It's okay. Situational haste, and no other real evasion makes it kinda underwhelming. Especially considering his size by the time he can have haste. Recurring so easily could make him kinda useful.
Lestat13
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's ever a threat. Nocturnus will always have powerful minions with him, and the vampire count will always be high with Malakir Bloodwitch.
JaDiz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
this cards landfall ability goes good with the Malakir bloodwitch. just think 4 of this guys in your grave yard by turn 5. play your land for the turn and get 4 back and play the witch. hit for 5 and gain 5. that could spell game over for the opp.
DeviousPie
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This is my favorite card in Zendikar after Mindbreak Trap.
MilfHunter
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(8 votes)
Eldrazi Monument FTW!
Salostot
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(3 votes)
this guy just does not die attack and if opponents blocks with a 1 Toughness or a 2 Toughness creature, nice trade off... then play a land. hes back awesome card
Pwnsaw
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This guy will be seeing a lot of constructed play, perhaps even legacy because of how easily he comes back out.
green_yawgmoth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This guy is amazing. Early game, he's a quick hitter; mid/late game, he's another vampire to fly in with nocturnus and drain with bloodwitch. I run 4 of this guy and I have very rarely had a time when he wasn't useful.
Mightyass
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(4 votes)
One of the better vampires around, although he is far from being the best. However, I think that adding the situational haste was a bit unnecessary. Although I understand the "10 or less life" vampire connection in this case I often find myself rereading the card to remind me which ability (haste or recursion) triggers when (10 life or landfall). This card is about to become a tournament staple so it probably won t be much of a problem BUT imho Wizards should be more careful about putting different abilities triggering at different times, especially at lower rarities.
kittyspit
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
very useful..if it could block as well, wow.
perfectenemy
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I i find one of the best uses for this card is fodder for Blade of the Bloodchief equip it to what you want and start sending this guy at them, I like adding Quietus Spike to him so your opponent feels like he needs to block him
Xelopheris
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(7 votes)
The BEST black card in Zendikar. Makes great sacrifice fodder, as well as suicidal attacks to use up or destroy your opponent's weak blockers, then quickly bring them back.
mordecai17
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(14 votes)
why won't you die?!
richter25
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
I love this guy. Great against removal which every standard deck seems to have a ton of nowadays. Not only that but im running him in a deck i just built and i put two Thunder-Thrash Elders in with them to get a devour 3 fatty for nothing basically and match it with Quest for the Gravelord :) Let the good times roll.
JaxsonBateman
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
Definitely a good card. Unless you're playing white you're going to have trouble getting rid of him permanently. 2 damage may not seem like much, but when it comes out as early as turn 2 and can just keep on coming, it's pretty dandy. Also works really well with other cards like Quest for the Gravelord and Blade of the Bloodchief, as well as fodder for the opponent playing something like a kicked Gatekeeper. It even works as great discard fodder, as you can effectively get a free cast of it by playing a land.
nineyears
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
i refuse to die... if you dont exile me i will come back a hunt you forever.
zinsavage123
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I love this card although it is still weak regaurdless of how many times it comes back as well as cant block. I play with four of these and I am often screwed over from using them then benefitting from them. Simply because yeah I can attack all day from them but being defensless can end a game quick that is their major flaw.
Burstedburn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Awesome,really.I especially like when the opponent suffers with killing it.
It's a good combo with quest for the gravelord...........and when you cleanse the ground with Day of Judgement than simply play a land and it gets back.So that's cruel
Etregan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Perfect in a dredge deck with Phyrexian Tower. Kill it for mana then return it when you play a land.
durdent
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(9 votes)
WotC did a pretty good job putting the "cannot block" drawback to balance this card. Still, I'll give it a 4/5. Very, very annoying to play against.
StriderHiryu
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Very good and annoying card, but I think hes overpriced and overrated in many respects. I don't think he goes that well with Blade of the Bloodchief. You will only have one or two creatures on the field in tournaments because of all the creature removal nowadays and if you're playing a smart player you will be stuck with the bloodghast on the field most of the time. Nobody said your opponent has to kill or block the bloodghast...lol. People who play with him just assume they can use his landfall ability all the time, which is not the case. The only time you can get the full effect is if you kill it yourself with Vampire Aristocrat. 4/5.
gromgrom777
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
combo card, check cheap and efficient, check dredge and mill proof? check
5/5
Zsoro
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
this card has won many a games, infinitely useful and the best art on a card I have ever seen
Domino256
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
My friend brought up a good point. if Bloodghast is in the graveyard, Landfall still triggers, why is that not the case with lotus cobra or any other permanent with landfall?
Good combo card. Eg.: bloodghast + carnage altar + blade of the bloodchief + kalastria For just 3B mana you have +2 life, -2 opponent life, +2/+2 boast in one creature, + draw 1 card. This, every turn. Try to improve... butcher of malakir or bloodchief ascension
A pure black vampire deck in the Zendikar Block (20 + vampires), with this and other combos ill sure be an annoyance for many.
Ratoly
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@KryptNyt: Because the Bloodghast has to be in your graveyard for this landfall trigger to go off.
Awesome card and even better in Zendiakr with it's Landfall ability and other Zendikar cards like Bloodchief Ascension. A card like this, if used right would tear throgh an enimes life. 4.0
BattleMagnum
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
My favorite black card in a long, long, long time..
jumpenrun
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I'm not so impress with this card. Yup it almost immortal and has haste when opponent got 10 or less life but it can't save you in a situation like when you really need a blocker in order to stay in the match.
Vedalken_Arbiter
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The new and improved Nether Traitor.
ClockworkSwordfish
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This returns more often, but I prefer Vengevine. Then again, I love Vengevine. Then again, Vengevine is considerably more durable and always has haste and can block in a pinch. I leave the choice entirely up to you.
mdakw576
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Anyone who doesn't think bloodghast is good doesn't know what happens when nocturnus hits the field. 4/2 flier means it's either 4 damage, or you trade with an opponent's creature (most fliers can't survive 4 pow), only bloodghast comes back because of landfall and your opponent's creature doesn't.
I don't know what you all see on this Grizzly Bear. Yes, it can resurrect, but take it this way: you have a removal in hand and take a look at your opponent's side of table - you simply don't want to kill a 2-power creep with no evasion, regenerating or not, if he has anything better. And if he hasn't, then you are probably going to win anyway. Bloodghast is not bad, but you have many better two-drops to use (and for healthy price): Plated Geopede, for example, or Sejiri Merfolk. 2,5/5
@ mdakw576: That you will get with any Vampire. Nocturnus is great black Vampire lord, but that doesn't change Bloodghast's playability. When you attack with Nocturnus and Bloodghast, who will care that Bloodghast rises from grave? If attacked player has any blocker with flying or reach, he will try to put down Nocturnus instead of Bloodghast. For two-drop Vampire I recommend using Child of Night rather than Bloodghast - it is much, much cheaper for money, you can chump-block with two-point heal, and when you swing with Nocturnus, you will get nice amount of life as bonus.
Evermint
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
People who bash this card have never faced it. You WILL use RFG on this bad boy, lest you lose the match.
SleetFox
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(15 votes)
So who here is heartless enough to play this with Skullclamp? I feel dirty playing that card, but the antics are just too irresistible! If only it cost more mana to play.
anytwofactors
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
i wish it had shadow, but otherwise it's a very solid card.
MDStrawHat
★☆☆☆☆ (1.1/5.0)(10 votes)
Don't like it it's well weak, who cares how many times it comes back if it's weak? Who ever got so excited about a 2/1 tapping to attack? No matter how often it does it it's not gonna win a game. Block it, end of. It's a 2/1 for Christ Sake.
The only time this is any good is with Kalastria Highborn. But Even then anyone with any sense will kill Kalastria first so it won't be all that. Honestly though, I've never understood this card so if someone is willing to explain something that I'm not seeing then I'd appreciate it.
djbon2112
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@MDStrawHat You have no clue what you're talking about... a 2/1 that returns possibly EVERY TURN is a force to be reckoned with. I've won quite a few games with just these guys. 2/1 doesn't sound like much until 3 of them are hitting you every turn (and are hasty when you're half-dead).
iaiji
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
@ Xelopheris : If it could block, it would be that much closer to broken :-D
ChampionofSquee
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
i've never played against someone who used a bloodghast, and for that i am thankful. Anyone who bashes this clearly can't comprehend it. 1. It's a vampire, a tribal that is growing in strength and popularity. 2. It's a 2/1 for BB that comes back whenever you play a land. 3. the 10 or less life aspect is so common that you'll have enough vampires from the zendikar block alone to take someone down to 10 or below pretty quickly. 4. He can't black. That's not a good thing, but for anyone who thinks that, when you really need a blocker you're only going to have out a bloodghast, you obviously aren't playing vampires right. Zendikar vampire's aren't huge things like soul collector or stalking bloodsucker, they're little weenies that you get out on turn 1 or 2. Oh no! my bloodghast is out but it can't block!... Oh wait! nevermind i'll just block with Bloodthrone Vampire and sac bloodghast to it if need be. Land on my next turn and swing you for 2.
ZombieSnail
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I finished a guy on 8 life with four of these, after a long and good game against Halimar Excavator and his UW ally friends. He just asked me "...really?" I run both Quest for the Gravelord, Pawn of Ulamog and bloodthrone, and this guy fits in perfectly. He's even better with a sword or the frightening Basilisk Collar. But yeah, one of the best vampires, probably second only to Vampire Nighthawk since nocturnus will leave us soon. 4.5/5
Pinsir52
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ Sleetfox:
Me. 5/5.
GrimjawxRULES
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Kill it with fire!!! ... oh, wait ...
surewhynot
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
When you have four in your graveyard and then play a land it feels soooooooooooo satisfying.
Sironos
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
This guy is sooo nice, getting to play a creature over and over again by just playing lands is wicked. You can either have him with just swamp in your standard vamp deck, or you can use fetchlands for extra many reanimations. He syncs so well with vicera, kalastria highborne, blood throne, and the fact that he is 2/1 means he isn't broken, unlike some green vine guy. Cpativating makes you able to swing with a 3/2, and basilisk collar was simply made for this guy. Shame the price has gone up, but not strange.
attacks, they dont block, BA gets a counter and they take 2 damage, they do block: you gain two life, they lost two life, BA gets a counter and Kalastria highborn gets 2 +1/+1 counters Repeat.
auriscope
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
As bonkers as he'd be if he could block, I kinda like the not being able to block. You just swing no matter what; there's almost no drawback to swinging if you hit your land drops.
Zacklar
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
why people are writing complex red cards against this? a simple Carbonize will deal with this annoyance
Gabriel422
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I hate that this card exists, and that they made it so strong. This card being $10+ means my "sacrifice creatures" decks will always be missing something.
And this is why I never bought Demon of Death's Gate, Kalastia Highborn, or made a serious Vampire Aristocrat deck. Why make a deck when you can't use the best cards available?
i used to think this card was overrated. Then I played it.
bloodthirstylove22
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Nice card, it's always annoying playing against someone who can bring a card bacj from the graveyard at any time.
Corey_bayoudragonfly
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Woah, bloodghast is a spirit as well? Going in my spirit deck.
Ferlord
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(10 votes)
Boodghast + Skullclamp + Fastbond + f**k restricted lists = a pretty damn fast way to get a lot of mana. If your deck doesn't have many lands, then it won't work as well, but this can still be incorporated into a mono-green ramp deck.
Turn 1: try to draw, and discard Bloodghast Turn 2: Play Fastbond Turn 3: Play Skullclamp, bring bloodghast out and equip with Skullclamp. Draw and play 1 land, repeat until you didn't draw any more lands or your life is too low. Turn 4: ??? Turn 5: Profit
Anything is possible in turn 4, as long as turn 1-3 worked. Not saying that i have a deck like that, because if i did, then i'd be kind of broke, and un-liked by any friend who wished to play agains this deck.
Duskdale_Wurm
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Nearly impossible to die. Except exile.
fullmetalfan32
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I LOVE this card. He just DOES NOT go away. I have 4 of him in my deck, and every time I play a land, I get 4 2/1 creatures, without even having to tap. I also use him as fodder for cards like Bloodthrone Vampire, Viscera Seer, and Demonmail Hauberk, because he's free after casting him once. 5/5.
tantallum99
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
great card to use with sacrifice abilities and go to graveyard abilities (like quest for the gravelord). also, I have been known to shamelessly pair him with skullclamp to draw cards every time I play a land.
phyrexiantrygon
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Now that everyone is using chump blockers, meet the new breed of annoying cards: chump Attackers... XP
ARandomMop
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This guy + Dark Ascension's Stromkirk Captain and Drogskol Captain
{1}{B}{R} Other vampires you control get +1/+1 and First Strike. {1}{U}{W} Other spirits you control get +1/+1 and Hexproof.
Unlikely, but I'm a Timmy and I want this to happen.
IF you add Aumlet of Vigor you got yourself an combo that will give you all lands in your deck. So I guess its worth adding ;)
Xineombine
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
"Huzzah, I killed your minion black mag...OH GOD IT'S BACK FOR VENGENCE!!!" -Any non-black mage
emlit
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
True story:
A friend was playing my vintage black deck which has four Hymn to Tourach. I played my mono-black vampire deck. Here's how the first two turns went:
Opponent T1: Swamp Me T1: Swamp, tap, Vampire Lacerator Opponent T2: Swamp, tap, Hymn. He picks... two Bloodghasts Me T2: Swamp, two Bloodghasts, tap, some Vampire (I can't remember because I was still laughing)
The rest of the game was unmemorable. Good times.
MRK1
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I use him with dredge so I never actually cast him. Life from the Loam ensures he never goes away. Any number of sack outlets give him purpose beyond attacking.
Now if only he could block...
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Absolutely beautiful for Pox decks. It's hard to notice how nice he is by comparison to Ichorid, Nether Traitor, Nether Shadow, or similar; and they all have their place!
But, if you can't afford lots of creatures in your deck or your mana curve can't handle the burden of; but you run lots of land (both of those fit pox), he can give you sacrifice fodder for free, keep the beats coming, make good discard fodder, and he makes late-game land drops a boon for your deck.
Comments (84)
I love this card and the creatures that influenced it like nether shadow and nether traitor.
Also, amazing job by Daarken. He's aptly named.
attack and if opponents blocks with a 1 Toughness or a 2 Toughness creature, nice trade off... then play a land. hes back
awesome card
It's a good combo with quest for the gravelord...........and when you cleanse the ground with Day of Judgement than simply play a land and it gets back.So that's cruel
cheap and efficient, check
dredge and mill proof? check
5/5
For just 3B mana you have +2 life, -2 opponent life, +2/+2 boast in one creature, + draw 1 card.
This, every turn. Try to improve... butcher of malakir or bloodchief ascension
A pure black vampire deck in the Zendikar Block (20 + vampires), with this and other combos ill sure be an annoyance for many.
On another note: Fix this guy with Magma Spray.
@ mdakw576: That you will get with any Vampire. Nocturnus is great black Vampire lord, but that doesn't change Bloodghast's playability. When you attack with Nocturnus and Bloodghast, who will care that Bloodghast rises from grave? If attacked player has any blocker with flying or reach, he will try to put down Nocturnus instead of Bloodghast. For two-drop Vampire I recommend using Child of Night rather than Bloodghast - it is much, much cheaper for money, you can chump-block with two-point heal, and when you swing with Nocturnus, you will get nice amount of life as bonus.
The only time this is any good is with Kalastria Highborn. But Even then anyone with any sense will kill Kalastria first so it won't be all that. Honestly though, I've never understood this card so if someone is willing to explain something that I'm not seeing then I'd appreciate it.
1. It's a vampire, a tribal that is growing in strength and popularity.
2. It's a 2/1 for BB that comes back whenever you play a land.
3. the 10 or less life aspect is so common that you'll have enough vampires from the zendikar block alone to take someone down to 10 or below pretty quickly.
4. He can't black. That's not a good thing, but for anyone who thinks that, when you really need a blocker you're only going to have out a bloodghast, you obviously aren't playing vampires right. Zendikar vampire's aren't huge things like soul collector or stalking bloodsucker, they're little weenies that you get out on turn 1 or 2.
Oh no! my bloodghast is out but it can't block!... Oh wait! nevermind i'll just block with Bloodthrone Vampire and sac bloodghast to it if need be. Land on my next turn and swing you for 2.
I run both Quest for the Gravelord, Pawn of Ulamog and bloodthrone, and this guy fits in perfectly. He's even better with a sword or the frightening Basilisk Collar.
But yeah, one of the best vampires, probably second only to Vampire Nighthawk since nocturnus will leave us soon. 4.5/5
Me. 5/5.
Also, Skullclamp like him very much... so does Grave pact.
Buderus
Correction: Uber combo with Perilous Forays and Lotus Cobra. You'll so much mana/landfall you won't even know what to do with it.
attacks, they dont block, BA gets a counter and they take 2 damage, they do block: you gain two life, they lost two life, BA gets a counter and Kalastria highborn gets 2 +1/+1 counters
Repeat.
And this is why I never bought Demon of Death's Gate, Kalastia Highborn, or made a serious Vampire Aristocrat deck. Why make a deck when you can't use the best cards available?
Turn 1: try to draw, and discard Bloodghast
Turn 2: Play Fastbond
Turn 3: Play Skullclamp, bring bloodghast out and equip with Skullclamp. Draw and play 1 land, repeat until you didn't draw any more lands or your life is too low.
Turn 4: ???
Turn 5: Profit
Anything is possible in turn 4, as long as turn 1-3 worked. Not saying that i have a deck like that, because if i did, then i'd be kind of broke, and un-liked by any friend who wished to play agains this deck.
{1}{B}{R} Other vampires you control get +1/+1 and First Strike.
{1}{U}{W} Other spirits you control get +1/+1 and Hexproof.
Unlikely, but I'm a Timmy and I want this to happen.
If only it was a Vampire Zombie, instead of a Vampire Spirit. It would be more flavorful in my opinion.
Turn Two: Swamp (landfall), then play any cheap vampire (for example fourth Bloodghast)
Turn Three: Captivating Vampire
...because killing an opponent with your own creatures is too mainstream
IF you add Aumlet of Vigor you got yourself an combo that will give you all lands in your deck. So I guess its worth adding ;)
-Any non-black mage
A friend was playing my vintage black deck which has four Hymn to Tourach. I played my mono-black vampire deck. Here's how the first two turns went:
Opponent T1: Swamp
Me T1: Swamp, tap, Vampire Lacerator
Opponent T2: Swamp, tap, Hymn. He picks... two Bloodghasts
Me T2: Swamp, two Bloodghasts, tap, some Vampire (I can't remember because I was still laughing)
The rest of the game was unmemorable. Good times.
Now if only he could block...
But, if you can't afford lots of creatures in your deck or your mana curve can't handle the burden of; but you run lots of land (both of those fit pox), he can give you sacrifice fodder for free, keep the beats coming, make good discard fodder, and he makes late-game land drops a boon for your deck.