Veilborn Ghoul MTG Card

Offers card advantage by recurring from the graveyard to hand with each Swamp played. Combos well with land-centric strategies, boosting graveyard-fueled tactics. Returns at instant speed, allowing flexible play during any turn with Swamps.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Zombie
Released	2012-07-13
Set symbol
Set name	Magic 2013
Set code	M13
Power	4
Toughness	1
Number	114
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Dan Scott

Text of card

Veilborn Ghoul can't block. Whenever a Swamp enters the battlefield under your control, you may return Veilborn Ghoul from your graveyard to your hand.

Liliana's voice carries far, reaching beyond the cold pall of death.

Cards like Veilborn Ghoul

Veilborn Ghoul carves out its niche in the fortress of graveyard interaction cards within Magic: The Gathering. This creature echoes the traits of other graveyard-loving entities like Narcomoeba, which similarly leaps from graveyard to the battlefield, though Narcomoeba’s trigger is less conditional. Where Veilborn Ghoul requires a specific land play, Narcomoeba seizes the moment it’s milled or discarded, emerging without delay.

Then consider Reassembling Skeleton, a card with a similar motif of returning from the graveyard to the battlefield. The Skeleton, however, offers a different flavor of resilience, requiring merely a payment of mana to reconstitute its form. Unlike the ghoul, the Skeleton’s reanimation isn’t dependent on a land being played but instead hinges on the availability of mana and can be executed multiple times within the same turn if resources allow.

Assessing Veilborn Ghoul in the broader context of undying creatures, its unique tie to land cards presents both a strategic asset and constraint. Its ability to provide a recurring presence each time you play a Swamp imparts a persistent threat but can be limiting compared to the less conditional returns of comparable creatures in MTG.

Reassembling Skeleton - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Veilborn Ghoul by color, type and mana cost

Predatory Nightstalker - MTG Card versions

Wei Elite Companions - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Veilborn Ghoul possesses a unique mechanic that can repeatedly return it from the graveyard to your hand when a Swamp lands on your battlefield. This recycle ability gives players an edge in maintaining hand presence, offering ongoing threat potential without investing additional resources.

Resource Acceleration: Although Veilborn Ghoul itself is not a direct source of resource acceleration, its recurring nature synergizes well with land-centric decks. It can facilitate delve mechanics or other graveyard interactions, essentially converting graveyard stores into useful assets.

Instant Speed: While Veilborn Ghoul can’t be played at instant speed, it triggers and returns to your hand at instant speed whenever a Swamp enters under your control. This allows strategic planning during either player’s turn, ensuring you’re never without a play as long as you have access to your Swamps.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Veilborn Ghoul requires a specific condition to return from the graveyard to your hand, specifically discarding a Swamp card. This dependency can decrease the card’s reliability, as you won’t always have a Swamp to discard, especially in multicolored decks that may not prioritize Swamp cards.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature comes with an alignment to black mana, demanding one black and four generic mana to cast. The color specificity might restrict its integration into decks that cannot consistently provide black mana or those that operate on a more diverse color scheme.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite the utilities it offers as a recurring threat, Veilborn Ghoul’s cost of five mana could be a deterrent. Many decks might prefer creatures or spells that have a more immediate or impactful presence on the game for the same or a lower mana investment.

Reasons to Include Veilborn Ghoul in Your Collection

Versatility: Veilborn Ghoul isn’t relegated to just one deck type – it shines in any strategy that leverages the graveyard. This includes a discard mechanic, enabling you to repeatedly use the creature and maximize value from your graveyard as a resource.

Combo Potential: This creature can form potent combos with cards that allow you to discard and then subsequently draw. Its ability to return to your hand from the graveyard when a Swamp enters the battlefield under your control can serve as a consistent means to fuel graveyard-based strategies or provide a recurring blocker.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where graveyard interaction is prevalent, Veilborn Ghoul becomes a valuable asset. It can continuously apply pressure on your opponent or provide an extra layer of resilience against removal spells, making it a relevant choice in various metagames.

How to beat

Veilborn Ghoul is a unique creature that comes with a particular set of challenges on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This card takes advantage of graveyard-centered strategies, effortlessly returning to a player’s hand when a Swamp enters the battlefield under their control. To counter this persistent threat, controlling your opponent’s graveyard access can be key. Utilize cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void to keep their graveyard empty and nullify the Ghoul’s recursive ability.

Another way to handle the Veilborn Ghoul is through continuous board control. Employ removal spells that exile rather than destroy, such as Path to Exile or Dire Tactics, to permanently eliminate the Ghoul from the game. This prevents it from returning to the battlefield and disrupting your strategy. Additionally, negating the landfall trigger is also an effective strategy. Denying your opponent the opportunity to play additional Swamps with cards such as Blood Moon or Ashiok, Dream Render can remove the Ghoul’s chance to return to the hand, thereby mitigating its impact on the game.

In essence, defeating Veilborn Ghoul requires a mix of graveyard manipulation, strategic removal, and land control. By focusing on these aspects, Magic: The Gathering players can ensure that the Ghoul remains a negligible threat throughout their matches.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Veilborn Ghoul MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2013, 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 Veilborn Ghoul and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Veilborn Ghoul 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 Veilborn Ghoul card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2012-07-01	Veilborn Ghoul’s ability triggers only if it’s in your graveyard at the moment the Swamp enters the battlefield.