Phyrexian Ghoul MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Phyrexian Zombie
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers card advantage by transforming expendable creatures into significant battlefield threats.
  2. Allows for resource acceleration and instant-speed interactions, increasing gameplay versatility.
  3. Thrives in specific decks, can pose a con in poorly aligned strategies or mana bases.

Text of card

Sacrifice a creature: Phyrexian Ghoul gets +2/+2 until end of turn.

Phyrexia wastes nothing. Its food chain is a spiraling cycle.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Phyrexian Ghoul provides strategic depth to gameplay by allowing you to sacrifice creatures to power it up. This can translate into card advantage when you are turning expendable tokens or creatures that have fulfilled their purpose into a significant threat on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: Through its sacrifice ability, the Phyrexian Ghoul can help you manipulate your board state to trigger various on-death effects. This enables a form of resource acceleration by unlocking additional value from your creatures as they head to the graveyard, potentially leading to further plays and overwhelming your opponents.

Instant Speed: While the Phyrexian Ghoul itself is not an instant-speed spell, its activated ability gives you instant-speed interaction. This allows you to respond to your opponent’s moves during their turn, potentially removing your creatures from targetable spells or abilities and growing the Ghoul at a moment’s notice, surprising opponents with a suddenly larger blocker or attacker.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The need to sacrifice a creature to activate Phyrexian Ghoul’s ability may deplete your side of the battlefield, especially if you’re not running a deck focused on token generation or creatures with recursion abilities.

Specific Mana Cost: Phyrexian Ghoul requires both black mana and generic mana to cast, which might not seamlessly fit into multicolored decks that are not heavily invested in black mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana for a creature that provides a sacrifice outlet and potential power increase, there are cards with lower mana costs or additional benefits that could be considered over Phyrexian Ghoul for a similar role.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Phyrexian Ghoul offers flexible utility in various deck archetypes. Its ability to sacrifice creatures can be harnessed in a strategy that exploits death triggers, undying/persist mechanics, or as a way to avoid giving opponents the satisfaction of removing your valuable creatures through their spells or abilities.

Combo Potential: This card shines in combination with cards that produce a multitude of tokens or recur creatures from the graveyard. With the Ghoul, you can assemble a powerful engine that converts small creatures into significant power boosts on the battlefield. This synergy is particularly effective in sacrifice-themed decks.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state that frequently involves creature-based strategies or heavy removal, Phyrexian Ghoul allows you to turn the tide by dictating the terms of creature death. This can disrupt opponent strategies and provide you with an unexpected avenue to victory, particularly in metas where creature control is a factor.


How to beat

Dealing with Phyrexian Ghoul in the world of Magic: The Gathering requires strategic planning and precise plays. This creature, known for its power to sacrifice other creatures for a boost, can quickly become a major threat on the battlefield. One effective strategy to neutralize this ghoul is to limit its fodder—without smaller creatures to consume, its strength is massively diminished.

Control tactics are your friend here, with cards that can exile, bounce, or pacify creatures proving invaluable. Spot removal spells like Path to Exile or Unsummon can disrupt your opponent’s board and remove the Ghoul before it grows too powerful. Enchantment-based removal, such as Pacifism, can also immobilize the ghoul, preventing it from attacking or using its sacrificial ability.

Moreover, graveyard removal cards further inhibit the ghoul’s potency. By using cards like Rest in Peace that target the graveyard, you ensure sacrificed creatures don’t fuel further graveyard-based strategies. Preventing such interactions is crucial in keeping the power level of Phyrexian Ghoul in check and securing your position in the game.


Cards like Phyrexian Ghoul

Phyrexian Ghoul stands out in the world of MTG as a creature card that offers a unique mix of sacrifice and power-boost. Comparable to Nantuko Husk, both cards allow you to sacrifice another creature to give them a +2/+2 boost until the end of the turn. While sharing the same mana cost and the ability to self-enhance, Phyrexian Ghoul has the added flavor of the infamous Phyrexian subtype, lending itself well to themed decks.

Carrion Feeder is another relative, offering the sacrifice ability without the temporary power boost, instead opting for a +1/+1 counter, giving it a lasting advantage. Although Carrion Feeder can’t block, its lower mana cost and perpetual growth make it a formidable alternative for deck builders focused on long-term strategy.

Finally, we consider Bloodthrone Vampire, which, like Phyrexian Ghoul, gains a temporary +2/+2 power until the end of the turn when a creature is sacrificed. This common creature is valued in decks that capitalize on death triggers and power spikes. Each monster, including Phyrexian Ghoul, provides strategic value in MTG, boosting either their strength or contributing to various synergies across diverse gameplay scenarios.

Nantuko Husk - MTG Card versions
Carrion Feeder - MTG Card versions
Bloodthrone Vampire - MTG Card versions
Nantuko Husk - Onslaught (ONS)
Carrion Feeder - Scourge (SCG)
Bloodthrone Vampire - URL/Convention Promos (PURL)

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

Nettling Imp - MTG Card versions
Royal Assassin - MTG Card versions
El-Hajjâj - MTG Card versions
Plague Rats - MTG Card versions
Frozen Shade - MTG Card versions
Scathe Zombies - MTG Card versions
Sorceress Queen - MTG Card versions
Wall of Bone - MTG Card versions
Lost Soul - MTG Card versions
Mindstab Thrull - MTG Card versions
Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions
Strongarm Thug - MTG Card versions
Razortooth Rats - MTG Card versions
Ghastly Remains - MTG Card versions
Lord of the Undead - MTG Card versions
Deepwood Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Dross Prowler - MTG Card versions
Nim Lasher - MTG Card versions
Nim Abomination - MTG Card versions
Vesper Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Nettling Imp - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Royal Assassin - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
El-Hajjâj - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Plague Rats - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Frozen Shade - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Scathe Zombies - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Sorceress Queen - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Wall of Bone - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Lost Soul - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Mindstab Thrull - Masters Edition (ME1)
Mischievous Poltergeist - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Strongarm Thug - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Razortooth Rats - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Ghastly Remains - Legions (LGN)
Lord of the Undead - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Deepwood Ghoul - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Dross Prowler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Lasher - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Abomination - Darksteel (DST)
Vesper Ghoul - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Phyrexian Ghoul MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga and Battle Royale Box Set, 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 Phyrexian Ghoul and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Phyrexian Ghoul Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 1998-10-12 and 2023-04-21. Illustrated by Pete Venters.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-10-12Urza's SagaUSG 1481997normalblackPete Venters
21999-11-12Battle Royale Box SetBRB 501997normalwhitePete Venters
32009-09-04PlanechaseHOP 372003normalblackPete Venters
42010-03-19Duel Decks: Phyrexia vs. the CoalitionDDE 62003normalblackPete Venters
52011-05-14Duel Decks: Mirrodin Pure vs. New PhyrexiaTD2 532003normalblackPete Venters
62018-03-16Masters 25A25 1002015normalblackPete Venters
72023-01-13Dominaria RemasteredDMR 982015normalblackPete Venters
82023-04-21March of the Machine CommanderMOC 2642015normalblackPete Venters

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Phyrexian Ghoul has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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