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Judging from the one star rating, this guy isn't going over all that well with the folks here on Gatherer. Normally I'd try to say something positive here but honestly... I can't find much to work with on this one.
He's a 5/5 beater in a relevant tribe for Jace's deck, so that's definitely something. But that ability...
Jace has no cards in his deck which synergize well with this guy returning to your hand repeatedly, so I thought that maybe it was there as protection against Vraska's sorceries, right?
Well... not so much.
Most of Vraska's killspells are at instant speed, and the ones that are at sorcery speed aren't even spells which would normally be able to kill the Phantom, like Marsh Casualties. To make matters worse, a lot of Vraska's sorcery speed mechanics are discard effects, meaning that the Phantom is actually more vulnerable to them because it will often be in your hand.
Although there's the rare situation where the Phantom will dodge a aut... (see all)
Posted By:
Ataraxiom
(2/26/2014 12:57:04 PM)
at worst, its a 2.5 star guy, this really discourages your opponent from attacking. and honestly if he does get killed before you get to block then bail, then good you got your opponent to use removal on him and not a REAL creature.
Posted By:
Quotations
(2/26/2014 5:53:23 PM)
Minor illusion subtheme! Whooo... plus, this is about as big as it gets at common in blue.
Oh, I do want to add that it has a LOT of Jace + Ravnica flavor to it. So, it does make sense given the set.
Posted By:
anotherfan321
(3/1/2014 6:29:27 PM)
@Quotations, you're right to believe that it might discourage your opponent from attacking (since you'll be able to block and not have a dead creature after), but I think it may also encourage your opponent to attack.
If I had a 1/1 (let's say I'm playing Fugitive Wizard for some reason) and I attacked with it, would you block it? You wouldn't, because then you'd have to pay another 
for the Phantasm just to kill a 1/1 (a fugitive wizard, no less). So then you'd take 1 damage. Would you rather have a blocker that won't simply go away when something small comes around?
Mind YOU, that can be a ploy that'll allow you to attack them with a 5/5. Once it deals damage, you play it again, untapped and ready to go.
One way or another, it's an okay card. 5-cost blue common creatures are never 5/5's without some kind of 'negative' clause.
Posted By:
Ferlord
(3/4/2014 6:33:08 PM)
Yes, a 5/5 with a drawback for 5 is not very good by today's standards, even in blue. However, this card makes good sense in the Duel Decks. This and Phantasmal Dragon are, as far as I can tell, the biggest things in either deck: Reaper of the Wilds is the only thing that comes close. A flat out 5/5 for 5-maybe even for 6-would probably be too powerful in Jace's deck, at least as the decks are now, since there's pretty much nothing Vraska can do combat wise to get past it, with little evasion in her deck, and if she doesn't hit a kill spell fast then the game would be close to unwinnable. This guy's drawback makes him a lot more manageable while still being a pretty decent threat in Jace's deck.
Posted By:
EvilDarkVoid
(3/21/2014 3:14:18 PM)
So correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that when this guy deals combat damage to Vraska after she uses her +1 they both trigger at the same time and since it's your turn you can stack the triggers where his resolves first and he lives. That being said, A lot of Vraska's kill spells cannot hit this guy and Jace does not have a lot of answers to Vraska once she hits the field. This guy is a killer in that deck. Most of the time he's just a huge creature who bounces himself after he kills once of Vraska's creatures, but with the relevant creature tribe and the aforementioned synergy he is really good and I was always happy to see him. He also dodges Ohran Viper's effect. If he doesn't work like that it would really suck, but If he does it get's a 5/5 from me in this match up... and no other match up... ever.
Posted By:
Jaykru
(3/23/2014 10:13:15 PM)
He could have been really cool if he had first strike.
Posted By:
Syrtees
(4/20/2014 1:43:46 PM)