Silversmote Ghoul is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
At the beginning of your end step, if you gained 3 or more life this turn, return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped., Sacrifice this creature: Draw a card.
Complete guide
Silversmote Ghoul is a resilient Zombie Vampire that keeps coming back for more as long as you are staying healthy. It serves as both a recurring threat and a source of card advantage by letting you trade its body for fresh cards when needed. This card is a staple for decks that can consistently trigger life gain during their own turns.
A Persistent Threat
The primary appeal of Silversmote Ghoul is its ability to return from the graveyard for free. At the beginning of your end step, the game checks two things: is the Ghoul in your graveyard, and did you gain 3 or more life this turn? If both are true, the ability triggers. It does not matter if you also lost life during the turn; the game only tracks the total amount of life gained.
Sacrificing for Value
If you have two mana available, you can sacrifice Silversmote Ghoul to draw a card. This is an activated ability that can be used at any time you have priority, including in response to a removal spell or right before your end step begins. Because it puts itself into the graveyard, it can immediately set itself up to return if you have already met the life gain requirement.
Timing is Everything
Common mistakes involve the 'intervening if' clause. The Ghoul must be in the graveyard exactly when the end step starts for the ability to trigger. You cannot gain 3 life during your end step to trigger a Ghoul that was already there, nor can you move the Ghoul to the graveyard during the end step and expect it to return that same turn.
Interaction examples
Roaming ThroneIf you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield with 'Zombie' or 'Vampire' chosen, and you have gained 3 life this turn, Silversmote Ghoul's end step ability will trigger twice. While the first instance will return the Ghoul to the battlefield, the second instance will simply resolve and do nothing since the Ghoul is no longer in the graveyard.
Solemn SimulacrumWhile Solemn Simulacrum helps you ramp and draw, it doesn't provide life gain to return the Ghoul. However, you can use Silversmote Ghoul to sacrifice itself for a card, then use other life gain sources to bring it back. If you manage to gain 3 life, the Ghoul returns tapped, ensuring you have a creature to block or sacrifice again on future turns.
If you gain 3 life during your main phase and Silversmote Ghoul is on the battlefield, you can pay 1B and sacrifice it. When the end step begins, the game sees the Ghoul in the graveyard and notes you gained 3 life earlier, so it returns to the battlefield tapped immediately.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Silversmote Ghoul
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Silversmote Ghoul's first ability looks at how much life you've gained in the turn, even if it wasn't on the battlefield or in your graveyard when you gained life. It doesn't care if you also lost life, even if you lost more life than you gained.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If you haven't gained 3 life by the time your end step begins, Silversmote Ghoul's first ability won't trigger at all.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If Silversmote Ghoul isn't in your graveyard as your end step begins, its first ability won't trigger at all.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Silversmote Ghoul
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.