Incoming Mammoth Motorbikes
Many of us are likely familiar with Johnny Blaze, the Ghost Rider. However, if you dig a little deeper, you'll discover that there was a Ghost Rider before him, known as "The First Ghost Rider." This character was originally a caveman named Ghost, who was imbued with the spirit of Vengeance after a brutal encounter with a Wendigo that slaughtered his entire tribe. Ghost eventually befriended a woolly mammoth, becoming The First Ghost Rider. If you want to learn more about him, I recommend checking out Marvel Legacy Volume 1.
So, what does this mean for those of us trying to attain the card in High Voltage?
This card has a simple effect: "On Reveal: Discard the lowest-power card from your hand. Remove that card's Power from this." While it has some minor drawbacks, you can design your deck to work synergistically with the discard mechanic to mitigate these issues. Unfortunately, it's been confirmed that when subtracting a card with negative power from The First Ghost Rider, it doesn't result in gaining power—instead, it will just lead to nothing added at all.
What do we do?
The easiest way to begin is with a dedicated discard deck. However, I believe the current version featuring Bullseye isn't quite what we're aiming for. Instead, the ideal version will include Khonshu, which is a card that will be released soon. Given how High Voltage works, if you’re not spending gold for extra mission resets, you should unlock The First Ghost Rider simultaneously with the release of Khonshu.
Regardless, the best strategy involves discarding cards that you ultimately want to bring back. Unlike traditional discard decks that aim to discard high-power cards—such as Proxima, Scorn, and Apocalypse—that either go to the board or gain power when discarded, The First Ghost Rider specifically benefits from discarding cards with low power. To maximize his effectiveness, you'll want to retrieve those discarded cards. There are a couple of ways to do this currently: one is Johnny Blaze, the current Ghost Rider in the game, and the other is Hela.
What low-cost cards?
A good starting place is to think about the low-cost cards that are good to bring back starting turn 4 and later. When looking at the card pool there are only a few options that stand out.
All three of these cards have an immediate impact and can be game-winning on their own. They also benefit significantly from a potential Khonshu final form. However, the way Hela functions now can make targeting cards for a discard a bit complicated. Iron Man is a solid option to discard since there aren’t many 5-cost cards typically involved, but there are plenty of 6-cost cards available. Additionally, using Gorr might not always be the best choice when you could simply get The Infinaut instead.
What about the negative options?
Negative power does not add power to The First Ghost Rider but it also doesn’t remove power. These options are only good when coupled with Ghost Rider but they can be interesting to think about as a potential mini clog package.
Particularly getting a Hobgoblin a turn early when discarded by The First Ghost Rider and then being brought back by Ghost Rider would be a massive power swing for that specific lane.
JFSnap’s Decks to Try
Ok, that's enough talking about the card let's get into some possible decklists to explore when we get our hands on The First Ghost Rider.
Oldie but a goodie
This deck is reminiscent of the “JUND” decks that were popular a few months ago, as well as the Moon Knight decks featuring Black Bolt and Stature. However, instead of Moon Knight, we are using The First Ghost Rider to discard our low-cost cards and bring them back. Our main goal is to resurrect Iron Man, but there are situations where discarding The Hood can also be beneficial. Ideally, we would want to do this on Turn 6, allowing us to play a low-cost, 5-power card in the final turn, which won't lose power.
This is just a basic version of the deck and could use some adjustments, but I appreciate the core concepts. Overall, it’s a solid points deck that aims for effectiveness without being overly complicated.
Just waiting for Khonshu
I’m not the biggest aficionado of discard mechanics, but I believe that combining some typical discard cards like Apocalypse and Dracula with new ideas such as Khonshu and First Ghost Rider will be effective. Outside of Gambit which could be switched for Sword Master each card has a targeted discard effect. This is helpful because this deck will thrive on discarding the specific card you want. Sif and Blade on turn 4 discarding either Khonshu or Apocalypse will be a massive power swing. Especially if paired with The First Ghost Rider or Gambit/Blade Master discarding an Iron Man the turns before. Also, this deck can play out like a traditional Discard list and instead of playing Apocoplyse the last turn you can combine The First Ghost Rider and Ghost Rider to bring back a potential Iron Man and still have a dracula boost powe when Additionally, I expect that the Khonshu preview article will provide more insights, so keep an eye out for that.
Not the only old one
This deck is designed for players looking for something different. When I first encountered The First Ghost Rider, I hoped it would function mathematically correctly. Although that was later confirmed not to be the case, I still find it a fun concept to explore, as it could lead to unexpected cube gains.
For those who think pairing Gorr and Selene is a strange choice, I understand your perspective. However, in my experience, it’s not as bad as it may seem, especially when your deck includes three other targets for her to hit. The combination of Ravonna and Moonstone is one of the best synergies in this setup, enabling explosive plays on turns 5 and 6.
I’ll continue to experiment with this concept, so feel free to check my X or Bluesky for updates on this quirky idea later in the week.
Khopechu
Another deck is waiting for Khonshu, created by Snap.fan user Scosco (or Scott). This deck combines some of the ideas from the previous two decks. I believe The First Ghost Rider will work best with Khonshu, as it allows for easy targets like Gorr and Iron Man to be brought back. When you combine this with elements from the Stature deck, you'll create a discard-and-return frenzy that will leave any opponent in the dust.
Conclusion and Should you get him?
Yes, play "High Voltage." Have some fun and take advantage of the opportunity while he's available for free. There really isn't any reason not to get him if you play the game regularly. Unfortunately, he doesn't come with any variants, just like the other High Voltage cards. Do you have any creative plans for The First Ghost Rider, or will you just be happy to receive a free card?