Ghastly Discovery MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Conspire |
| Released | 2008-05-02 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Shadowmoor |
| Set code | SHM |
| Number | 39 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Howard Lyon |
Key Takeaways
- Ghastly Discovery excels in drawing cards, enhancing hand options, and strategic outmaneuvering of opponents.
- The card’s instant speed allows for tactical plays and better mana management during critical game phases.
- Its milling capability sets up the graveyard for strategic future plays by utilizing synergistic mechanics.
Text of card
Draw two cards, then discard a card. Conspire (As you play this spell, you may tap two untapped creatures you control that share a color with it. When you do, copy it.)
Korrigans, spirits bound to sources of water, shriek when they come upon their own drowned corpses.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Ghastly Discovery offers players the opportunity to delve into their deck, potentially drawing two new cards, which bolsters in-game options and outflanking opponents with a more robust hand.
Resource Acceleration: This card provides an intricate advantage by allowing the Mills of additional cards, setting up the graveyard for future tactics and synergies that thrive on such mechanics—speeding up the strategic depth of your gameplay.
Instant Speed: The adaptability of Ghastly Discovery shines with its instant speed, enabling reactive play during critical moments or at the end of an opponent’s turn, keeping your strategic options flexible and your mana efficiently allocated.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: When casting Ghastly Discovery, players must discard another card, which can deplete hand resources faster and might not always align with their strategy, especially in tight gameplay scenarios.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands both blue and black mana, which restricts its integration to only decks that can produce or accommodate such a color combination, potentially excluding it from a broader deck usage.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Requiring three mana including two that are color specific might be a steep price for the benefit it provides, considering there are alternative draw or mill cards with lower or more flexible mana requirements that could fit better in optimizing deck efficiency.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Ghastly Discovery excels in its ability to adapt to various deck themes. Whether you’re commanding a control deck or steering a strategy that leverages graveyard synergies, this card can offer significant card advantage and selection to enhance your gameplay experience.
Combo Potential: With its knack for digging through the deck and stocking the graveyard, Ghastly Discovery works wonders in combo decks. It enables seamless integration with reanimator themes or strategies that capitalize on having certain types of cards in the graveyard, like delve or threshold.
Meta-Relevance: In metas where information is king and the right answers are essential, Ghastly Discovery’s ability to sift through the top cards of your library and refill your hand ensures that you remain at pace with the evolving gameplay dynamics and maintain competitive edge.
How to beat
Ghastly Discovery is a card known for drawing in a player to its subtle benefits, offering both knowledge and control within the game. It stacks up against divination-type effects, allowing players not just to draw cards, but also to select and discard, thereby streamlining their strategy and hand. However, one effective strategy to counteract the advantages Ghastly Discovery provides is through employing instantaneous graveyard disruption tools or utilizing cards to exile the graveyard, thus undercutting the value gleaned from selected discarding.
Hand disruption spells can also serve to dismantle the tactical advantages Ghastly Discovery offers before it’s even played. Forcing your opponent to discard can preemptively reduce the benefit they receive from drawing additional cards. It also pays off to include cards in your deck that limit your opponent’s ability to draw or force them to skip their draw step entirely, which significantly diminishes Ghastly Discovery’s effectiveness.
Essentially, by prioritizing direct challenges to your opponent’s hand and graveyard – the zones Ghastly Discovery interacts with – the card’s potential impact on the game can be significantly mitigated. Taking a proactive stance in controlling these zones is key when facing this deceptive spell.
Cards like Ghastly Discovery
Ghastly Discovery in Magic: The Gathering is an intriguing option for drawing cards while also peeking at the opponent’s hand. It’s akin to Peek, which offers a glimpse into an opponent’s hand and also draws a card, but Ghastly Discovery allows you to draw two cards if you discard a card. This gives it an edge in terms of card advantage while maintaining hand disruption.
Another comparable card is Thought Scour, which provides immediate value by drawing a card and also sending two cards from the top of a library to the graveyard, fueling strategies that benefit from having cards in the graveyard. Ghastly Discovery doesn’t mill cards but compensates with its optional discard for additional card draw. Compulsion is also worth mentioning; it doesn’t reveal the opponent’s hand but it offers card filtering and drawing over multiple turns.
To sum it up, within the realm of card advantage and hand disruption in Magic: The Gathering, Ghastly Discovery has its unique merits. It might not have the same direct speed as other draw spells, but its hybrid approach to digging deeper into both your deck and the opponent’s strategies is what makes it stand out.
Cards similar to Ghastly Discovery by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ghastly Discovery MTG card by a specific set like Shadowmoor, 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 Ghastly Discovery and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ghastly Discovery has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
