Phantom Flock MTG Card
2002-05-27 - Number 16
2005-08-22 - Number C3
2005-08-22 - Number C39
2023-01-13 - Number 20
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Bird Soldier Spirit |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Power | 0 |
| Toughness | 0 |
Text of card
Flying Phantom Flock comes into play with three +1/+1 counters on it. If damage would be dealt to Phantom Flock, prevent that damage. Remove a +1/+1 counter from Phantom Flock.
Cards like Phantom Flock
In the enchanting realm of Magic: The Gathering, Phantom Flock offers a unique take on creature defense. Much like the esteemed Guardian of the Guildpact, Phantom Flock stands as a bulwark against mono-colored creatures, immune to their harm. Guardian of the Guildpact delivers a similar shield but encompasses all colors, making it a more versatile defender.
Comparatively, we witness Mistmeadow Skulk’s resilience in the face of high-powered threats. Like Phantom Flock, it boasts protection – this time from converted mana cost three or greater. Though each has its strengths, Phantom Flock’s originality lies in its threshold ability, allowing it to return from the graveyard fully restored with sufficient cards in hand.
Lastly, Sheltering Ancient enters the comparison, presenting an interesting trade-off with its communal growth mechanic – bolstering not only your creatures but your opponent’s as well. Phantom Flock, however, adopts a singular approach, focusing solely on fortifying your defensive line without aiding the adversary.
The art of choosing between these varied protectors lies in assessing your strategic preferences and deck composition. Phantom Flock carves its niche as a reliable combatant in player defenses, particularly in a format teeming with targeted removal spells.
Cards similar to Phantom Flock by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Phantom Flock can be returned to its owner’s hand, offering repeated value and the potential for card advantage throughout the game.
Resource Acceleration: By using Phantom Flock’s ability to avoid combat damage, players can effectively mitigate the need for additional defensive resources, allowing them to focus on other areas of acceleration.
Instant Speed: With the flexibility to act at instant speed, Phantom Flock can adapt to the ever-changing battlefield, offering a surprise blocker or saving itself from removal, ensuring your resources are conserved for critical moments.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Phantom Flock demands a player to discard a card to use its unearth ability. This cost might hinder your hand’s versatility, particularly in the later stages of the game where every card in hand is vital.
Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Phantom Flock is heavily colored, requiring three white mana. This restrictive cost can be challenging for multicolored decks and limits its inclusion only to mono-white or decks with a heavy white mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that is substantial for its base stats, Phantom Flock can be less appealing compared to other creatures in the same cost bracket. This can affect the card’s viability in competitive play, where efficiency and cost-effectiveness are key.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Phantom Flock offers a flexible defense mechanism able to adapt to various threats. With its evasion ability driven by morph, it can slip past opponent’s creatures and join virtually any deck that is blue or white-aligned.
Combo Potential: Its morph ability means it’s a great surprise blocker, and since it turns face-up for just three mana, it works well with mechanics that trigger upon creatures turning face-up, or with strategies that take advantage of the uncertainty of facedown creatures.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta weighted towards aggro or strategies relying on flying creatures, Phantom Flock’s capability to become an airborne blocker on demand makes it a solid sideboard candidate, ensuring you can adjust your defenses mid-game.
How to Beat Phantom Flock
Phantom Flock presents itself as a resilient contender in combat, boasting the ability to rebuff after sustaining damage. Typical removal spells that deal damage are less effective against it, given its capacity to regenerate using phantom counters. However, this resilience can be overcome. Cards that force a sacrifice, such as Diabolic Edict or Liliana of the Veil’s ability, circumvent the protection those counters offer, removing Phantom Flock from the battlefield without triggering its regeneration.
Another strategy lies in utilizing exile effects. Cards like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares can permanently deal with Phantom Flock, as they remove it from the game entirely, sidestepping the usual damage-based removal. Board wipes that don’t deal damage but rather destroy or change the creature’s characteristics, like Wrath of God or Languish, can also prove effective against Phantom Flock.
Overall, to effectively counter Phantom Flock in your matches, adapt your removal suite to include non-damage based options. Flexibility in your response is key, ensuring this ghostly creature doesn’t haunt your chances of victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Phantom Flock MTG card by a specific set like Judgment and Salvat 2005, 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 Phantom Flock 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 Phantom Flock Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2002-05-27 and 2023-01-13. Illustrated by David Martin.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2002-05-27 | Judgment | JUD | 16 | 1997 | Normal | Black | David Martin | |
| 2 | 2005-08-22 | Salvat 2005 | PSAL | C3 | 2003 | Normal | White | David Martin | |
| 3 | 2005-08-22 | Salvat 2005 | PSAL | C39 | 2003 | Normal | White | David Martin | |
| 4 | 2023-01-13 | Dominaria Remastered | DMR | 20 | 2015 | Normal | Black | David Martin |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Phantom Flock has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |