Ghost Ship – MTG Card Review – COTD

David
Fanany
Player
since
1995

This is another card that was fairly popular in the groups I played with in 1995 and ’96. I’d like to tell you that it was strong then, but I think that would be sort of a stretch. Still, to be entirely fair, four toughness is decent in settings where the most common red damage spells only go up to three without having to use X spells, and regeneration can be rather frustrating for decks that lack exile-based removal (or “bury”, as Terror said in 1995 and ’96). I’m also very glad that we’re getting an update in the Masters set so close to Ixalan – Flying Dutchman theme deck inbound!

Constructed: 2/5
Casual: 4/5
Limited: 4/5
Multiplayer: 3/5
EDH/Commander: 3/5

King Of
Hearts

It’s been a long time since I’ve talked about Regeneration. What makes this card interesting is that its a Blue card with Regeneration. While this card can go on the offence, the combination of Flying, Regen, and 4 toughness make it a formidable shield. Usually 4 toughness is pretty safe in Limited, just be careful of Chandra’s Outrage and Red Elemental Blast. If you need a wall to hide behide while slinging spells then Ghost Ship is a good option. Bonus points if you are playing Izzet Pirates.

Constructed: 2
Casual: 2
Limited: 3
Multiplayer: 3
Commander (EDH): 3

Four mana for a 2/4 with flying is reasonable enough, but the regeneration clause of Ghost Ship makes it stand out; blue rarely, if ever, got regeneration while it was a thing, and so this was a nice toolbox for blue decks if you could untap with it. It’s mechanically distinct for that reason, even if its quality isn’t great; nonetheless, Ghost Ship is a cool reprint from The Dark that stands out all the same. (And while it’s Modern legal, owing to a reprint in Time Spiral, it’s nowhere near good enough to see play there.)

Constructed: 2
Casual: 4
Limited: 4
Multiplayer: 3
Commander: 3.25