Jace's Phantasm MTG Card


A one-mana card, Jace’s Phantasm can quickly become a dominant 5/5 flyer cutting opponents unawares. Its synergy with instant speed graveyard-filling cards can drastically shift game momentum in your favor. However, its power is conditional upon your opponent’s graveyard content, demanding strategic play.
Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Illusion
Abilities Flying
Power 1
Toughness 1

Text of card

Flying Jace's Phantasm gets +4/+4 as long as an opponent has ten or more cards in his or her graveyard.

In the abstract memories of the Iquati, Jace found interesting ideas to improve upon.


Cards like Jace's Phantasm

For players keen on harnessing the strength of their library and graveyard, Jace’s Phantasm offers a unique avenue in Magic: The Gathering. This card is often compared to Invisible Stalker, which similarly eludes defenders with hexproof and unblockable abilities. Both creatures can become formidable under the right circumstances, yet Jace’s Phantasm distinguishes itself with its ability to grow into a 5/5 flyer once an opponent has ten or more cards in their graveyard.

Delver of Secrets is another creature that transforms into a potent threat, evolving into a flying 3/2. Unlike Jace’s Phantasm, Delver’s transformation relies on the serendipitous reveal of an instant or sorcery. Meanwhile, Nighthowler benefits from the number of creature cards in all graveyards, potentially becoming a massive threat. Though its growth is unbounded, Nighthowler lacks the aerial advantage that makes Jace’s Phantasm a stealthy asset.

In assessing their strategic applications, Jace’s Phantasm shines as a low-cost creature with impressive potential upside, especially in formats like Modern where milling strategies can quickly fill an opponent’s graveyard, making it a powerful asset in decks designed around graveyard manipulation.

Invisible Stalker - MTG Card versions
Nighthowler - MTG Card versions
Invisible Stalker - MTG Card versions
Nighthowler - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Jace's Phantasm by color, type and mana cost

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Cursecatcher - MTG Card versions
Merfolk of the Pearl Trident - MTG Card versions
Flying Men - MTG Card versions
Shrieking Drake - MTG Card versions
Cloud Pirates - MTG Card versions
Rootwater Diver - MTG Card versions
Fledgling Osprey - MTG Card versions
Manta Riders - MTG Card versions
Faerie Squadron - MTG Card versions
Faerie Seer - MTG Card versions
Fugitive Wizard - MTG Card versions
Wandering Ones - MTG Card versions
Teardrop Kami - MTG Card versions
Dreamcatcher - MTG Card versions
Drifter il-Dal - MTG Card versions
Sage of Epityr - MTG Card versions
Screeching Sliver - MTG Card versions
Timebender - MTG Card versions
Cloud Sprite - MTG Card versions
Merrow Witsniper - MTG Card versions
Cursecatcher - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Jace's Phantasm. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Mono-BlueMono-Blue PauperMono-BluePauper League 2024-04-02
Dimir MillDimir Mill ModernMillModern Showcase Challenge 2024-03-09
Mono-Blue MillMono-Blue Mill ModernMillModern Preliminary 2024-02-27
URGURG PauperPauper League 2024-02-29

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Jace’s Phantasm brings a tactical edge as it offers a potential power boost without requiring an extra card. Its ability to grow into a 5/5 flyer allows it to dominate the battlefield, effectively giving you the power of a high-cost creature for a fraction of the mana investment. This transformation can happen unexpectedly, flipping the game’s momentum in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: At just one blue mana to cast, Jace’s Phantasm is an economical choice for decks looking to optimize their mana efficiency. Opening up more options for the player to utilize their mana in later turns, it lends itself to a strategy favoring speedy deployment and resource management. The low cost also allows for multiple threats to be played in a single turn, quickly escalating the pressure on your opponent.

Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, Jace’s Phantasm synergizes remarkably well with cards that fill your opponent’s graveyard at instant speed. This can trigger its power gain on an opponent’s turn, essentially creating a scenario where your one-mana creature can become a formidable 5/5 flyer without any warning, catching opponents off-guard and paving the way for unexpected victories.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Jace’s Phantasm’s effectiveness is deeply rooted in your opponent having ten or more cards in their graveyard. If you fail to condition their graveyard adequately, its potential remains untapped, hindering its performance.

Specific Mana Cost: With its casting requirement of a single blue mana, this card is tailored for blue-centric or blue-inclusive decks. This mana specification might restrict its utility in multicolor decks not focused on blue.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite its initial low casting cost, relying on Jace’s Phantasm as a powerful creature demands a setup that can be mana-intensive. Ensuring an opponent’s graveyard is sufficiently stocked to activate its full potential can require additional cards and moves, indirectly increasing the overall mana investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Jace’s Phantasm offers a unique advantage as it easily slots into decks that benefit from having a one-mana flyer. Perfect for strategies that aim to quickly diminish an opponent’s deck or require a cheap defender with the potential to become a substantial threat.

Combo Potential: This card shines in mill decks, turning from a humble 1/1 into a formidable 5/5 flyer once an opponent has ten or more cards in their graveyard, enabling high-impact combos and synergies with other graveyard-manipulating cards.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where graveyard interaction is key, Jace’s Phantasm becomes an efficient creature that can apply pressure or serve as defense while complementing overarching deck themes that target the opponent’s library.


How to Beat Jace’s Phantasm

Jace’s Phantasm presents a challenge in Magic: The Gathering with its ability to swiftly become a powerful creature. Initially a mere 1/1 flyer for one blue mana, it grows into a formidable 5/5 once an opponent has ten or more cards in their graveyard. To navigate this threat efficiently, controlling an opponent’s graveyard content is key. Cards such as Tormod’s Crypt offer a way to purge graveyards, nullifying the Phantasm’s buff. It’s also possible to remove Jace’s Phantasm directly using removal spells that don’t target or have no conditions, like Fatal Push or Path to Exile.

Strategically, you can prevent the Phantasm’s growth by limiting card draw and discard opportunities for your opponent. This approach reduces the chance of their graveyard filling up too quickly. Moreover, employing creatures with toughness greater than five or those with abilities like deathtouch can act as a deterrent to a Phantasm attack. Cards which shuffle graveyards back into libraries, such as Elixir of Immortality, also counteract the threat posed by Jace’s Phantasm effectively, erasing the build-up that amplifies its strength and keeping the board in control.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the complexities of MTG cards like Jace’s Phantasm is pivotal for honing your deck-building skills and gameplay strategy. Recognizing both the strengths and limits of such a versatile card allows players to adapt and innovate in their approaches. If you seek to capitalize on the high potential of a card that can escalate in power with careful grave-tending, or you’re aiming to reinforce your strategy against such unexpected power spikes, delving deeper into the intricacies of these mechanics can be immensely beneficial. We encourage all enthusiasts to further explore and integrate advanced tactics with Jace’s Phantasm. Dive in with us to expand your MTG wisdom and wield your deck with newfound finesse.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Jace's Phantasm MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2013 and Duel Decks: Jace vs. Vraska, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Jace's Phantasm and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Jace's Phantasm Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2012-07-13 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Johann Bodin.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12012-07-13Magic 2013M13 572003NormalBlackJohann Bodin
22014-03-14Duel Decks: Jace vs. VraskaDDM 32003NormalBlackJohann Bodin
32017-11-17Iconic MastersIMA 602015NormalBlackJohann Bodin
42019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 4082015NormalBlackJohann Bodin
52020-09-26The ListPLST IMA-602015NormalBlackJohann Bodin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Jace's Phantasm has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Jace's Phantasm card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2017-11-17 If Jace’s Phantasm is dealt lethal damage at the same time as an opponent’s creature, and that creature will become that opponent’s tenth card in their graveyard, Jace’s Phantasm will be destroyed before it gets +4/+4. This is because all creatures that have been dealt lethal damage are destroyed at the same time.
2017-11-17 In a multiplayer game, a single opponent must have ten or more cards in their graveyard for the bonus to apply, although this opponent may change over the course of the game. You don’t have to pick a single opponent; the ability will monitor each opponent’s graveyard.
2017-11-17 The last ability of Jace’s Phantasm constantly monitors each opponent’s graveyard to see if the bonus applies. If the stated condition becomes no longer true, the bonus immediately stops applying.