Karador, Ghost Chieftain MTG Card


Karador, Ghost Chieftain offers card advantage by casting creatures from your graveyard each turn. Cost reduction for creatures in the graveyard accelerates resource deployment in game. Strategic instant speed plays become more powerful with Karador’s recurring creature mechanic.
Card setsReleased in 11 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost8
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Centaur Spirit
Power 3
Toughness 4

Text of card

Karador, Ghost Chieftain costs less to cast for each creature card in your graveyard. During each of your turns, you may cast one creature card from your graveyard.

"Death tried to uncrown me. But now I return, king of a greater realm."


Cards like Karador, Ghost Chieftain

Karador, Ghost Chieftain stands out in the realm of creature-based strategies in the world of MTG. It bears similarities to cards like Muldrotha, the Gravetide, which permits playing an additional card of each permanent type from your graveyard each turn. However, Karador allows for casting one creature card from your graveyard on each of your turns, emphasizing a recurring creature strategy, but without the wider permanent type range that Muldrotha offers.

Another card to consider is Meren of Clan Nel Toth, which also thrives on graveyard synergy by bringing creatures back to the battlefield or your hand, depending on accumulated experience counters. While Meren emphasizes incremental value and scaling with experience, Karador offers consistent access to the graveyard as a resource without the need for counters. Additionally, the cost reduction ability tied to Karador adjusts its casting cost based on the number of creature cards in your graveyard, adding a dynamic element that Meren lacks.

Ultimately, the distinctive qualities of Karador, Ghost Chieftain make it a compelling choice for decks that focus on recursive creature strategies, offering both the certainty of a creature play each turn and a cost-effective way to exploit a well-stocked graveyard.

Muldrotha, the Gravetide - MTG Card versions
Meren of Clan Nel Toth - MTG Card versions
Muldrotha, the Gravetide - MTG Card versions
Meren of Clan Nel Toth - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Karador, Ghost Chieftain thrives on ensuring a substantial card advantage. By allowing you to cast a creature card from your graveyard each turn, Karador effectively turns your graveyard into a second hand, providing a consistent stream of creatures to the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: This legendary centaur spirit offers a built-in cost reduction mechanism, making each creature in your graveyard potentially cheaper to cast. This ability dovetails with the overarching goal of playing many creatures quickly and efficiently, giving you a marked advantage in terms of resource acceleration.

Instant Speed: Karador, Ghost Chieftain might not act at instant speed, but it cultivates a game state where instant speed removal and interaction become more potent. With a recurring creature from your graveyard each turn, you can afford to leave mana untapped for other spells without sacrificing board presence, thereby keeping your opponents always guessing.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Players using Karador Ghost Chieftain often need to balance their graveyard setup, potentially putting crucial cards aside to meet discard conditions needed for optimization.

Specific Mana Cost: With a detailed three-color mana requirement that includes white, black, and green, this card necessitates a mana base committed to a multicolor strategy, which could be restrictive for decks not designed around such versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Karador’s eight total mana cost is a considerable investment. Even though you can reduce it for each creature card in your graveyard, in the early stages of a game, its casting might not be as viable or efficient compared to other commanders or creatures with lower and more flexible deployment costs.


Reasons to Include Karador Ghost Chieftain in Your Collection

Versatility: Karador Ghost Chieftain allows for the casting of creature cards from your graveyard, offering a consistent source of board presence. This can be pivotal in a variety of strategies, notably reanimator or graveyard-based decks.

Combo Potential: With an ability that facilitates recurring creatures, Karador enables multiple combo opportunities. It can seamlessly integrate into engine combos or set up formidable interactions with cards like Reveillark and Karmic Guide for infinite loops.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta loaded with control decks, Karador offers resilience by bypassing commander taxes and using the graveyard as a resource. The Chieftain’s ability to recycle creatures makes it a tough opponent against removal-heavy decks.


How to Beat Karador Ghost Chieftain

Karador Ghost Chieftain is a powerful commander in the world of MTG, known for his ability to cast creatures from the graveyard. This recycle ability, however, is not unbeatable. To counteract Karador’s influence, the most effective strategy is to limit graveyard interactions. Graveyard hate cards, like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void, can prevent Karador from utilizing his strength by removing the graveyard from play entirely.

Another tactic is to use targeted exile effects, like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, to deal with creatures before they hit the graveyard, thus denying a critical resource. Building in card exile and removal directly counters Karador’s strategy. Additionally, control decks with countermagic, such as Mana Leak or Negate, can be effective by denying the cast of important creature spells or essential reanimation effects Karador players rely on.

Overall, understanding Karador Ghost Chieftain’s reliance on the graveyard is key. By disrupting this synergy and preparing your deck with specific countermeasures, you’ll increase your chances of success against this formidable MTG opponent.


BurnMana Recommendations

Deepening your MTG strategy with an adept commander like Karador, Ghost Chieftain can transform your gameplay. The ability to cast creatures from the graveyard is a potent tactic that can outpace opponents through sheer card advantage and resource acceleration. As we’ve explored, while Karador is restrictive with its mana requirements and upfront cost, its potential to harness the graveyard for a continuous creature onslaught is unmatched. Whether you’re refining your graveyard strategy, seeking resilient commanders against control decks, or want to explore new combo potentials, Karador, Ghost Chieftain deserves a spot in your collection. Learn more with us and optimize your deck’s capabilities to dominate the battlefield.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Karador, Ghost Chieftain MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Magic Online Promos, 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 Karador, Ghost Chieftain and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Karador, Ghost Chieftain Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 2011-06-17 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by Todd Lockwood.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 861882015NormalBlackTodd Lockwood
22002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 515342003NormalBlackTodd Lockwood
32011-06-17Commander 2011CMD 2072003NormalBlackTodd Lockwood
42011-06-17Commander 2011 OversizedOCMD 2072003NormalBlackTodd Lockwood
52014-01-01Judge Gift Cards 2014J14 12003NormalBlackTodd Lockwood
62020-09-26The ListPLST CMD-2072003NormalBlackTodd Lockwood
72020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 5212015NormalBlackTodd Lockwood
82022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 2382015NormalBlackTodd Lockwood
92022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 5142015NormalBlackTodd Lockwood
102023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 5812015NormalBlackTodd Lockwood
112023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 3422015NormalBlackTodd Lockwood

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Karador, Ghost Chieftain has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PennyLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2020-11-10 If a creature card is put into your graveyard during your main phase and the stack is empty, you have a chance to cast it before any player may attempt to remove that card from your graveyard.
2020-11-10 If multiple effects allow you to play a card from your graveyard, you must announce which permission you're using as you begin to play the card.
2020-11-10 If you cast one creature spell from your graveyard and then have a new Karador come under your control in the same turn, you may cast another creature spell from your graveyard that turn.
2020-11-10 Once you begin to cast the spell, losing control of Karador won't affect the spell. You can finish casting it as normal.
2020-11-10 To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you're paying, add any cost increases (such as the commander tax), then apply any cost reductions (such as that of Karador). The mana value of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was.
2020-11-10 You must follow the normal timing permissions and restrictions of the spell you cast from your graveyard.
2020-11-10 You must pay the costs to cast that spell. If it has an alternative cost, you may cast it for that cost instead.