Aetherdrift, at least based on the previews we’ve seen so far, appears to be one of the more forward-looking Magic: The Gathering sets of recent times. In everything from its mechanics to its aesthetics, it pushes Magic as a game into new territory. That said, it’s not afraid to honor the past while it boldly marches forward. On Tuesday, we saw a brand-new design that hearkens back to Birthing Pod. Yesterday, a straight-up reprint of Bloodghast was announced for MTG Aetherdrift.
This is a card with some serious history behind it, and a very exciting one to see return in a Standard-legal set. It’s been a whopping 16 years since that was the case, so the fact that Bloodghast is still capable of generating hype is a testament to how pushed it was on release. Black Aggro and graveyard deck players, this is your lucky day.
Bloodghast Is Back in MTG Aetherdrift!
- Mana Value: BB
- Rarity: Rare
- Type: Creature – Vampire Spirit
- Stats: 2/1
- Card Text: Bloodghast can’t block.
Bloodghast has Haste as long as an opponent has 10 or less life.
Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, you may return Bloodghast from your graveyard to the battlefield.
At first glance, Bloodghast may not look like the kind of reprint that would add much to MTG Aetherdrift. It’s understatted, it has a color-intensive mana cost, and it doesn’t even get to block. The most important thing about the card, however, is that last line of text. Play a land while Bloodghast is in your graveyard and it jumps right back into play, no questions asked.
We’ve seen a lot of recursive creatures over the years, from Gravecrawler to Tenacious Underdog. What those cards tend to have in common is that they ask you to pay mana to recur them. The fact that Bloodghast comes back for free is an absolutely huge deal. This makes it efficient in ways that creatures like this typically aren’t, and opens up a range of possible uses for the card.
Need some sacrifice fodder? Bloodghast has you covered. Need a critical mass of bodies in play for a combo kill? Again, Bloodghast has got you. It even works well as a straightforward Aggro creature. Gaining Haste once your opponent hits half life is massive, and helps you push for the win later on. The fact that it returns via Landfall gives extra value to lands you topdeck in the late game, which is always great to see.
These aren’t just theoretical applications, either. Bloodghast has seen plenty of play over the years, in multiple MTG formats. It’s been a staple in Hollow One decks in Modern, and even Dredge decks way back in Legacy. To this day it sees a ton of play in Commander, as an enabler for all manner of graveyard shenanigans.
Still Relevant In Standard?
Bloodghast is a card with top-tier MTG pedigree, in other words, and a stellar addition to Aetherdrift. Check out the r/MagicTCG Reddit thread on the card and you’ll see a lot of players in disbelief that it’s being reprinted. Hype aside, is the card likely to make an impact in a Standard 16 years on from its original printing?
I actually think it has a pretty good shot. Thanks to Duskmourn, there’s a ton of support for a self-mill/Delirium style deck in the format. We even saw a Gruul version of it put up decent results last year. In a deck like this, Bloodghast is a slam-dunk inclusion. You can get it into the graveyard easily enough with the likes of Cache Grab and Overlord of the Balemurk, then drop a land and bring it back for some aggressive, Fear of Missing Out-backed swings. Such a list would likely need to be in Jund colors, but with the new Verge lands coming in Aetherdrift mana shouldn’t be an issue.
Delirium aside, Bloodghast has other potential homes too. Aggressive Mono-Black decks running Unstoppable Slasher and Unholy Annex have popped up in the past, and Bloodghast is a fantastic addition to these. One hit with Slasher turns on Haste for Bloodghast, which is excellent. Even before that, it’s just a nice way to keep the pressure on.
I could also see Bloodghast showing up in some kind of lands-matter list, like the old Temur Analyst decks. Not being able to cast Bloodghast isn’t a huge issue when you can just mill it with Lumra and get it back right away, after all. You don’t see Analyst decks around much these days, but the addition of Bloodghast could change all that.
A Nice Value Add
Playability aside, Bloodghast is also an excellent card to see in Aetherdrift from an MTG finance perspective. While it isn’t quite the $30 powerhouse it was in its heyday, it’s still a card that demands a respectable price tag on the secondary market.
For a regular copy of Bloodghast these days, you’re looking at around $6-8 depending on where you shop. That’s not massive, but it’s still quite impressive given the context. Bloodghast isn’t played in Modern or Legacy nearly as much as it used to be, so its current price is driven mainly by Commander demand. Well, that and a healthy dollop of nostalgia, I’m sure.
It’s worth mentioning the card’s Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander printing here. In an interesting twist, this version of the card is selling for around $2 right now, significantly less than its older printings. Such a price gulf is unusual and may be down to the new art present on this version. It could also be a simple matter of increased supply, however, so we could see a similar value on the new version.
It’s worth factoring in the multiple special printings of Bloodghast we’ll be getting in the set too. The Borderless Rude Riders treatment is a tough one to call here. It’s such a distinct style that it’s unlikely to create huge demand. Player response to the graffiti-esque Secret Lair drops of the past has been mixed, so I expect these cards to go a similar way.
The Gold Foil version, however, will almost certainly be wildly expensive. The scarcity of the treatment, and the popularity of Bloodghast, will make a potent combination here. That $30 value from the past could end up looking cheap in a few weeks time.
