Phantasmal Form MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Draw a card upon casting, ensuring the card replaces itself and possibly providing more strategic options.
  2. Instant speed allows for versatile plays, acting as a combat trick or protection at critical moments.
  3. Escalates game pressure by morphing a creature into a formidable 5/5 phantom with flying.

Text of card

Until end of turn, up to two target creatures each have base power and toughness 3/3, gain flying, and become blue Illusions in addition to their other colors and types. Draw a card.

Within each of us lurks the fathomless.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Phantasmal Form presents a beneficial twist as it lets a player draw a card upon casting. This effect not only replaces itself in your hand but also potentially arms you with more options to outmaneuver opponents, bolstering your strategic position during the match.

Resource Acceleration: By turning a creature into a formidable 5/5 phantom with flying, Phantasmal Form can rapidly escalate the pressure you put on an opponent. This substantial power boost could expedite your path to victory, serving as a catalyst for accelerating the game’s tempo in your favor.

Instant Speed: The advantage of being able to cast Phantasmal Form at instant speed cannot be overstated. It enables you to respond reactively to your opponent’s moves, making it a versatile tool for protection, combat tricks, or simply a surprise blockade against incoming threats. The flexibility this speed provides makes it a valuable asset in many game scenarios.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Phantasmal Form comes with the caveat of having to discard another card. This condition can deplete your hand, which may be detrimental during crucial stages of the game when every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Phantasmal Form requires both blue and black mana, making it a potentially awkward fit in multi-colored decks. This can sometimes restrict the card’s versatility and limit the types of decks that can comfortably accommodate it.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Phantasmal Form demands a considerable amount of mana to cast. Investing this much in a single card may set you back in the early game, particularly when other options might provide similar benefits at a lower cost and with greater flexibility.


Reasons to Include Phantasmal Form in Your Collection

Versatility: Phantasmal Form adds flexibility to deck building, suiting a range of blue-focused strategies. As an enchantment that can turn creatures into formidable threats with flying, its inclusion can catch opponents off guard and add a new dimension to your gameplay.

Combo Potential: This card is a fantastic enabler for synergies that thrive on creatures with flying or those that trigger effects when enchantments are cast. It opens the door to numerous creative combinations, potentially leading to unexpected and game-changing plays.

Meta-Relevance: Given that evasion abilities like flying are perennially useful in various metas, Phantasmal Form can be a strategic asset. Its capability to be a force multiplier on the battlefield ensures that it stays relevant, particularly in environments where unblockable damage can quickly decide the outcome of a match.


How to Beat

Confronting the spectral challenge of Phantasmal Form in the vibrant world of MTG requires strategic finesse. This blue enchantment attaches to creatures, bolstering them with illusionary might and hexproof, a boon as elusive as the shrouded mists from whence it comes. To dismantle the form’s whispered protections, one must turn to effects that do not target. Board wipes, such as the devastating Wrath of God, clear the field without discrimination, rendering Phantasmal Form’s safeguards null.

Enchantment removal that sweeps the board, like the formidable Back to Nature, also bypasses hexproof, cleansing the battlefield of Phantasmal Form’s intangible grip. Another cunning tactic is to employ spells that cause the controller to sacrifice creatures—a subtle yet effective way to circumvent hexproof and send the phantom-empowered being into the aether. Liliana’s Triumph exemplifies such shadowy power, coercing your adversary to choose sacrifice over preservation. Ultimately, though the Form may seem insurmountable, knowledge of the proper arcane arsenal will assure victory against this enchanted mirage.


Cards like Phantasmal Form

Phantasmal Form offers a unique twist in the realm of blue enchantments within Magic: The Gathering. It’s comparable to other spells that grant evasion, such as Aqueous Form, which renders a creature not only unblockable but also scry-friendly each time it attacks. Phantasmal Form, however, adds another layer by transforming the creature into a Spirit in addition to making it unblockable, which can interact favorably with Spirit-related deck synergies.

Ghostform and Artful Dodge are also similar as they provide unblockable status. Ghostform can affect two creatures at once, a potentially game-changing flexibility, while Artful Dodge has flashback, allowing a second use from the graveyard. Phantasmal Form is distinguished by permanently altering creature types and offering card draw if it targets a Spirit, which can produce long-term strategic advantages.

In weighing these options, Phantasmal Form’s ability to consistently manipulate creature types and enhance card draw capability positions it as a highly versatile card for players aiming to delve into Spirit-centric strategies or seeking reliable evasion for critical creatures in their Magic: The Gathering matchups.

Aqueous Form - MTG Card versions
Ghostform - MTG Card versions
Artful Dodge - MTG Card versions
Aqueous Form - Theros (THS)
Ghostform - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Artful Dodge - Dark Ascension (DKA)

Cards similar to Phantasmal Form by color, type and mana cost

Mana Short - MTG Card versions
Psionic Blast - MTG Card versions
Capsize - MTG Card versions
Intuition - MTG Card versions
Forbid - MTG Card versions
Catalog - MTG Card versions
Frantic Search - MTG Card versions
Exclude - MTG Card versions
Crystal Spray - MTG Card versions
Hibernation - MTG Card versions
Circular Logic - MTG Card versions
Keep Watch - MTG Card versions
Archmage's Charm - MTG Card versions
Commander's Insight - MTG Card versions
Rushing River - MTG Card versions
Ixidor's Will - MTG Card versions
Vex - MTG Card versions
Thirst for Knowledge - MTG Card versions
Murmurs from Beyond - MTG Card versions
Venser's Diffusion - MTG Card versions
Mana Short - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Psionic Blast - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Capsize - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Intuition - Tempest (TMP)
Forbid - Amonkhet Invocations (MP2)
Catalog - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Frantic Search - Wilds of Eldraine Commander (WOC)
Exclude - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Crystal Spray - Invasion (INV)
Hibernation - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Circular Logic - Ultimate Masters (UMA)
Keep Watch - Judgment (JUD)
Archmage's Charm - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Commander's Insight - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Rushing River - World Championship Decks 2002 (WC02)
Ixidor's Will - Onslaught (ONS)
Vex - Darksteel (DST)
Thirst for Knowledge - Modern Masters (MMA)
Murmurs from Beyond - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Venser's Diffusion - Future Sight (FUT)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Phantasmal Form MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons and Jumpstart: Historic Horizons, 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 Phantasmal Form and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Phantasmal Form Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-06-14 and 2021-08-26. Illustrated by Steve Argyle.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-06-14Modern HorizonsMH1 612015normalblackSteve Argyle
22021-08-26Jumpstart: Historic HorizonsJ21 2292015normalblackSteve Argyle

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Phantasmal Form has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2019-06-14 Effects that modify the target creatures’ power or toughness (such as the effects of Force of Virtue or Giant Growth) will apply no matter when they started to take effect. The same is true for counters that change the creatures’ power or toughness (such as +1/+1 counters).
2019-06-14 Phantasmal Form overwrites all previous effects that set the target creatures’ power and toughness to specific values. Other effects that set their power or toughness to specific values that start to apply after Phantasmal Form resolves will overwrite this effect.
2019-06-14 You may cast Phantasmal Form without choosing any target creatures. You’ll just draw a card. However, if you choose any targets and all of those targets become illegal before the spell tries to resolve, the spell won’t resolve and you won’t draw a card.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks