Abattoir Ghoul MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Zombie
Abilities First strike
Power 3
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Abattoir Ghoul has first strike, which enhances board control and potential creature count advantage.
  2. Its lifegain ability upon destroying creatures aids in increasing players’ life totals effectively.
  3. Efficient when teamed with instant-speed removal spells for sustained board presence.

Text of card

First strike Whenever a creature dealt damage by Abattoir Ghoul this turn dies, you gain life equal to that creature's toughness.

Death took his humanity but not his skill with the knife.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Abattoir Ghoul stands out with its first strike ability, allowing you to eliminate creatures before normal combat damage is dealt. By doing so, it maintains board presence and can outlast potential threats, effectively providing you an advantage in creature count.

Resource Acceleration: Paired with its life gain feature upon destroying another creature, it can quickly turn the tides by bolstering your life total, providing a cushion that helps you maintain or extend your lead in resources.

Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, Abattoir Ghoul can be effectively paired with instant-speed removal spells. This synergistic play can prevent your opponents from settling on the board, keeping the path clear for your ghoul to attack and continuously leverage its life-gaining ability.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Abattoir Ghoul does not come with a discard requirement, but its efficiency in gameplay can be impacted by the player’s need to manage their graveyard resources strategically to maximize its potential.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature requires a dedicated slot in decks that can produce both black and colorless mana, potentially limiting its versatility across various deck types. Deck builders must consider the mana curve and resource availability.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, it faces stiff competition from other formidable creatures and spells in the same mana range. Players often scrutinize the cost-effectiveness of including such cards in their deck when more impactful options might be available.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Abattoir Ghoul can be a flexible addition to various deck archetypes, particularly those looking for persistent board presence. Its ability to dodge death through its first strike feature can turn it into a reliable blocker and aggressor in many game scenarios.

Combo Potential: This creature’s unique lifegain ability upon dealing combat damage allows for synergies with decks built around life total manipulation and provides a catalyst for various life-based combos. It meshes well with strategies that aim to exploit death triggers or lifelink mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where aggressive creature decks are prevalent, Abattoir Ghoul’s first strike gives it an edge in combat, making it a potentially valuable asset in current metas that favor quick, creature-oriented playstyles and combat-centric interactions.


How to beat

Abattoir Ghoul is a formidable creature card known for its first strike ability and unique life gain mechanic in Magic: The Gathering. It can create a significant life differential in your opponent’s favor when left unchecked. The 3/2 zombie becomes an even greater threat if it manages to deal combat damage, as it confers to its controller an amount of life equal to the toughness of the creature it destroys.

To effectively counteract the Abattoir Ghoul, consider using removal spells that do not engage it in combat, such as Path to Exile or Go for the Throat. These spells offer a seamless solution by directly removing the ghoul from the battlefield without triggering its life gain ability. Additionally, strategies involving pacifism effects, which prevent the ghoul from attacking or blocking, turn it into a mere spectator on the board. Utilizing either evasion tactics or superior blockers can also neutralize the ghoul’s combat advantage, curtailing its ability to swing the life balance. By adopting a plan that mitigates its strengths, you can diminish Abattoir Ghoul’s impact and maintain control over the course of the game.


Cards like Abattoir Ghoul

Abattoir Ghoul is a unique creature in the MTG arena, known for its First Strike ability and life-gain feature on destroying other creatures. It is somewhat akin to Vampire Nighthawk, a card that shares the life-link trait and also flies. While Nighthawk costs one less mana, the Ghoul’s First Strike provides an edge in combat by dealing damage before others without this ability.

Daggerdrome Imp is another creature that gains life for its controller, equipped with life-link. However, it’s more fragile than Abattoir Ghoul, emphasizing evasion over direct confrontation. Where Abattoir Ghoul shines is in its robustness and the capability to potentially swing life totals upon taking down opposing creatures. Comparably, Falkenrath Noble offers a similar advantage in gaining life, albeit through a different trigger—whenever another creature dies.

Evaluating these cards alongside the Abattoir Ghoul reveals a spectrum of strategies for MTG players to integrate life-gaining tactics into their decks. The Ghoul’s blend of offense and life-gain through First Strike distinguishes it in black-aligned aggressive and midrange decks.

Vampire Nighthawk - MTG Card versions
Daggerdrome Imp - MTG Card versions
Falkenrath Noble - MTG Card versions
Vampire Nighthawk - Wizards Play Network 2009 (PWP09)
Daggerdrome Imp - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Falkenrath Noble - Innistrad (ISD)

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

Hell's Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Rag Man - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Debaser - MTG Card versions
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions
Slinking Skirge - MTG Card versions
Gravedigger - MTG Card versions
Scandalmonger - MTG Card versions
Urborg Shambler - MTG Card versions
Whispering Shade - MTG Card versions
Filth - MTG Card versions
Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions
Bold Plagiarist - MTG Card versions
Toxin Sliver - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Spirit - MTG Card versions
Nim Shambler - MTG Card versions
Bad Ass - MTG Card versions
Scourge of Numai - MTG Card versions
Deathgazer - MTG Card versions
Dirty Wererat - MTG Card versions
Faceless Butcher - MTG Card versions
Hell's Caretaker - Chronicles (CHR)
Rag Man - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Phyrexian Debaser - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Slinking Skirge - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Gravedigger - The List (PLST)
Scandalmonger - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Urborg Shambler - Invasion (INV)
Whispering Shade - Odyssey (ODY)
Filth - Judgment (JUD)
Demon of Catastrophes - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Bold Plagiarist - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Toxin Sliver - Legions (LGN)
Vampiric Spirit - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Nim Shambler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Bad Ass - Unhinged (UNH)
Scourge of Numai - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Deathgazer - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Dirty Wererat - Hachette UK (PHUK)
Faceless Butcher - Time Spiral Timeshifted (TSB)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Abattoir Ghoul MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad and Duel Decks: Blessed vs. Cursed, 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 Abattoir Ghoul and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Abattoir Ghoul Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2011-09-30 and 2016-02-26. Illustrated by Volkan Baǵa.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12011-09-30InnistradISD 852003normalblackVolkan Baǵa
22016-02-26Duel Decks: Blessed vs. CursedDDQ 502015normalblackVolkan Baǵa

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Abattoir Ghoul has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2011-09-22 You'll gain life equal to the creature's last known toughness before it died. For example, if Abattoir Ghoul deals 3 first-strike damage to a 7/7 creature and then you give the creature -5/-5 before the regular combat damage step, you'll gain 2 life.

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