Ghastly DiscoveryHow it works & interactions with other cards

Understanding Conspire

When you cast Ghastly Discovery, the Conspire ability triggers. You have the option to tap two untapped creatures you control that share a color with the spell—in this case, blue creatures. If you do, a copy of Ghastly Discovery is put onto the stack. This copy functions exactly like the original, meaning you will resolve the 'draw two, discard one' effect twice if the Conspire cost is paid.

Step-by-Step Resolution

First, you cast the spell and choose whether to Conspire. If you do, the copy is placed on top of the original on the stack. The copy resolves first: you draw two cards, then you must discard one card from your hand. After that, the original Ghastly Discovery resolves: you draw another two cards and discard another single card. Because you discard after drawing, you have a better selection of what to keep.

Timing and Strategy

Since Ghastly Discovery is a sorcery, you can only cast it during your main phase when the stack is empty. It is best used when you have 'dead' cards in your hand or if you are looking for specific answers. Tapping your creatures for Conspire means they won't be able to attack that turn, so ensure you don't need them for combat before committing to the extra draw.

Common Pitfalls

A common mistake is forgetting that you must discard even if you have zero cards in hand after drawing. Also, remember that the creatures tapped for Conspire must share a color with the spell; colorless creatures cannot be used to pay for a blue spell's Conspire cost.

Interaction examples

Sculpting the Perfect Hand

Fabricate

You cast Ghastly Discovery and Conspire by tapping two blue creatures. The copy resolves, letting you draw two cards. You find a Fabricate but decide to discard a redundant land. Then the original resolves, drawing you two more cards. You now have a much larger hand size and the Fabricate ready to search for your key artifact.

Recovering from a Clean Slate

Windfall

After an opponent casts Windfall, leaving you with a small hand, you cast Ghastly Discovery. Even without Conspire, this spell helps you dig deeper into your deck to find new threats. If you do Conspire, you effectively see four new cards and keep two of them, quickly rebuilding your board state after the hand disruption.