Moaning Spirit MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Spirit
Abilities	Flying
Released	1998-06-24
Set symbol
Set name	Portal Second Age
Set code	P02
Power	2
Toughness	1
Number	79
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Rebecca Guay

Key Takeaways

Moaning Spirit can unexpectedly shift card economy in your favor by forcing opponent resource expenditure.
Deploying the card strategically affects opponents’ mana usage, akin to having instant-speed capabilities.
Despite requiring specific mana and sometimes discarding, its resilience in various metas makes it valuable.

Text of card

Flying

The dead sing their own lullabies.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Moaning Spirit contributes to card advantage in a subtle way. When it hits the battlefield, opposing players are often forced to deal with it, potentially using up more resources than you did to play it. This can lead to you having more cards in hand compared to your opponent, thus gaining an edge in card economy over the course of the game.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing resource acceleration, Moaning Spirit can disrupt your opponent’s strategy by demanding an immediate answer. This interaction can slow down your opponent’s game plan, effectively giving you more time to develop your board and access your resources.

Instant Speed: While Moaning Spirit itself is not an instant, its evasion and threatening presence can force opponents to keep mana open to respond to it, which can be as advantageous as playing spells at instant speed. Knowing when to deploy Moaning Spirit to maximize this effect is key to taking advantage of this dynamic.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Moaning Spirit may demand you to pitch a card as part of its casting cost or effect. This can be particularly taxing in situations where maintaining a full grip of cards is critical to your game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: Moaning Spirit commands certain mana colors that may not align with every deck archetype. This can be restrictive and force deck builders to adjust their mana base or exclude the card from consideration altogether.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a demanding mana investment, Moaning Spirit competes with other creatures and spells that may provide greater impact or versatility for the same, or less, mana. Strategic deck building is key to deciding whether its inclusion is justified despite this downside.

Reasons to Include Moaning Spirit in Your Collection

Versatility: Moaning Spirit offers flexibility as a spirited addition to your deck, harmonizing well with strategies hinging on spectral or ephemeral themes. With its evasive capabilities, it glides seamlessly into both aggressive and defensive roles.

Combo Potential: This card can be a spectral linchpin in graveyard-focused decks or those harnessing spirit synergies. Its potential to arise from the graveyard or to be cast from other zones opens a realm of intricate combos.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta-game where resilience against removal is key, Moaning Spirit’s ability to recur sets it apart. It maintains relevancy in various match-ups, ensuring that your strategy can pivot and persevere through sweeping board changes.

How to beat

Moaning Spirit may seem daunting with its flying ability, allowing it to glide over ground defenders with ease. It’s a threat in the sky but there are several effective ways to overcome this spectral adversary. Ground-based creatures might not reach it, but spells that deal with flying creatures will do the job seamlessly. Cards such as Plummet, which are tailored specifically to destroy flying creatures, can easily take down Moaning Spirit. Similarly, spells that can target any creature regardless of their abilities, like Murder or Doom Blade, will handle the Moaning Spirit without much fuss.

Enchantment-based removals like Pacifism or Claustrophobia can also immobilize Moaning Spirit, effectively neutralizing it without sending it to the graveyard. This can be particularly useful in matchups where your opponent might benefit from having creatures in their graveyard. Additionally, if you’re playing a deck that has access to counter spells, holding up mana to counter Moaning Spirit as it’s cast can prevent it entirely from affecting the board state.

Adapting your deck to include a few of these answers will increase your resilience against flying nuisances like Moaning Spirit and improve your odds in aerial combats.

Cards like Moaning Spirit

Moaning Spirit stands as a unique creature in Magic: The Gathering, reminiscent of other flying creatures such as Dust Elemental. Both share the power of flight, allowing them to evade ground-based blockers. However, Moaning Spirit presents players with a more attainable casting cost and a straightforward gameplay dynamic, compared to Dust Elemental’s higher cost and complex return-to-hand ability.

Another similar specter is Shade’s Form. This spell grants not just the ability to fly but also to bolster a creature’s power. While Shade’s Form offers versatility by enchanting any creature, Moaning Spirit is consistently reliable with its ever-present flight ability. Lastly, Ghost Ship can be compared for its flying trait as well, but Moaning Spirit differentiates itself with an absence of upkeep costs, making it a less demanding choice for players seeking an aerial advantage without ongoing investment.

Comparing these cards with Moaning Spirit, it becomes clear that while each flying creature has its merits, Moaning Spirit provides a dependable and cost-effective option for players looking to add a steadfast flying component to their deck without additional complexities or maintenance.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Moaning Spirit MTG card by a specific set like Portal Second Age, 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 Moaning Spirit and other MTG cards: