Forces your opponent to discard a card everytime it deals combat damage and get +3/+3 when opponent has no cards in hand. What more can u ask for?
Lestat13
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
It could be fun in a casual deck.
dgregory
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
is it worth playing? One more than hypnotic specter and a worse discard ability but it remains a threat once their hand is stripped away. Plus, you have to think twice about playing that last card when it's got you in top-deck mode. Maybe worth being specters 5-6 or 7?
DyadyaIstvan
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(5 votes)
Alternative win condition in a Megrim deck. Fun for casual.
inmypants22
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
another great specter. a great edition to a casual deck
djpraiseadelik
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
A great addition to any discard or burn/discard deck he's one more mana than Hypnotic Specter and his discard isn't random but that's a fair trade for what he brings to the table with his potential Giant Growth pump. Besides once the opponent's hand is empty his discard not being random is a moot point.
magicmaster01983
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
In my opinion it is great in any counter/discard deck with both him and Hypnotic Specter and throw Megrim in there instance ouch. With counter and discard your opponent's hand will be empty so you can have the upper hand pretty quickly.
Ritius
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
@ Gezus82, no, he only gets the +3/+3 once, even if several of your opponents are out of hands.
Pretty nice with Bloodchief Ascension. Gets you that second or third two damage in for the counters, maybe, and has an ability that works with it when it's been activated too. No hippie (Hypnotic Specter) of course, but maybe a nice card to play just after ;D.
JaxsonBateman
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Whilst it's a good card, it's not as good as it has the potential to be due to your opponent almost certainly having a card in hand during their attack phase (unless they have a really good reason to they won't play it in their precombat main phase due to Guul Draz Specter's boost), it doesn't make the best blocker in the world. Having said that, it forces them to hold onto otherwise playable cards which is nice.
Shiizu
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(4 votes)
Interesting variation on a specter. He'll make the typical weenie deck wonder if they really want to dump their entire hand. That said, I don't see this guy as a powerful tournament card.
Still a fun casual specter.
Demonic_Angel13
★☆☆☆☆ (1.2/5.0)(2 votes)
This works with Hell-Bent cards.
KUSHmonster
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(3 votes)
I have played with Mr. Guul Draz in my standard discard deck and he is so much more powerful than people give him credit for. Just the fact that he becomes a 5/5 flying creature if they play there last card in there hand is such a huge factor on a game, its pretty much like locking someone down especially if you have destroyed there hand before they can get any substantial threat out. The opponent has to basically draw a card that can directly deal with him, expect to take 5 damage if they play it and it doesnt deal with him, or the third option and just hold it so that they only take 2 damage and end up having to discard that card. Its really fun watching people squirming have to think about this every turn. Guul Draz Specter is my primary win condition in my discard deck i dont even run megrim, i just team up mr. guul draz with liliana and i pretty much have control of the game from that point.
i have only played with this deck in 1 FNM, but i went a good 3-1 lost to great sable stag.... psh
MrBiggz216
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Since The Rack has rotated out, discard decks need a "rack effect", or a three damage penalty for not having cards in hand. This card theoretically has one built in. So I think it's a great card.
And paired with Quest for the Nihil Stone , its overkill.
PaladinOfSunhome
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Very good. I like how the card pushes the opponent to discard cards which makes it so much better.
4.0
GradiustheFox
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
On one hand it's nice to have a card able to cause it's own powerup condition, but I can't get over the fact that it's at its best at the same time its second effect is useless. It feels like it gets in its own way, even if the real case is that it forges its own path.. Or maybe I just really hate clowns.
LiXinjian
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(10 votes)
There was the Green Goblin and the Hobgoblin, and now, there's the Purple Goblin. Man, will Spidey ever get to rest?
Mr.Floppy
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Oh my, this card is ridiculous in my R/B Discard/burn deck. I play Ravenous rats, into hypnotic specter, into this card, then into thunderscape battlemage and all the work is done for me. If they don't kill this card ASAP it's a game winner.
Sir_Kaeru
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
At first I was bummed when I got this guy in my second zendikar pack, because I had thought that he sucked. After making my own megrim deck I want 3 more of them
penatbater
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
If I have two Guul Draz Specter and my opponent has 1 card in hand, can i make my first guul draz hit then he'll discard then the second one will hit for 5/5?
Dr34m0f7hi5
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm actually thinking about switching my 2 Nyxathid for that card... I run 4 hypnotic specter since I play 3 dark ritual and 3 earthquake. The quake doesn't hit my flying so I take even more benefit of it if I play another flying... but I love the Nyxathid!
BrokenBoySoldier
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Sweet card but godawful art
qaq456
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
now with Painful Quandary out this card is on my wishlist for a / discard/control deck pretty much acts like a slightly weaker Hypnotic Specter.
Twinsuit
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Fun with Temple Bell. If your opponent is empty-handed, swing first, trigger the discard and respond by ringing the bell. You still dealt 5 damage plus you gained a card!
garabor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@penatbater - only if you give one first strike. all combat damage is done simultaneously except for first/doublestrike.
jfre81
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Somewhat on the expensive side (Hypnotic Specter is cheaper and the discard is random) but the bonus if you empty anyone's hand is nice. Combos well with Liliana's Caress as well as Liliana Vess herself. Multikick a Bloodhusk Ritualist for good measure. Discarded creatures turn into win with Lili's -8 ultimate. I'd probably free up a slot for this in my Liliana deck if I got my hands on one, maybe kicking out Abyssal Specter.
Paleopaladin
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I'm going to risk sacrilege by saying that in many discard decks this guy beats Hypnotic Specter because your opponent will often be top-decking and in those cases the discard being random isn't that huge a deal, but this card's ability to turn into a fatty win-con IS.
In my casual MBC, I'm having a dilemma between hyppie and Sadistic Sarcament at 3cmc. This, however, is solidly in my 4 slot.
jumpenrun
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I play this card in my modern format discard control deck and its a finisher once your opponent is empty handed and you control the board. Raven's crime, the rack and plenty of swamp cards are its main combo.
Then again he couldn't ever be if he had to be balanced.
Cyberium
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
5/5 flyer is hard to kill, the catch being that once opponent draws a card, it becomes 2/2 again and can be dealt with much easier. That, and if the opponent keeps the card in hand, unless you have other ways to make him discard, Guul Draz Specter would be a 2/2 during the attack.
Way stronger than Abyssal Specter, but I like the Abyssal more. Maybe because of the flavour.
Running it is like run Abyssal Specter + The Rack in one card. I like to run it on casual.
OnyxSturm
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
To the comparisons with Hypnotic Specter: to each his own. You obviously can't turn one Dark Ritual this guy onto the field (unless you use two....) and he doesn't discard at random, but unlike the Hypnotic he excels if your opponent doesn't have a hand. I run them both in a deck, though there are more Hypnotics than this guy.
All in all a good replacement for Abyssal Specter seeing as they both do the same thing. An easy 4.5/5, I only wish the +3/+3 was a one-time "put three +1/+1 counters" deal but that might make him slightly overpowered.
Comments (32)
Pretty nice with Bloodchief Ascension. Gets you that second or third two damage in for the counters, maybe, and has an ability that works with it when it's been activated too. No hippie (Hypnotic Specter) of course, but maybe a nice card to play just after ;D.
Still a fun casual specter.
Guul Draz Specter is my primary win condition in my discard deck i dont even run megrim, i just team up mr. guul draz with liliana and i pretty much have control of the game from that point.
i have only played with this deck in 1 FNM, but i went a good 3-1 lost to great sable stag.... psh
And paired with Quest for the Nihil Stone , its overkill.
4.0
Or maybe I just really hate clowns.
pretty much acts like a slightly weaker Hypnotic Specter.
Combos well with Liliana's Caress as well as Liliana Vess herself. Multikick a Bloodhusk Ritualist for good measure. Discarded creatures turn into win with Lili's -8 ultimate.
I'd probably free up a slot for this in my Liliana deck if I got my hands on one, maybe kicking out Abyssal Specter.
In my casual MBC, I'm having a dilemma between hyppie and Sadistic Sarcament at 3cmc. This, however, is solidly in my 4 slot.
Then again he couldn't ever be if he had to be balanced.
Running it is like run Abyssal Specter + The Rack in one card. I like to run it on casual.
All in all a good replacement for Abyssal Specter seeing as they both do the same thing. An easy 4.5/5, I only wish the +3/+3 was a one-time "put three +1/+1 counters" deal but that might make him slightly overpowered.