Obzedat, Ghost Council MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Spirit Advisor
Power 5
Toughness 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Obzedat offers a continual life total impact, providing consistent card advantage in gameplay.
  2. The card ensures flexible mana usage by enabling strategic plays, maintaining efficiency on the board.
  3. Its unique end step interaction permits evasion of common removals, bolstering board resilience.

Text of card

When Obzedat, Ghost Council enters the battlefield, target opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life. At the beginning of your end step, you may exile Obzedat. If you do, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of your next upkeep. It gains haste.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: When Obzedat, Ghost Council enters the battlefield, it can disrupt your opponent by draining life, effectively swinging a life total gap in your favor. This not only serves to put you ahead in the race but repeatedly using this effect can be a consistent source of advantage over the course of the game.

Resource Acceleration: Although Obzedat itself doesn’t directly produce mana, it enables you to save resources by bypassing your need to commit to a board presence during your turn. This allows you to utilize mana for other spells and abilities, keeping you versatile and efficient.

Instant Speed: Another noteworthy aspect of Obzedat is its interaction with the end step. Its ability to exile itself and then return to the battlefield at the beginning of the next end step can be used strategically. This essentially provides pseudo-instant speed functionality, dodging sorcery speed removal and allowing it to survive through board wipes that would otherwise be a setback.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Obzedat, Ghost Council doesn’t demand an outright discard, it necessitates a strategic hand and board management. Its flicker ability can backfire if you’re unable to maximize its use each turn, essentially discarding potential board presence.

Specific Mana Cost: Obzedat’s mana cost is a stringent combination of white and black. This restricts the card to Orzhov or multi-colored decks, potentially excluding it from a variety of strategic plays limited by mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sitting at a demanding five mana, Obzedat, Ghost Council can be a costly investment, particularly when cheaper creatures or spells might offer more immediate board impact or utility.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Obzedat, Ghost Council is a dynamic card that can be a game-changer in various deck archetypes, particularly those looking for resilient threats. With its built-in evasion and ability to dodge sorcery-speed removal, it slots seamlessly into Orzhov and other midrange decks craving durability.

Combo Potential: This spectral committee pairs well with flicker effects and life-drain strategies. Its reanimation at the beginning of your turn allows for repetitive life swings, bolstering its combo potential and making it a centerpiece for decks utilizing lifegain synergy.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta dominated by creature-centric tactics, this card’s regular self-exiling allows it to sidestep common removal spells, making it a consistent threat. Its relevance grows in environments where evasive, durable creatures can dictate the pace of play.


How to beat

Breaking down the strategy to tackle the formidable Obzedat, Ghost Council card in Magic: The Gathering involves understanding its unique abilities. This spectral group is a challenge due to its evasion of sorcery-speed removal thanks to its ability to leave the battlefield at the end of turn. The key to defeating them lies in instant-speed interaction and leveraging exile effects rather than traditional destruction methods.

One must consider options such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, which effectively remove the Ghost Council without relying on the timing restrictions that they sidestep so easily. Additionally, graveyard hate cards like Rest in Peace can impede their return, shutting down the recurring threat they pose. These strategies require precise timing and resource management, but when executed correctly, they can neutralize the Obzedat, Ghost Council’s influence on the game.

Lastly, it’s crucial to maintain a board presence to apply pressure and reduce the window of opportunity for your opponent to capitalize on the Ghost Council’s lifegain ability. By prioritizing these tactics, overcoming the Obzedat becomes a manageable task.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG gameplay involves understanding each card’s strengths and pinpointing its weaknesses. Obzedat, Ghost Council stands as a formidable card with distinct advantages like life-draining, evasion, and resilience. However, tackling it requires strategic play, with instant-speed removal being your key. Embrace the challenge and refine your strategies; knowing when to unleash a Path to Exile or judiciously apply graveyard hate can turn the tide. Keep learning and adapting, for the MTG realm is ever-evolving. Dive deeper with us, enhance your deck-building skills, and turn every duel into a display of tactical supremacy. Your next match awaits, are you prepared?


Cards like Obzedat, Ghost Council

Obzedat, Ghost Council stands out in the realm of multicolored creatures in the Magic universe. If we compare it to other creatures with a similar impact on the game, such as the venerable Teysa, Orzhov Scion, we notice distinct features. Teysa offers a sacrifice outlet and the potential for creating a substantial number of tokens, yet it lacks the direct life-draining ability that Obzedat provides.

Another notable card is Blood Baron of Vizkopa, which shares the same colors and has lifelink as well as protection from white and from black. While Blood Baron excels at being a threat that’s hard to remove, Obzedat uniquely dodges removal by flickering out of the battlefield every turn and thus avoids a lot of common removal spells, creating a recurring advantage in terms of board presence.

In the grand scheme of things, Obzedat, Ghost Council holds a special place with its evasion and resilience, coupled with the consistent life-draining effect that can swiftly tip the scales in its controller’s favor. It exemplifies a powerful balance of aggression and survival, often compelling opponents to find immediate answers or risk falling to its relentless, ghostly command.

Teysa, Orzhov Scion - MTG Card versions
Blood Baron of Vizkopa - MTG Card versions
Teysa, Orzhov Scion - Guildpact (GPT)
Blood Baron of Vizkopa - Dragon's Maze (DGM)

Cards similar to Obzedat, Ghost Council by color, type and mana cost

Selenia, Dark Angel - MTG Card versions
Desolation Angel - MTG Card versions
Thalisse, Reverent Medium - MTG Card versions
Shadrix Silverquill - MTG Card versions
Firja, Judge of Valor - MTG Card versions
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Ravos, Soultender - MTG Card versions
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Deathbringer Liege - MTG Card versions
Evershrike - MTG Card versions
Divinity of Pride - MTG Card versions
Vizkopa Confessor - MTG Card versions
Blood Baron of Vizkopa - MTG Card versions
Maw of the Obzedat - MTG Card versions
Sentry of the Underworld - MTG Card versions
Knights of the Black Rose - MTG Card versions
Vona, Butcher of Magan - MTG Card versions
Arvad the Cursed - MTG Card versions
Regal Bloodlord - MTG Card versions
Selenia, Dark Angel - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Desolation Angel - The List (PLST)
Thalisse, Reverent Medium - Commander Legends (CMR)
Shadrix Silverquill - Strixhaven: School of Mages Promos (PSTX)
Firja, Judge of Valor - Multiverse Legends (MUL)
Liesa, Shroud of Dusk - Commander Legends (CMR)
Ravos, Soultender - Commander Legends (CMR)
Agent of Masks - Modern Masters 2017 (MM3)
Revenant Patriarch - Duel Decks: Sorin vs. Tibalt (DDK)
Deathbringer Liege - Double Masters 2022 (2X2)
Evershrike - Eventide (EVE)
Divinity of Pride - Commander 2013 (C13)
Vizkopa Confessor - Gatecrash (GTC)
Blood Baron of Vizkopa - Iconic Masters (IMA)
Maw of the Obzedat - Dragon's Maze (DGM)
Sentry of the Underworld - Theros (THS)
Knights of the Black Rose - March of the Machine Commander (MOC)
Vona, Butcher of Magan - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)
Arvad the Cursed - March of the Machine Commander (MOC)
Regal Bloodlord - Core Set 2019 (M19)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Obzedat, Ghost Council MTG card by a specific set like Gatecrash and Modern Masters 2017, 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 Obzedat, Ghost Council and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Obzedat, Ghost Council Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2013-02-01 and 2017-03-17. Illustrated by Svetlin Velinov.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12013-02-01GatecrashGTC 1822003normalblackSvetlin Velinov
22017-03-17Modern Masters 2017MM3 1762015normalblackSvetlin Velinov

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Obzedat, Ghost Council has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2017-03-14 If you gain control of Obzedat “until end of turn,” you’ll control it during your end step and you choose whether to exile it. If you do, it returns to the battlefield under its owner’s control at the beginning of your next upkeep, not its owner’s next upkeep.
2017-03-14 Once Obzedat’s ability has returned it to the battlefield, it has haste for as long as it remains on the battlefield. If an opponent gains control of it (perhaps with Olivia Voldaren or Soul Ransom), it can attack that turn.

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