Phantom Steed MTG Card
Text of card
Flash When Phantom Steed enters the battlefield, exile another target creature you control until Phantom Steed leaves the battlefield. Whenever Phantom Steed attacks, create a tapped and attacking token that's a copy of the exiled creature, except it's an Illusion in addition to its other types. Sacrifice that token at end of combat.
Cards like Phantom Steed
Phantom Steed is an intriguing creature card that adds a unique twist to the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. When compared to cards like Raging Redcap, which also provides an immediate attack benefit through Double strike, Phantom Steed offers a more ephemeral advantage, enabling a copied creature to attack right away but sacrificing the Steed at the end of turn.
Another similar card, Call of the Nightwing, comes to mind with its ability to create and replicate creatures, namely Bird tokens with Flying. However, it lacks the surprise element of forcing an opponent to deal with an immediate threat that Phantom Steed presents. Then consider Galepowder Mage, which also manipulates the battlefield by exiling creatures until a new turn begins. While this does produce a flicker effect, allowing for enter-the-battlefield abilities to be reused, it doesn’t have the same one-turn, all-out offensive capability that defines Phantom Steed.
By comparing these cards, we can appreciate how Phantom Steed stands out for its particular one-turn high-impact strategy, allowing players to maximize a creature’s potential without a long-term commitment. This can be especially potent for turning the tides in a tight match in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Phantom Steed by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Phantom Steed provides a recurring creature token that can be utilized for consistent board presence, effectively offering a stream of utility that goes beyond a single use.
Resource Acceleration: This card’s ability to produce a token without an additional mana cost on subsequent turns can be considered a form of indirect resource acceleration, allowing players to allocate mana elsewhere while still developing their board.
Instant Speed: Phantom Steed can be cast at instant speed, offering flexibility in gameplay. This allows players to wait on committing to a line of play, potentially creating advantageous combat scenarios or responding to unforeseen threats efficiently.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Phantom Steed necessitates pitching a card to unlock its potential, which might strain your hand when you’re already struggling to keep up with card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Needing two generic and two blue mana for casting Phantom Steed can be restrictive, especially in multicolored decks that may not always have the required mana types readily available.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For four mana to summon a creature that ultimately leaves play, it’s worth considering other creatures or spells that could provide a more lasting board presence or immediate impact on the game.
Reasons to Include Phantom Steed in Your Collection
Versatility: Phantom Steed shines due to its ability to adapt to a wide range of gameplay strategies. As a creature that can copy the abilities of other creatures when it enters the battlefield, it offers dynamic play options, seamlessly fitting into clone decks or those focused on enter-the-battlefield triggers.
Combo Potential: This card’s unique mechanic allows for creative and potent combos, as it can replicate the best creature-based strategies on the board. Whether that’s generating value through repeated ETB effects or creating potent attacker copies for a surprise offensive, Phantom Steed’s role in combos is only limited by the contours of your deck.
Meta-Relevance: Phantom Steed can find a place in many meta environments. Whether the field is creature-centric, focused on utility creatures, or even filled with value-based strategies, Phantom Steed can mesh well by mirroring the most impactful creature effects currently defining the pace of play.
How to Beat Phantom Steed
Phantom Steed, a card certain to catch the eye of many Magic: The Gathering players, has a unique ability that creates a delayed triggered token when it is exiled from the battlefield. This effect can be challenging to face, given it creates a copy of a target attacking creature with a limitation – the token gains hastiness but is sacrificed at the next end step.
Overcoming Phantom Steed calls for tactical plays. A swift answer lies within instant speed removal spells that can disrupt the creature before the end step sacrifice trigger occurs, thus negating the token generation. Control decks could leverage abilities or spells like Counterspell to prevent Phantom Steed from hitting the table in the first place. For those in a more aggressive stance, prioritizing threats and applying pressure can force the opponent to lose momentum, making the impact of their Phantom Steed less potent. Additionally, grave hate cards like Rest in Peace can stifle the strategy altogether, preventing any benefits from creatures hitting the graveyard including those that Phantom Steed tries to mimic.
Ultimately, having a measured response and understanding the timing to exploit the end step sacrifice can turn the tide against this spectral mount. With precise play, you can diminish the horse’s haunting presence on the game board.
BurnMana Recommendations
Unlocking the full potential of your MTG deck calls for insight into every card’s strengths and weaknesses. Phantom Steed offers a unique strategic advantage, easily aligning with various tactics and providing exciting combo possibilities. If you find interest in its ability to create impactful, one-turn tokens, or if you’re looking to harness its synergy in a deck focused on enter-the-battlefield effects, it could be a valuable addition to your collection. Dive deeper into the realm of MTG with us, where we analyze cards and strategies to help you refine your deck and optimize your gameplay. Discover more and advance your MTG skills with BurnMana.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Phantom Steed MTG card by a specific set like Forgotten Realms Commander and Forgotten Realms Commander, 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 Steed 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
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Printings
The Phantom Steed Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2021-07-23 and 2021-07-23. Illustrated by Brian Valeza.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-07-23 | Forgotten Realms Commander | AFC | 18 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Brian Valeza | |
| 2 | 2021-07-23 | Forgotten Realms Commander | AFC | 287 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Brian Valeza |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Phantom Steed has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Phantom Steed card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-07-23 | Although the token created by the triggered ability is attacking, it was never declared as an attacking creature (for the purposes of abilities that trigger whenever a creature attacks, for example). |
| 2021-07-23 | Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger when the token enters the battlefield. Any “As -his creature] enters the battlefield” or “ -his creature] enters the battlefield with” abilities of the copied creature will also work. |
| 2021-07-23 | Auras attached to the exiled creature will be put into their owners' graveyards. Any Equipment will become unattached and remain on the battlefield. Any counters on the exiled creature will cease to exist. When the card returns to the battlefield, it will be a new object with no connection to the card that was exiled. |
| 2021-07-23 | If Phantom Steed leaves the battlefield before its ability resolves, the target creature won't be exiled. |
| 2021-07-23 | If Phantom Steed somehow exiles a noncreature card, such as an animated land, it will still create a copy of that card when it attacks. It enters the battlefield tapped and will be sacrificed at the end of combat. However, it is not attacking and it is not an Illusion. |
| 2021-07-23 | If a token is exiled this way, it will cease to exist and won't return to the battlefield. Phantom Steed's last ability won't create any tokens. |
| 2021-07-23 | If the exiled card has in its mana cost, X is 0. |
| 2021-07-23 | Phantom Steed has received a nonfunctional update to its wording. The printed card refers to the “exiled creature.” The corrected text (“exiled card”) is included above. |
| 2021-07-23 | You declare which player or planeswalker the token is attacking as you put it onto the battlefield. It doesn't have to be the same player or planeswalker Phantom Steed is attacking. |
Guide to Flash card ability
Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.