Sure, it dies to Giant Growth and bounce effects, but if a player is going to target it, it's going to be removal anyway, so its downside is basically redundant.
strigen
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(4 votes)
@chrishocker: i agree completely. if it was targeted in the first place, it was going to die anyway. the downside is practically not much of a downside.
ratrase
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Well, the major downside would be that it also dies to abilities, so a simple pinger like spark mage, or anything that can target with an ability can get rid of it. Situational, but against the right deck it could be great.
Eregis
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Someone used battle rampart to give this haste, killing it, other than that the card is good
Vinifera7
★☆☆☆☆ (1.9/5.0)(4 votes)
It's like a lightning rod for removal and combat tricks, but also has potential to get some beats in. Very nice !
Mode
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
The downside is that, opposed to other creatures, far more spells can become potential removal for it and abilities that might just require tapping can kill it as well, so this card might not even cause your opponent any card disadvantage to get rid of it. But despite that i still think this card is slightly underrated. A 5/5 defender for three mana might already do it's job after blocking once. I'd have liked it more if it had flying, and i'll still play Guard Gomazoa over it any day, but it might do a better job than Stoic Ephemera for instance.
coyotemoon722
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(3 votes)
It's just not a good card in Standard. MAYBE a decent limited pick, but iffy at that.
True_Mumin
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(7 votes)
My favourite way of killing dudes with this kinda drawback is Elvish Herder. "Here, have some trample!"
blindthrall
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(4 votes)
RD left a floater, then they try to tell us it's an "illusion".
Khias
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I'm just so torn, because it's blue, and a great target forMomentous Fall.
Cheza
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I don't like the fact that it dies when it becomes the target. I would have rather enjoyed something like "whenever it is dealt combat damage". Why shouldn't I be able to enchant an illusion - making it more plausible or more threatening? My version would support damage prevention (see wall of fog) or -X/-0 effects as well.
Like Okk, its big, cheap, and bad. Uses for this there are, but perhaps not the ones you may first be inclined to use.
okaaaaay
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(4 votes)
If he didn't have defender he would be decent.
blurrymadness
★★☆☆☆ (2.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Meh, I think this card is ass. If it wasn't a defender I would be all over tellin people that this wasn't that bad because you could give it shroud effects without targeting or similar. But with defender there's no point. There's always a better stat creature if it has defender and frankly this is underwhelming for it. The point of defenders is to be ahead of the curve and such a massive drawback on top of the defender drawback is meh.
@chrishocker you've never seen Horobi, Death's Wail in action have you? Because I guarantee that when that ability is put to use, it's not for making removal redundant. Similar here. If I saw this i'd probably forked bolt it for 1 damage, you for 1, give it -1/-1. let a creature of mine give it any number of abilities such as trample, first strike etc.. as these are common to pass to others. Hell, Asceticism's regenerate kills this thing.
pug3323
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
ok I have a couple questions...
I play this : my friend targets it with a lightning bolt: I redirect the lightning bolt to target him instead
Does this card still get sacrificed? and if so do i get to redirect the lightning bolt, or did the lightning bolt get countered for no legal targets?
SIlverSkyz
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
@pug3323 The sacrifice ability would go on the stack as soon as it is declared a target. Changing the target to something else will just cause the original spell to not be countered (if it only has one target, and that target is this guy, the spell fizzles)
From the rules on this card. If Phantasmal Abomination becomes the target of a spell or ability, Phantasmal Abomination's ability triggers and goes on the stack on top of that spell or ability. Phantasmal Abomination's ability will resolve (causing it to be sacrificed) first.
ajolt151
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
this has gotten slightly better with Lord of the Unreal coming in M2012...a 6/6 defender for 3 cm ain't bad at all for blue
Gaffy00
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@pug3323 Redirecting the lightning bolt with an instant would cause Phantasmal Abomination to not be targeted and live, while he would take 3 damage.
Also, great card with Lord of the Unreal. After a few turns this guy becomes an 8/8 blocker.
Rezzy64
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Yeah I play Phantasmal Abomination. I like him, he bothers my opponents until they find a solution for him, and then it becomes food for my Molten-Tail Masticore. What more could I want?
SkeletonAzz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
could i sac him with alter of dementia before the ability resolves?
Arachnos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Phantasmal Dragon: the same thing for more, but with flying and without the retarded drawback.
DoragonShinzui
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's like an illusion driven mad by the Eldrazi. Flavorful.
Osprey_93
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
In a toss up between this card and hover barrier for my illusions at the moment, same cmc but sacrifice ability disappears with the power in exchange for flying and slightly higher toughness. I think personally I prefer hover barrier because with lord of the unreal on the board it becomes a pseudo wall of denial with a slight damage dealing margin to take out some smaller threats.
Comments (25)
But despite that i still think this card is slightly underrated.
A 5/5 defender for three mana might already do it's job after blocking once.
I'd have liked it more if it had flying, and i'll still play Guard Gomazoa over it any day,
but it might do a better job than Stoic Ephemera for instance.
@chrishocker
you've never seen Horobi, Death's Wail in action have you? Because I guarantee that when that ability is put to use, it's not for making removal redundant. Similar here. If I saw this i'd probably forked bolt it for 1 damage, you for 1, give it -1/-1. let a creature of mine give it any number of abilities such as trample, first strike etc.. as these are common to pass to others. Hell, Asceticism's regenerate kills this thing.
I play this : my friend targets it with a lightning bolt: I redirect the lightning bolt to target him instead
Does this card still get sacrificed? and if so do i get to redirect the lightning bolt, or did the lightning bolt get countered for no legal targets?
The sacrifice ability would go on the stack as soon as it is declared a target. Changing the target to something else will just cause the original spell to not be countered (if it only has one target, and that target is this guy, the spell fizzles)
From the rules on this card.
If Phantasmal Abomination becomes the target of a spell or ability, Phantasmal Abomination's ability triggers and goes on the stack on top of that spell or ability. Phantasmal Abomination's ability will resolve (causing it to be sacrificed) first.
Also, great card with Lord of the Unreal. After a few turns this guy becomes an 8/8 blocker.