MagicTheGathering.fyi

Phantasmal Image

Creature — Illusion

You may have this creature enter as a copy of any creature on the battlefield, except it's an Illusion in addition to its other types and it has "When this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it."

CMC
2
Mana cost
{1}{U}
Color identity
U
Rarity
rare
Set
Forgotten Realms Commander
Price
$4.64
EDHREC rank
#1338
Buy on TCGplayer
Phantasmal Image card art
Phantasmal Image is a two-mana clone that copies any creature on the battlefield — including your own — with the only real cost being that it dies when targeted. In Gyruda, Doom of Depths decks it's a combo piece that loops the trigger engine, and anywhere else it's simply the most mana-efficient clone available.

Best Commanders

Commanders with the highest synergy

01
Gyruda, Doom of Depths

Gyruda, Doom of Depths

74.5% of decks · synergy 0.70

Phantasmal Image is in 74% of Gyruda, Doom of Depths decks because it copies Gyruda itself, extending the mill-and-reanimate chain until you've eaten through your opponents' libraries or assembled a lethal board.

02
Minn, Wily Illusionist

Minn, Wily Illusionist

63.2% of decks · synergy 0.58

Phantasmal Image is an Illusion, so Minn, Wily Illusionist counts it for the token-generating trigger — and copying the best creature on board at two mana is exactly the kind of overperformance Minn's spell-slinging shell wants.

03
Hidetsugu and Kairi

Hidetsugu and Kairi

56.2% of decks · synergy 0.52

Copying Hidetsugu and Kairi with Phantasmal Image means a second death trigger when the copy dies, doubling the top-of-library mill and damage payoff for a negligible investment.

04
Sakashima of a Thousand FacesVial Smasher the Fierce

Sakashima of a Thousand Faces // Vial Smasher the Fierce

48.1% of decks · synergy 0.45

Sakashima of a Thousand Faces removes the legendary restriction, so Phantasmal Image can copy any legend on the table without self-destructing — the partnership makes Image strictly better than nearly every other clone in the 99.

05

Aang, at the Crossroads

41.8% of decks · synergy 0.40

Phantasmal Image copies whatever the most threatening creature on board happens to be, giving Aang, at the Crossroads flexible access to abilities the deck doesn't otherwise run and keeping the curve low enough to leave mana for interaction.

Format Analysis

Where it lives, where it can’t

FormatVerdict
commander legal
legacy legal
modern legal
pioneer not legal
standard not legal
vintage legal
pauper not legal
oathbreaker legal

Phantasmal Image is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Vintage, and Oathbreaker. In Commander it's a staple clone — two mana is the right rate for a 99-card singleton format where you'll always find something worth copying. In Modern it sees play in specific combo shells, most notably the Palinchron-style infinite-mana lines that chain clones to generate unbounded loops. Legacy makes even less use of it given the power density of that format, but it remains a coherent pick in creature-based blue strategies. It's absent from Pioneer and Standard, and pauper legality is out of reach at uncommon.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

Price Context

Current price

$4.64 cheap tier

At $4.64, Phantasmal Image sits in the cheap tier — accessible enough that cutting it for budget reasons is hard to justify. It's one of the most played clones in Commander and demand stays consistent, so the price reflects real utility rather than hype.

Explore

Sources

Mentioned

← All cards

Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.