Ruin Ghost MTG Card


Ruin Ghost - Worldwake
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Spirit
Released2010-02-05
Set symbol
Set nameWorldwake
Set codeWWK
Power 1
Toughness 1
Number19
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byJason A. Engle

Key Takeaways

  1. Ruin Ghost allows consistent retriggering of landfall abilities, bolstering in-game advantages.
  2. While restricted to white mana decks, it offers tactical depth and combo potential.
  3. Opponents can disrupt Ruin Ghost tactics with timely removal or control spells.

Text of card

, : Exile target land you control, then return it to the battlefield under your control.

The Forsaken Ones haunt the ruins that flicker in and out of the spirit realm. Such sites are hard to find and even harder to loot.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Engaging with Ruin Ghost facilitates potential card advantage by allowing repeated use of lands with “comes into play” effects. This synergizes well with abilities that draw cards upon land entrance, thus offering ongoing value as you progress through the match.

Resource Acceleration: Ruin Ghost can play an integral role in resource acceleration. By blinking a land, you effectively untap it, which can be leveraged for mana ramp strategies, particularly when combined with lands that produce more than one mana or have other beneficial landfall triggers.

Instant Speed: While Ruin Ghost itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it pairs exceptionally well with cards that do. This allows savvy players to create instant speed interactions by exploiting the untap step or responding to opponents’ actions, giving you an edge up during critical moments in the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although not directly linked to Ruin Ghost itself, its interaction within a deck may require you to discard a card to maximize its ability, which could deplete your hand especially if you lack mana to reuse its effect.

Specific Mana Cost: Ruin Ghost requires both generic and white mana to cast, binding it firmly to decks that can produce white mana consistently and thus not fitting seamlessly into multicolor builds where white mana isn’t a priority.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Considering the investment of two mana to cast Ruin Ghost and an additional one mana to activate its ability, the output may be deemed inefficient. Cheaper alternatives could replace it to fulfill similar battlefield manipulation at a lower cost and faster rate.


Reasons to Include Ruin Ghost in Your Collection

Versatility: Ruin Ghost provides flexibility in deck-building with its ability to flicker lands. This can be particularly useful for decks that capitalize on landfall abilities or wish to reuse enter-the-battlefield (ETB) effects on lands.

Combo Potential: This card can form powerful combinations with cards that have landfall triggers. By repeatedly bouncing a land in and out of play, you can amplify the effects of such triggers, unlocking the potential for infinite combos in the right deck.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where landfall decks or ETB effects are prominent, Ruin Ghost offers a tactical advantage. Its utility in recurring land-based strategies keeps it relevant and makes it a worthy inclusion in decks looking to exploit these synergies.


How to Beat Ruin Ghost

The Ruin Ghost card presents its own set of challenges in the right deck, allowing players to flicker lands for various benefits. Key to overcoming this card is interrupting the combo it enables. Handling Ruin Ghost can be straightforward with the right removal spells, such as Path to Exile or Fatal Push, ensuring it doesn’t remain on the board to trigger its ability.

Sometimes, it’s all in the timing—responding swiftly to their land-returning ability with instant-speed interaction can disrupt their strategy. With a plethora of creature control cards at your disposal, ranging from Counterspell to Lightning Bolt, ensuring Ruin Ghost’s abilities never get a chance to activate remains a tried and true method. Lastly, watch for opportunities to limit the effectiveness of landfall triggers, reducing the value Ruin Ghost provides to their controller.

When facing a deck that capitalizes on Ruin Ghost, a proactive game plan is recommended. By maintaining pressure and using disruption effectively, the seemingly overwhelming land shenanigans can be easily mitigated, putting you back on the path to victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

Delving into the strategic depths of MTG can be as enchanting as it is competitive. Ruin Ghost isn’t just a card; it’s a game-changer for those who skillfully exploit landfall mechanics and enter-the-battlefield triggers. Whether you’re on the hunt for that perfect combo piece or aiming to bolster your deck’s versatility, this little spirit can be your ace in the hole. If you’re attracted to synergistic plays and meticulous mana management, we encourage you to dive deeper. Enhance your collection’s power and navigate the battleground with Ruin Ghost at your side. Immerse yourself further with us, and let the triumphs unfold.


Cards like Ruin Ghost

Ruin Ghost is an interesting entity within the realm of flicker abilities in Magic: The Gathering. It shares its function with cards like Flickerwisp, which also boasts the capability to exile and then return a target permanent to the battlefield. However, Ruin Ghost stands out with its specific restriction to lands, unlike Flickerwisp, which can target any permanent. Additionally, Ruin Ghost’s ability requires white mana each time it’s used, which can influence mana allocation during gameplay.

Examining Leonin Relic-Warder offers a glimpse into a unique use of a similar mechanic. Though it primarily deals with exiling other permanents when it enters the battlefield, it can become a makeshift flicker effect in combination with other cards. Conjurer’s Closet also shows a parallel by exiling a creature you control only to return it at the end of the turn—though as an artifact, it circumvents the mana cost after its initial cast.

Ultimately, Ruin Ghost occupies a niche role in utilizing lands to potentially trigger landfall abilities multiple times in a single turn. While other cards exhibit broader application or come with their advantages, Ruin Ghost carves out its place by offering consistent interactions for land-centric decks in the wide landscape of Magic: The Gathering.

Flickerwisp - MTG Card versions
Leonin Relic-Warder - MTG Card versions
Conjurer's Closet - MTG Card versions
Flickerwisp - MTG Card versions
Leonin Relic-Warder - MTG Card versions
Conjurer's Closet - MTG Card versions

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Keeper of the Light - MTG Card versions
Faith Healer - MTG Card versions
Angelic Page - MTG Card versions
Spirit Weaver - MTG Card versions
Voice of the Blessed - MTG Card versions
Stoneforge Mystic - MTG Card versions
Drannith Magistrate - MTG Card versions
Leonin Lightscribe - MTG Card versions
Silver Knight - MTG Card versions
Longbow Archer - MTG Card versions
Silverflame Squire // On Alert - MTG Card versions
Flumph - MTG Card versions
Cloudreach Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Samite Healer - MTG Card versions
Kor Firewalker - MTG Card versions
Revered Dead - MTG Card versions
Starlight Invoker - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ruin Ghost MTG card by a specific set like Worldwake, 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 Ruin Ghost and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ruin Ghost has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2010-03-01 As Ruin Ghost’s ability resolves, the targeted land is exiled, then immediately returned to the battlefield. The land that enters the battlefield is a different permanent from the one that left. Any counters, Auras, and so on that were affecting the old land won’t affect the new one. Any spells or abilities that were targeting the old land don’t target the new one. Whether the old land was tapped or untapped has no bearing on the new one.
2010-03-01 The land returns under your control, regardless of who owns it.
2010-03-01 The returned land behaves like any other land that’s put onto the battlefield. If it has an ability that says it enters the battlefield tapped, it does so. (Otherwise it enters the battlefield untapped.) If it has an enters-the-battlefield triggered ability, that ability triggers.

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