Ghastly GloomhunterHow it works & interactions with other cards

Understanding Kicker and Keywords

Ghastly Gloomhunter has two evergreen keywords: Flying and Lifelink. Flying ensures it can soar over ground-based blockers, while Lifelink means any damage it deals causes you to gain that much life. Its Kicker ability allows you to pay an additional {3}{B} as you cast it. If you do, the spell becomes "kicked," which triggers a replacement effect as it enters the battlefield, granting it two +1/+1 counters.

Step-by-Step Resolution

When you cast Ghastly Gloomhunter, you decide whether to pay the Kicker cost. If you pay the total of {4}{BB}, the spell enters the stack as a kicked spell. As it resolves and moves to the battlefield, the game checks if the kicker cost was paid. If it was, the Bat enters with two +1/+1 counters already on it, making it a 3/3 immediately. If you did not pay the kicker, it enters as a standard 1/1.

Common Mistakes

A frequent error involves putting Ghastly Gloomhunter onto the battlefield through effects that don't involve casting, such as reanimation. Kicker can only be paid when casting the spell; if it enters by other means, you cannot pay the kicker and it will not receive counters. Additionally, if you use a card to copy Ghastly Gloomhunter while it is already on the battlefield, the copy will be a 1/1 because the 'kicked' status is not a copiable characteristic of a permanent.

Strategic Timing

Cast this early for {1}{B} if you need an immediate blocker or a way to trigger 'creature enters' effects. Save it for the late game when you have six mana available to create a 3/3 flyer that can stabilize your life total. Because its mana value is always 2, it remains an efficient target for cards that care about low-cost spells, even when kicked.

Interaction examples

Mana Acceleration with Ornithopter

Ornithopter of Paradise

You can use Ornithopter of Paradise to tap for black mana, helping you reach the six total mana required to cast a kicked Ghastly Gloomhunter sooner. If the Ornithopter provides the final mana for the kicker cost, the Gloomhunter enters as a 3/3 flyer with lifelink.

Lifegain Synergy

Blood Artist

With Blood Artist on the battlefield, your opponent faces a dilemma. If they use a removal spell on your kicked 3/3 Ghastly Gloomhunter to stop the lifelink damage, Blood Artist will trigger, causing the opponent to lose 1 life and you to gain 1 life. This creates a double layer of life total pressure.