Hypnotic Specter
Mana cost {1}{B}{B}. Power/toughness 2/2.
Flying
Whenever this creature deals damage to an opponent, that player discards a card at random.
Hypnotic Specter is a black card, legal in Premodern, shown in its old-frame Fourth Edition printing.
Price and printings: Cardmarket (€5.3) · TCGplayer ($6.94) · Scryfall
Tracked daily since 28 July 2026: on Cardmarket between €4.16 and €6.75 in that time.
How often Hypnotic Specter is played
Hypnotic Specter is maindecked in 12 of 131 tournament decks in this archive (9%), averaging 4.0 copies; used by 3 of 33 tracked archetypes.
Counting only the 75 decks that can cast black cards, 12 of them play it (16%).
See how it compares on the Premodern staples list.
Premodern archetypes that play Hypnotic Specter
- Mono Black: A 2/2 flier for three: each time it deals damage to an opponent, that player discards a card at random, so an unanswered turn-one Specter often decides the game. Dark Ritual and a Swamp cast it on the first turn.
- Deadguy Ale: In all but one list since April. Cast with Dark Ritual on turn one, it is a 2/2 flier that makes them discard a card at random each time it deals damage to them, so an attack that is blocked or prevented takes nothing. It dies to Smother, Fire // Ice, Pyroclasm and most other removal, so its first hits matter most.
- Pit Rack: Three mana, or turn one with Dark Ritual: a 2/2 flier whose hits make them discard at random. The fastest way to empty a hand and the main attacker while the lock holds.
Tournament decks with Hypnotic Specter
- Moneyball: 4th Place at 4Seasons Summer Edition (4× mainboard)
- Pox Aggro: 1st Place at Magic Beijing #59 (4× mainboard)
- Deadguy Ale: 2nd Place at Sword Luderia (4× mainboard)
- Darigaaz Midrange: 12th Place at 2026 Nantuko League (4× mainboard)
- Clerics: 7th Place at Czech Premodern Nationals 2026 (4× mainboard)
- Mono Black: 1st Place at MTGO Premodern League (4× mainboard)
- Moneyball Red: 2nd Place at 2026 Nantuko League (4× mainboard)
- Basic Mono Black: 4th Place at Andre's League 10 Tappa (4× mainboard)
- Moneyball: 1st Place at LPP x Trial Épico (4× mainboard)
- Deadguy Angels: 1st Place at Lega Premodern La Contea (4× mainboard)
- Machine Head: 4th Place at Premodern Mainz Monthly (4× mainboard)
- Moneyball Black: 2nd Place at Liga Paulista de Premodern 2026 (4× mainboard)
Spicy brews with Hypnotic Specter
- Hypnotic Wurm (2×)
- Painters (4×)
- Draco Blast (4×)
