

To sum it up, Willow Geist may not be the only creature card that thrives on the dynamics of graveyard play in MTG, but it offers a distinctive approach. Its reliance on the ebb and flow of graveyard contents to power up offers a strategic element that can be a cornerstone in decks that focus on managing graveyards for value and victory.

Scavenging Ooze - MTG Card versions
Tarmogoyf - MTG Card versions
Soulflayer - MTG Card versions
Scavenging Ooze - Commander 2011 (CMD)
Tarmogoyf - Future Sight (FUT)
Soulflayer - Fate Reforged Promos (PFRF)

Cards similar to Willow Geist by color, type and mana cost

Scryb Sprites - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Elves - MTG Card versions
Ghazbán Ogre - MTG Card versions
Shanodin Dryads - MTG Card versions
Wall of Wood - MTG Card versions
Rime Dryad - MTG Card versions
Village Elder - MTG Card versions
Willow Dryad - MTG Card versions
Spike Drone - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Elite - MTG Card versions
Elvish Berserker - MTG Card versions
Tree Monkey - MTG Card versions
Wild Dogs - MTG Card versions
Elvish Herder - MTG Card versions
Pouncing Jaguar - MTG Card versions
Taunting Elf - MTG Card versions
Norwood Ranger - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Elite - MTG Card versions
Scavenger Folk - MTG Card versions
Fyndhorn Elves - MTG Card versions
Scryb Sprites - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Llanowar Elves - 30th Anniversary History Promos (P30H)
Ghazbán Ogre - Masters Edition (ME1)
Shanodin Dryads - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Wall of Wood - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Rime Dryad - Ice Age (ICE)
Village Elder - Mirage (MIR)
Willow Dryad - Portal (POR)
Spike Drone - Tempest (TMP)
Skyshroud Elite - Exodus (EXO)
Elvish Berserker - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Tree Monkey - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Wild Dogs - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Elvish Herder - Urza's Saga (USG)
Pouncing Jaguar - Urza's Saga (USG)
Taunting Elf - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Norwood Ranger - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Llanowar Elite - Invasion (INV)
Scavenger Folk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Fyndhorn Elves - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Willow Geist MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, 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 Willow Geist and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Willow Geist Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2021-09-24 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Ryan Yee.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 940242015normalblackRyan Yee
22021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight HuntMID 3662015normalblackRyan Yee
32021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight Hunt PromosPMID 207p2015normalblackRyan Yee
42021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight Hunt PromosPMID 207s2015normalblackRyan Yee
52021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight HuntMID 2072015normalblackRyan Yee
62022-01-28Innistrad: Double FeatureDBL 2072015normalblackRyan Yee

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Willow Geist has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Willow Geist card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2021-09-24 Use Willow Geist's power as it last existed on the battlefield to determine how much life you will gain as its last ability resolves.

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