Urborg Phantom MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Spirit Minion
Released	2000-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Invasion
Set code	INV
Power	3
Toughness	1
Number	132
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Daren Bader

Key Takeaways

Cycling and flash capabilities of Urborg Phantom enhance deck fluidity and offer strategic play options.
It requires card discard for summoning and specific mana, potentially limiting deck compatibility.
Despite high mana cost, its evasion and combo abilities justify its inclusion in certain deck types.

Text of card

Urborg Phantom can't block. oo U Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to and dealt by Urborg Phantom this turn.

A chilling fog with teeth of ice.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Urborg Phantom offers players the ability to cycle it from your hand, ensuring that you keep your card flow consistent. Cycling allows you to draw a card, replacing the Phantom if it’s not immediately useful, thus maintaining card advantage and deck fluidity.

Resource Acceleration: This spirit creature can be an efficient tool for resource acceleration as it’s a low-cost card that can potentially free up your mana pool by occupying your opponent’s attention. Its ability to potentially come back from the graveyard means that it can be a recurring threat without expending additional resources from your hand.

Instant Speed: As a creature with flash, Urborg Phantom can be summoned at instant speed, providing flexibility and strategic depth to your gameplay. This reactive playstyle allows you to keep mana available for other spells or abilities and still deploy a threat or blocker when most advantageous.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Urborg Phantom comes with a catch – in order to summon it, you must discard another card. This can lead to a disadvantageous position, especially when your hand is already running low on cards. It forces the player to make strategic decisions about resource management, which could potentially backfire if not planned correctly.

Specific Mana Cost: Summoning this ghostly creature requires a precise combination of mana, including at least one black mana. This specificity narrows down its versatility as it is primarily suitable for mono-black or two-colored decks that can easily accommodate black mana. Players operating outside these colors may find it difficult to integrate Urborg Phantom into their strategy, hindering its playability.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value that may be considered steep for its overall impact, there are alternatives in the vast card pool of MTG that could potentially offer more bang for your buck. The mana investment into summoning Urborg Phantom could be a hindrance and might not align with the power and abilities provided by other similar-cost cards.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Urborg Phantom can be slotted into various deck archetypes, particularly those that seek to manipulate graveyard plays or benefit from its shadow ability, allowing it to go unblocked by creatures without shadow.

Combo Potential: This card also taps into potential combos with other cards that care about creatures dealing combat damage to a player, enhancing those synergies seamlessly.

Meta-Relevance: In game environments where evasion is key, Urborg Phantom shines by evading blockers and remaining relevant in matchups that heavily depend on board presence control.

How to beat Urborg Phantom

Urborg Phantom is a unique card in the realm of Magic: The Gathering that presents a distinct challenge. Unlike typical creatures, this phantom comes with an inherent evasion capability due to its phasing property, making it intermittently untouchable during various turns. To effectively counter this ephemeral creature, players should focus on using removals that don’t target or consider manipulating the battlefield to hamper its advantages.

Board sweepers, for example, can prove quite effective since they are not reliant on targeting individual creatures. Cards like Wrath of God or Damnation can obliterate the phantom along with any other creatures on the battlefield, regardless of its phasing status. Alternatively, utilizing effects that restrict the activation of abilities or casting of spells can substantially weaken its impact. Look for static abilities or spells that can prevent phasing or control it on your terms. It’s also viable to win by simply overwhelming the phantom with stronger creatures, continuously applying pressure until it fades into the aether of the graveyard.

In short, although Urborg Phantom introduces an unpredictable element to the game, a strategy incorporating non-targeted removal or ability suppression can navigate its elusive presence, allowing players to maintain control and eventually triumph over this ghostly adversary.

Cards like Urborg Phantom

Urborg Phantom brings a unique presence to the range of ghostly creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Ghostly creatures often boast evasive abilities, and Urborg Phantom is no exception with its capacity to become unblockable for a turn. This is a trait shared with cards like Looter il-Kor, which also has shadow, making it essentially unblockable except by creatures with the same ability.

Comparing it further, we see similarities with other creatures, such as Dauthi Slayer. The Slayer comes with inherent shadow, making it perpetually difficult for opponents to block. However, it doesn’t provide the same level of control over its evasiveness as Urborg Phantom does. Additionally, we have the Whispering Shade, offering another analogous choice, capable of pumping its own power, although at a higher mana cost and without the flexibility of temporary unblockability.

Factoring in aspects like evasion, mana efficiency, and board control, Urborg Phantom carves out its niche among MTG’s spectral lineup. It combines elements of strategy with a cost-effective creature that can swing games by sneaking through defenses when most needed.

Cards similar to Urborg Phantom by color, type and mana cost

Phyrexian Infiltrator - MTG Card versions

Shadowmage Infiltrator - MTG Card versions

Siren of the Silent Song - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Urborg Phantom MTG card by a specific set like Invasion, 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 Urborg Phantom and other MTG cards: