Spirits have long haunted the battlefields of Magic: The Gathering, offering a unique combination of evasion, resilience, and synergy. Lending themselves nicely to a variety of strategies, from aggro to control, it's not uncommon to find a useful spirit that fits right into just about any deck. Plus, there's enough "spirits matter" cards that building a dedicated spirit kindred deck has ample support in various formats, especially Pioneer, Modern, and Commander.

Whether you're assembling an all-in spooky deck or simply seeking a few standout cards, here's five spirits that embody some of the best options for your next brew.

The Legendary Threat

Few cards have earned the historic pedigree like Geist of Saint Traft. At first blush, a three-mana 2/2 might seem easy enough to manage, but the ability pairing on Geist makes it a threat that's simultaneously hard to kill while applying a ton of pressure.

Obviously there's the Hexproof, making it essentially immune to targeted removal. But it's what Geist does during combat that makes him truly scary. Every time he attacks, you create a 4/4 flying angel token that swoops in for damage before disappearing, turning this humble spirit into a consistent and lethal threat.

Geist shines brightest in decks that can protect it while enhancing its offensive capabilities. Pairing it with evasive or protective equipment and enchantments, like Spirit Mantle or Whispersilk Cloak, turns it into a virtually unstoppable force.

In its heyday, Geist helped transformer otherwise controlling Azorious or Jeskai decks, into more aggressive tempo strategies, where he'd serve as the primary threat amid a suite of removal and counterspells - relying on the hexproof to protect him while Lightning Bolt, Path to Exile, and Cryptic Command kept the board clear in lieu in traditional sweepers.

The Tribal Trickster

Rattlechains is the ultimate reactive tool for spirit kindred decks. With flash, this 2/1 can swoop in during your or opponents' turns to protect your key creatures from removal spells, granting them hexproof for the turn. This feels especially powerful when it saves a Spell Queller or Skyclave Apparition from a removal spell, to simultaneously increase the effectiveness of your interaction while building a battlefield presence.

Often just as important as its protective ability, Rattlechains allows you to cast other spirits at instant speed, forcing your opponents into difficult positions while enabling a much more highly flexible strategy for yourself. The ability even makes lords like Supreme Phantom even stronger, since you can flash them in to alter combat math or surprise opponents with an unexpected alpha strike.

The Impervious Pirate

If you've played enough games with or against spirits, you'll know they can sometimes operate like a combo deck, where the combo is just two Drogskol Captains. This three-mana 2/2 gives all other Spirits you control +1/+1 and hexproof, making it both a buffer and a safeguard. When one Captain is on the board, he serves a lightning rod. When two are in play simultaneously, giving each other and everything else hexproof (not to mention +2/+2), it often feels like the game's essentially over.

In Commander, where your deck is limited to one Drogskol Captain, you can pair it with clone effects that can be useful with just about anything else in your deck. A card like Glasspool Mimic // Glasspool Shore has an especially high floor since it can always double as a land. Phantasmal Image is quite powerful too since it comes in for just two mana, netting you a ton of value if it's used to copy an opponent's threats or something more expensive, like the upcoming Moonshaker Cavalry.

The Resource Drain

Kira, Great Glass-Spinner sits right alongside Drogskol Captain as the ultimate deterrent for opponents trying to disrupt your board. This three-mana 2/2 forces opponents to pay a hefty tax for removal, countering the first spell or ability that targets any of your creatures each turn. With Kira in play, any attempt to interact with your board becomes a costly endeavor, often requiring two or more spells to succeed.

Unlike Drogskol though, Kira also protects herself and offers utility outside of spirit-focused strategies. Any Blue-based deck that wants to protect its creatures could utilize Kira as a way to build a board presence while forcing opponents to jump through extra hoops if they're trying to play targeted interaction. If you really want to drive opponents crazy, pair her with an Unsettled Mariner so not only do opponents have to use multiple spells to destroy something, they have to pay additional mana for each of those attempts to target one of your creatures.

The Grand Finale

The newest addition to the spirit family, Moonshaker Cavalry quickly cemented its place as a devastating finisher. This eight-mana 6/6 doesn't just fly - it turns your entire army into a lethal force, giving all creatures you control +X/+X and flying, where X equals the number of creatures you control. In decks built around flooding the board with creatures, be it spirits or otherwise, can Moonshaker Cavalry end games on the spot.

This spirit is right at home in Commander, where token strategies and wide boards dominate. Pair it with commanders such as Millicent, Restless Revenant or Kykar, Wind's Fury, both of whom single handedly produce a ton of token creatures (spirit tokens, no less), and you have a clear game plan to execute with a reliable finisher that forces opponents to find an immediate answer or face a game-ending swing.

Final Thoughts

From untouchable threats to game-ending finishers, spirit creatures can bring an impressive mix of resilience and power to any deck. Whether you're looking for a single standout or assembling a kindred army, these five spirits will elevate your strategy and haunt your opponents for many games to come.