Ghoulcaller Gisa

Strategies it goes well with

• Zombie typal. Every token Gisa makes is a Zombie, so Death Baron and the other lords in the deck make each activation stronger.
• Sacrifice value. She is a sacrifice outlet that pays you in bodies, which turns removal aimed at your creatures into a trade in your favor.
• Recursion loops. Gravecrawler can be cast from the graveyard while you control a Zombie, so it can be sacrificed for two Zombies and recast the same turn for {B}.

How it does in Commander

As the commander

As the commander of Wretched Ranks, Gisa is a sacrifice outlet and a token engine in one card, and the rest of the deck supplies things worth sacrificing and lords that reward a wide board. Her limit is the tap cost: one activation per turn cycle, so she is a steady source of Zombies, not an explosive one.

In the 99

She fits black token and sacrifice decks that run large creatures, and Zombie decks led by another commander. In a deck without high-power creatures to sacrifice she makes two or three Zombies a turn, which is fine but replaceable.

Formats it's strong in

• Black Zombie and token decks. Every activation feeds the lords and the cards that count Zombies, such as Endless Ranks of the Dead.
• Grindy, removal-heavy pods. Sacrificing a creature in response to removal leaves Zombies behind, so targeted removal costs your opponents more than it costs you.

Formats it's weak in

• Tables with exile-based or mass removal. A wipe kills the Zombies she has made, and exile removal aimed at Gisa herself leaves nothing to recur.
• Decks short on creatures. She needs another creature for every activation, so a deck with a low creature count runs out of fuel.

Synergistic cards

Grave Titan ↗

A 6/6 that makes two Zombies when it enters and whenever it attacks, then six more when you sacrifice it to Gisa.

Death Baron ↗

Gives your other Zombies +1/+1 and deathtouch, so every token Gisa makes is a 3/3 that trades with anything.

Gravecrawler ↗

Can be cast from your graveyard for {B} while you control a Zombie, so it comes back after each sacrifice.

Endless Ranks of the Dead ↗

Makes Zombies equal to half your Zombie count each upkeep, so every activation of Gisa also grows next turn's tokens.

Is it worth the price?

Gisa is inexpensive, though she has been the priciest of the five Foundations commanders as a single. She was first printed in Commander 2014 and has been reprinted in Jumpstart, Commander Masters and now Wretched Ranks. Since the precon is the strongest of the five, buying the deck is the better route than buying her alone.

Current printings and prices →

Frequently asked questions