Wailing Ghoul MTG Card

Enables graveyard synergies by milling cards, essential for delve and flashback-heavy deck strategies. Bridges gaps in black or dual-colored decks, subtly boosting graveyard resource management. Limited by specific mana cost and can be outshined by other creatures in the same mana bracket.

Eldritch Moon (EMN)
2016-07-22 - Number 112

Jumpstart (JMP)
2020-07-17 - Number 286

Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
2022-12-02 - Number 488

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Zombie
Abilities	Mill
Power	1
Toughness	3

Text of card

When Wailing Ghoul enters the battlefield, put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard.

"Don't worry, sweet brother. Help is on the way." —Ghoulcaller Gisa

Cards like Wailing Ghoul

Wailing Ghoul is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering, nesting within the realm of graveyard-centric strategies. It mirrors the functionality of cards like Armored Skaab in its ability to self-mill, contributing two cards to the graveyard upon entering the battlefield. While Armored Skaab guarantees a fixed number of cards milled, Wailing Ghoul brings a touch of unpredictability with variable results each time it lands.

Another card that echoes Wailing Ghoul’s theme is Stitcher’s Supplier. Despite having a lower casting cost and a weaker body, Stitcher’s Supplier can potentially put more cards in the graveyard due to its ability triggering upon death as well as when it enters the battlefield. This makes Stitcher’s Supplier particularly synergistic in decks that leverage creature sacrifice.

Delving into the comparison further, Sultai Skullkeeper also offers a parallel effect by milling the top two cards of the library when played. Though comparable in mana cost and impact, Wailing Ghoul boasts a slightly larger frame, which could make it a more resilient blocker in the long run.

Overall, within the broader strategy of self-mill and graveyard manipulation, Wailing Ghoul holds its position offering solid utility that could be favorable depending on the deck construction and play style in Magic: The Gathering.

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

Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions

Nezumi Graverobber // Nighteyes the Desecrator - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When you play Wailing Ghoul it lets you mill two cards from the top of your library into your graveyard. This is advantageous in strategies focused around self-mill or graveyard synergies, as it can be an enabler for setting up future plays or empowering cards with Delve, Flashback or similar mechanics.

Resource Acceleration: Although Wailing Ghoul does not directly accelerate your resources, it can indirectly contribute to resource acceleration in decks that benefit from having creatures in the graveyard, such as those utilizing Delirium or creatures with Unearth.

Instant Speed: While Wailing Ghoul does not function at instant speed, its implications on the game can be significant in a subtle way. The card helps develop your graveyard as a resource at sorcery speed, which indirectly boosts the effectiveness of your instant speed removal or creature abilities by filling your graveyard with potential fuel for various abilities or threshold counts.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Utilizing the Wailing Ghoul often forces players into a position where they must mill two cards from their library. While this can synergize with graveyard strategies, in other scenarios it could inadvertently discard crucial spells or lands needed for victory.

Specific Mana Cost: Wailing Ghoul demands a precise mana cost of one generic and one black. This requirement confines the card’s integration primarily to black-focused or dual-colored decks, potentially excluding it from more varied mana base decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although its mana cost is not high in a traditional sense, for two mana, the stats and the immediate impact of Wailing Ghoul are often overshadowed by other creatures or spells in the same cost bracket. Players might find other two-drop creatures with more impactful abilities or higher power and toughness to be a better fit for their deck’s strategy.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Wailing Ghoul slots smoothly into a variety of graveyard-based decks, offering consistency and fuel for mechanics like delve, flashback, or threshold that rely on a well-stocked graveyard.

Combo Potential: As a self-mill creature, it can help assemble combo pieces by dumping key cards into the graveyard for easy access with various recursion spells or creatures.

Meta-Relevance: Given the prevalence of graveyard synergies in different formats, Wailing Ghoul can become an instrumental piece in decks that aim to capitalize on what’s currently effective in the MTG landscape.

How to beat

Wailing Ghoul is an intriguing creature card that finds its home in many graveyard-focused decks within the Magic: The Gathering universe. Upon entering the battlefield, this undead ally lets you mill two cards, contributing to strategies that thrive on having a stocked graveyard. To effectively counter the ghoul’s milling ability, players should consider incorporating graveyard hate cards in their deck, such as Relic of Progenitus or Tormod’s Crypt, which can exile cards from the graveyard and disrupt combo plays.

Additionally, Wailing Ghoul’s stats, a 1/3 body for two mana, make it a relatively minor threat on its own. Thus, straightforward removal spells like Fatal Push or Lightning Bolt can easily dispatch it without much expense. Alternatively, players can opt for enchantments like Rest in Peace which prevents cards from entering the graveyard in the first place, nullifying the ghoul’s effect entirely.

In essence, when facing Wailing Ghoul, focusing on disrupting graveyard synergies and efficiently removing the creature itself can significantly diminish the value it provides to an opponent’s strategy in the game.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wailing Ghoul MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon and Jumpstart, 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 Wailing Ghoul and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Wailing Ghoul Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Svetlin Velinov.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2016-07-22	Eldritch Moon	EMN	112	2015	Normal	Black	Svetlin Velinov
2	2020-07-17	Jumpstart	JMP	286	2015	Normal	Black	Svetlin Velinov
3	2022-12-02	Jumpstart 2022	J22	488	2015	Normal	Black	Svetlin Velinov

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wailing Ghoul has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal