Rottenheart Ghoul MTG Card

Rottenheart Ghoul - Shadows over Innistrad

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Zombie
Released	2016-04-08
Set symbol
Set name	Shadows over Innistrad
Set code	SOI
Power	2
Toughness	4
Number	132
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Dave Kendall

Key Takeaways

Provides card advantage by forcing an opponent to discard when it leaves the battlefield.
Instant-speed discard can disrupt the opponent strategically during their turn.
Despite its benefits, Rottenheart Ghoul’s cost may outweigh its immediate impact on the game.

Text of card

When Rottenheart Ghoul dies, target player discards a card.

"To die failing to save a loved one is just so sad—or, more to the point, pathetic." —Liliana Vess

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When Rottenheart Ghoul is put into the graveyard from the battlefield, it prompts an opponent to discard a card, potentially disrupting their strategy and providing you with a slight card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Although Rottenheart Ghoul does not directly produce mana or treasure, the discard effect can indirectly accelerate your resources by potentially removing key spells or threats from your opponent’s hand, allowing for more advantageous plays.

Instant Speed: While Rottenheart Ghoul itself is not an instant, its discard ability can be utilized at instant speed if the creature dies during your opponent’s turn, which can be particularly effective during the combat phase or in response to removal spells.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Rottenheart Ghoul asks you to give up another card upon its death, which could weaken your hand if you’re not leveraging graveyard strategies or benefiting from the discard itself.

Specific Mana Cost: This undead creature demands a black mana source, potentially complicating your mana base in multi-colored decks not centered around black’s strengths.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a card that offers no immediate board impact, four mana might be too steep a price, especially when facing decks that demand faster responses or when trying to maintain tempo.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Rottenheart Ghoul offers a flexible role in decks looking for graveyard synergy. It’s a solid fit in discard strategies, offering an additional way to cycle your hand and get cards into the graveyard for reanimation or spell synergies.

Combo Potential: This creature can seamlessly integrate into decks that harness the power of death-triggered abilities or the morbid mechanic. Its departure from the battlefield can trigger a variety of effects that benefit your overarching strategy, making it a valuable piece for intricate game plays.

Meta-Relevance: In a gameplay environment where aggressive strategies are prevalent, Rottenheart Ghoul stands as a stout blocker with a built-in mechanism for disrupting your opponent’s hand. By adding it to your arsenal, you bolster your deck’s ability to stand against fast-paced opponents while reinforcing your own tactical approach.

How to beat

The Rottenheart Ghoul is an intriguing creature in MTG, presenting a unique challenge to players with its death-triggered ability, compelling an opponent to discard a card. Navigating around this card requires strategic planning. A straightforward method to counter it is by employing graveyard disruption tactics. Cards like Tormod’s Crypt or Relic of Progenitus can exile Rottenheart Ghoul before the ability resolves, nullifying its discard effect. This approach not only deals with the immediate threat but also blunts any graveyard synergies your opponent might be leveraging.

Another avenue is to take advantage of the Ghoul’s ability to your benefit, utilizing cards in your hand that gain value when discarded or when in the graveyard, such as the madness mechanic or cards like Wasteland Strangler that capitalize on opposing creatures going to the graveyard. Lastly, keeping hand size in check, either by playing out your hand or using instants in response, minimizes the impact of the forced discard. In doing so, Rottenheart Ghoul’s potential to disrupt your strategy diminishes, allowing you to maintain control over the flow of the game.

By understanding and predicting your opponent’s moves, you can transform what once seemed an obstacle into an advantage on the battlefield.

Cards like Rottenheart Ghoul

Rottenheart Ghoul is a familiar face in the realm of creature cards with a death-triggered ability in Magic: The Gathering. It shares thematic kinship with other cards such as Doomed Dissenter, which also creates an effect upon death. While Doomed Dissenter generates a token creature, Rottenheart Ghoul demands a card discard from an opponent, applying a more direct form of disruption to their hand.

Another card that bears resemblance in function is Sibsig Icebreakers; it unleashes its discard effect as it enters the battlefield rather than upon death, impacting the opponent’s hand immediately. However, Rottenheart Ghoul requires more strategic planning, as timing its demise can be pivotal to maximize your advantage, mirroring the tactical gameplay that MTG fans appreciate.

With these comparisons, Rottenheart Ghoul establishes itself as an intriguing option within black creature decks, especially for those who enjoy orchestrating their opponent’s downfall with carefully timed cerebral plays. Its ability to affect the game even from the graveyard highlights the tactical edge that death-trigger mechanics can offer in Magic: The Gathering.

Cards similar to Rottenheart Ghoul by color, type and mana cost

Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions

Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rottenheart Ghoul 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 Rottenheart Ghoul and other MTG cards: