Geistblast MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant
Released	2016-04-08
Set symbol
Set name	Shadows over Innistrad
Set code	SOI
Number	160
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Raymond Swanland

Key Takeaways

Geistblast’s copy ability can replicate instant or sorcery spells, effectively maximizing card advantage in your graveyard.
Its flexibility as an instant allows for unpredictable and reactive strategies, capitalizing on the most critical moments.
The requirement to discard Geistblast for its copy effect and its specific mana cost may limit its use in some decks.

Text of card

Geistblast deals 2 damage to target creature or player. , Exile Geistblast from your graveyard: Copy target instant or sorcery spell you control. You may choose new targets for the copy.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Geistblast offers a unique twist on card advantage by granting a one-time copy ability for any instant or sorcery in your graveyard. This has the potential to double the impact of your key spells, keeping your hand effectively full.

Resource Acceleration: While Geistblast doesn’t directly produce mana or tokens, its copying effect can essentially halve the resource cost of a powerful spell. Casting a spell from your graveyard for its copy ability can lead to game-altering plays without expending additional cards.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of Geistblast being an instant cannot be understated. It allows for reactive play, ensuring you can respond to threats or opportunities at the most opportune moment without having to commit to a play early in your turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Geistblast requires you to discard it to utilize its copy ability, making it a one-time trick that can deplete your hand quickly.

Specific Mana Cost: With its red color dependency, Geistblast might not fit seamlessly into multicolor deck strategies that are tight on mana flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a total cost of three mana for its initial damage output, Geistblast is on the higher end compared to other instant damage spells. Its ability to copy another spell is useful, but the combined cost can be demanding in fast-paced games.

Reasons to Include Geistblast in Your Collection

Versatility: Geistblast stands out as a multifaceted card adaptable to various strategies. It is not only a direct damage spell but also harbors the potential to copy key spells later in the game, fitting seamlessly into decks that capitalize on both instant damage and strategic spell duplication.

Combo Potential: Its secondary ability to copy another instant or sorcery from the graveyard gives it exceptional synergy with numerous combo setups, amplifying the impact of game-winning spells or pivotal control elements within a match.

Meta-Relevance: Within the current environment where control and tempo plays can define the pace of the game, Geistblast provides the necessary flexibility to disrupt opponents’ plans while simultaneously advancing your own strategy across diverse deck archetypes.

How to beat

Geistblast stands out in the realm of red instant spells, offering a unique twist with its ability to copy another instant or sorcery spell from the graveyard. This flexibility can catch opponents off guard and turn the tide of a game, but, like any powerful card in Magic: The Gathering, it can be countered effectively.

To navigate the challenge Geistblast poses, consider including counterspells in your deck that can neutralize it before it exerts its impact. Cards with an exile effect are particularly valuable as they prevent discarded Geistblast from being used as a copy source later in the match. Discard effects can also deplete an adversary’s hand, reducing the likelihood they’ll have the necessary combo pieces to capitalize on Geistblast’s dual functionality.

Mindful play and strategic timing of your removals can ensure that when Geistblast is on the stack, it doesn’t escalate into an insurmountable advantage for your opponent. By mitigating its impact, you sustain control over the game’s flow, demonstrating that while Geistblast is formidable, it can certainly be outplayed with the right tactics.

Cards like Geistblast

Geistblast makes a unique entry in the MTG realm with its dual utility design, mirroring features of spells like Increasing Vengeance. Geistblast offers the ability to copy an instant or sorcery spell you control, akin to Increasing Vengeance. Yet, Geistblast distinguishes itself by also functioning as a direct damage dealer, capable of inflicting 2 damage to any target which Increasing Vengeance cannot do.

Twinning Staff is another card that echoes the spell-copying ability. While Twinning Staff itself doesn’t deal damage, it does amplify the copy effect by giving you another copy, should you be copying a spell. This boost doesn’t come with Geistblast automatically, but Geistblast compensates with its standalone damage versatility. Reverberate is also part of this conversation, with its lower cost and direct copying capability. However, unlike Geistblast, it doesn’t offer additional utility beyond copying spells.

Evaluating these options, Geistblast secures a competitive spot among MTG’s copy and damage spells. Its hybrid nature opens up strategic layers, allowing you to adapt to various game scenarios more flexibly than single-purpose cards.

Increasing Vengeance - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Geistblast by color, type and mana cost

Frolicking Familiar // Blow Off Steam - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Geistblast MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad, 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 Geistblast and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Geistblast has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2016-04-08	Geistblast’s ability can copy any instant or sorcery spell, not just one with targets.
2016-04-08	If an alternative cost was paid for the spell, such as its madness cost or surge cost, the same alternative cost is considered to have been paid for the copy.
2016-04-08	If the spell being copied has an X whose value was determined as it was cast (like Avacyn’s Judgment’s madness cost has), the copy will have the same value of X.
2016-04-08	If the spell being copied is modal (that is, it says “Choose one —” or the like), the copy will have the same mode. You can’t choose a different one.
2016-04-08	If the spell has damage divided as it was cast (also like Avacyn’s Judgment), the division can’t be changed (although the targets receiving that damage still can).
2016-04-08	The copy will have the same targets as the spell it’s copying unless you choose new ones. You may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If, for one of the targets, you can’t choose a new legal target, then it remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal).
2016-04-08	When Geistblast’s ability resolves, it creates a copy of the instant or sorcery spell. The copy is created on the stack, so it’s not “cast.” Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won’t trigger. The copy will then resolve like a normal spell, before the original spell resolves but after players get a chance to cast spells and activate abilities.