Highborn Ghoul MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Zombie
Abilities	Intimidate
Released	2012-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Dark Ascension
Set code	DKA
Power	2
Toughness	1
Number	68
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Volkan Baǵa

Key Takeaways

Highborn Ghoul can lead to card advantage by pressuring opponents and forcing inefficient plays.
Its specific mana cost may limit flexibility in multicolored decks, potentially hindering its play.
Highborn Ghoul’s menace and zombie synergy offer utility and combo potential in the right meta.

Text of card

Intimidate (This creature can't be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or creatures that share a color with it.)

"All the dead sleep lightly here, no matter how refined their beds may be." —Grafdigger Wulmer

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Highborn Ghoul doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, it presents a persistent threat that requires an answer. Its presence on the board can pressure opponents to trade with it or use removal spells inefficiently, potentially leading to a card advantage for you as the game progresses.

Resource Acceleration: The card itself may not provide resource acceleration in the form of mana or treasure tokens. However, its modest casting cost allows for a quicker deployment on the battlefield, ensuring you can develop your board presence while still having resources available for other strategies.

Instant Speed: Although Highborn Ghoul is a creature card and not an instant, its relatively low cost makes it a flexible play. You can cast it early in the game to start applying pressure, or hold back mana for instant speed responses in your arsenal and deploy the ghoul when the timing is most advantageous.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In the case of piloting a deck with Highborn Ghoul, be aware that although there’s no direct discard cost related to the card itself, being a creature means it’s vulnerable to opponent’s discard effects. This could force an unwanted discard if you’re unable to cast it before such effects activate.

Specific Mana Cost: Highborn Ghoul demands a specific mana alignment—two black mana. This inflexibility can restrict deck-building options, especially in a multi-color deck that might struggle with producing enough black mana consistently enough to deploy the Ghoul on curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While two mana for a 2/1 creature with intimidate might seem reasonable, in the evolving meta of MTG, there are creatures at the same or lower mana cost with equal or more impactful abilities. This can potentially make Highborn Ghoul a less favourable choice when optimizing your deck’s efficiency regarding mana curve and impact per mana spent.

Reasons to Include Highborn Ghoul in Your Collection

Versatility: Highborn Ghoul offers solid utility across various deck types, particularly those that take advantage of its Zombie typing and evasion ability. Its death touch capability makes it an ideal defender, deterring attackers and combining well with other creature-based strategies.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes with other Zombie-centric cards, potentially unlocking powerful combinations. In a deck built around Zombie synergies, Highborn Ghoul can contribute to overwhelming the opponent through boosted army strength and an accumulation of beneficial effects.

Meta-Relevance: Depending on shifts in the competitive scene, Highborn Ghoul could serve as a valuable inclusion to counter certain creature-heavy metagames. Its ability to sneak past defenses and interact with graveyards can give it an edge in specific matchups, making it a thoughtful addition to your arsenal.

How to beat

Highborn Ghoul rises from the graveyard of Magic: The Gathering deck options as a creature with menace, meaning it can’t be blocked except by two or more creatures. This can pose a tactical challenge, but there are multiple ways to handle this pesky undead. One effective strategy is to control the battlefield with spells that remove individual creatures, regardless of their abilities. Spells that specifically say “destroy target creature” can bypass the Ghoul’s menace, wiping it off the board before it can chip away at your life total.

Another route is to utilize creatures with deathtouch, which can destroy any creature they deal damage to, making your opponent hesitant to attack. Moreover, you can also resort to board wipes—spells that destroy or exile all creatures, cleaning your slate of the menacing Ghoul. Balancing your deck with these elements provides a solid defensive line against cards like Highborn Ghoul and ensures it won’t overstay its welcome in the game.

Whether through smart removal, strategic creature deployment, or resetting the board, overcoming the challenge of this particular MTG card is a matter of deck versatility and timing your responses appropriately.

Cards like Highborn Ghoul

Highborn Ghoul finds its place in the pantheon of black creatures with its decent two mana cost for a 2/1 body. It invites comparisons with other two-drop creatures like Dauthi Horror, which also dodges specific defenses by being unblockable except by black creatures. While the Ghoul’s menace makes it harder to block, requiring multiple creatures to do so, the Horror offers guaranteed unblockability depending on the deck you’re facing.

Looking at another competitor, the Walking Corpse stands as a straightforward alternative offering a balanced 2/2 zombie body but lacking any evasive abilities. The Highborn Ghoul’s menace certainly gives it an edge in evasiveness, enabling it to slip through the opponent’s defenses more easily. Then there’s Grasping Scoundrel, a one-drop that can become a 2/2 when attacking, providing aggressive players with an early offensive card, unlike the later deployable Ghoul.

In essence, the Highborn Ghoul presents a valuable choice for those looking to apply pressure and establish board presence within black-centric decks. It strikes a balance between cost-effectiveness and functional aggression, making it a card worth considering for players looking to optimize their two-drop creature slots.

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

Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions

Nezumi Graverobber // Nighteyes the Desecrator - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Highborn Ghoul 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 Highborn Ghoul and other MTG cards: