Soul Seizer // Ghastly Haunting MTG Card

Instant speed transformation of Soul Seizer allows for opportunistic plays and unexpected shifts in board control. The card presents both a challenge and opportunity for strategic deck building due to its specific mana requirements. Competitive environments and shifting metagames can be navigated with Soul Seizer’s versatile disruption capabilities.

Soul Seizer // Ghastly Haunting - Dark Ascension

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Spirit
Abilities	Flying,Transform
Released	2012-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Dark Ascension
Set code	DKA
Power	1
Toughness	3
Number	50
Frame	2003
Layout	Transform
Border	Black
Illustred by	Lucas Graciano

Text of card

Flying When Soul Seizer deals combat damage to a player, you may transform it. If you do, attach it to target creature that player controls.

Cards like Soul Seizer // Ghastly Haunting

The transformative nature of Soul Seizer // Ghastly Haunting makes it a multifaceted card in MTG. Much like its cousin, the enchantment Confiscate, Soul Seizer allows players to take control of an opponent’s creature. However, Soul Seizer requires a sacrificial process—flipping into Ghastly Haunting upon stealing a creature, which renders it vulnerable in contrast to Confiscate’s steady grip.

Similarly, Control Magic stands out as a potential alternative. This enchantment also takes over an opponent’s creature but with a straightforward, lower casting cost. Ghastly Haunting differentiates itself with the added flying ability, giving a strategic edge in aerial attacks. Mind Control also shares the creature commandeering trait but at a higher mana value, which could influence the timing and impact of gameplay.

Comparing these options, Soul Seizer // Ghastly Haunting presents a unique dual-stage utility, providing both an initial control aspect followed by an offensive creature ability. This can lead to dynamic shifts in strategy during a game, leveraging card versatility and creating surprising turnarounds in MTG matches.

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Soul Seizer offers a unique ability to flip into Ghastly Haunting and effectively become a control element for the battlefield. By gaining control of an opponent’s creature when transformed, you not only remove an asset from their side but also add one to yours, often resulting in a significant swing in card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing traditional resource acceleration, the ability to take control of a creature can lead to indirect advantages. If the seized creature has any traits that add value, such as mana generation or card draw, it can contribute to accelerating your resources on subsequent turns.

Instant Speed: The transformation from Soul Seizer into Ghastly Haunting is an ability that can be activated at instant speed. This flexibility allows you to wait for the most opportune moment, such as after your opponent has invested in equipping or enchanting the creature, to maximize its impact on the game’s state, ensuring that you seize the most valuable target.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Soul Seizer or its transformed side Ghastly Haunting involves a specific discard condition that may deplete your hand, making it risky if you’re short on cards and require crucial card retention for game strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Soul Seizer comes with a blue mana requirement which may not fit seamlessly into multicolored decks, potentially restricting its playability to decks heavily favoring blue mana sources or mono-blue strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that’s on the higher side for its initial effect, players often find that there are alternatives that can summon creatures or control opponents’ creatures more efficiently, leaving Soul Seizer // Ghastly Haunting less favored in competitive play.

Reasons to Include Soul Seizer // Ghastly Haunting in Your Collection

Versatility: This unique card offers two different abilities in one, with the option to transform from a creature that can take control of an opponent’s asset into an enchantment with the power to haunt and control the skies.

Combo Potential: In your deck, Soul Seizer can become a linchpin for control-focused strategies, locking down key creatures and swinging the board state in your favor. When it transforms into Ghastly Haunting, it can serve as a deterrent for aerial threats or enhance blue-based control tactics.

Meta-Relevance: Given the shifting landscapes of most metagames, a card like Soul Seizer // Ghastly Haunting can adapt to various competitive environments. Its ability to disrupt opponents and offer both offensive and defensive value makes it a sleeper pick for anyone looking to finesse their way through creature-heavy matchups.

How to beat Soul Seizer // Ghastly Haunting

Soul Seizer is a unique card in MTG, wielding the power to shift the tide of battle by seizing control of an opponent’s creature once transformed into Ghastly Haunting. To effectively counteract this formidable card, savvy players must implement strategies that target its weaknesses. Being a creature card initially, Soul Seizer can be susceptible to common removal spells such as Murder or Doom Blade before it has the chance to enthrall an opponent’s creature.

Additionally, keeping a countermagic card in hand can prove invaluable in thwarting a transformation. Cards like Cancel or Negate can halt the process in its tracks, preserving your battlefield position. Another tactic is to manage your creatures wisely, avoiding overcommitment of high-value targets until you’re able to deal with the threat Soul Seizer poses. Lastly, remember that both enchantment and creature removal become useful after the transformation, so consider versatile answers like Oblivion Ring or Beast Within to handle the transformed Ghastly Haunting.

Through a careful blend of threat assessment and responsive play, maintaining control against Soul Seizer // Ghastly Haunting is entirely within reach, ensuring the specter’s grip never fully tightens around your deck’s potential.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Soul Seizer // Ghastly Haunting MTG card by a specific set like Dark Ascension, 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 Soul Seizer // Ghastly Haunting and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Soul Seizer // Ghastly Haunting has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2011-01-22	If Soul Seizer has any +1/+1 counters on it when it transforms, they remain on Ghastly Haunting. They won’t affect the power or toughness of the enchanted creature, however.
2011-01-22	If Soul Seizer leaves the battlefield in response to its triggered ability, you won’t be able to transform it and it won’t return to the battlefield or become attached to the target.
2011-01-22	You choose the target for Soul Seizer’s triggered ability when that ability triggers and goes on the stack. You choose whether or not to transform it when that ability resolves. If the creature is an illegal target by that time, the ability doesn’t resolve and none of its effects happen. You can’t have Soul Seizer transform.
2016-07-13	For more information on double-faced cards, see the Shadows over Innistrad mechanics article (http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/shadows-over-innistrad-mechanics).