Grotesque Mutation MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Lifelink from Grotesque Mutation means effective life management, often swinging games in your favor.
  2. Instant speed play allows for unexpected combat twists, giving players strategic advantage.
  3. Resource-wise, Grotesque Mutation challenges deck building with its black mana specificity.

Text of card

Target creature gets +3/+1 and gains lifelink until end of turn. (Damage dealt by the creature also causes its controller to gain that much life.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Grotesque Mutation doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, the lifelink it grants can be a game-changer, often serving as a pseudo-card advantage by helping you stabilize your life total, which in turn can preserve your resources and affect your opponent’s strategies.

Resource Acceleration: As a low-cost boost, Grotesque Mutation can be a strategic card for quick plays. Though not a direct form of resource acceleration, the lifelink can potentially give you an edge in the race against an opponent, leading to more effective use of your life as a resource.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Grotesque Mutation at instant speed gives you the flexibility to surprise your opponent during combat. This unpredictability can turn the tide by not only boosting your creature’s power but also providing an unexpected swing in life totals that can alter the course of the duel.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Grotesque Mutation can provide a sudden boost in offense or defense, it does not come without a price. This card does not directly ask players to discard, but it is a single-use instant that effectively leaves your hand, thus reducing your resources and potential options for later turns.

Specific Mana Cost: Grotesque Mutation requires one black mana, which ties it specifically to decks that include black mana sources. Players running multicolored decks or those not centered around black may find it challenging to accommodate such a card without interfering with their mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Spending two mana might seem reasonable for an instant boost, but in competitive play, every mana counts. There are alternative cards that could provide a more impactful effect, a longer-lasting advantage, or even an additional benefit such as card draw or life gain for the same or lower mana cost, making Grotesque Mutation a less favorable option in some scenarios.


Reasons to Include Grotesque Mutation in Your Collection

Versatility: Grotesque Mutation fits well into a variety of decks, specifically those that rely on bolstering creatures in critical combat scenarios. It can serve as a surprising boost during battles.

Combo Potential: The card provides both an instant life gain and power increase, which can synergize effectively with strategies that revolve around life total manipulation or creature strength enhancement.

Meta-Relevance: In games where creature-based aggro decks are predominant, Grotesque Mutation can offer a significant and unexpected advantage that can sway the tide of battle in your favor.


How to beat

Grotesque Mutation can catch opponents off guard in MTG, providing a swift change in combat outcomes with its life-gain and power boost. The card shines mid-battle when an unexpected burst of strength can tip the scales. Clearly, the most straightforward strategy to overcome this black instant is by maintaining open mana for removal spells or counterspells to nullify its effect before it takes hold.

It’s also wise to assess the battlefield. If your adversary has untapped mana and a creature that could swing the match with a sudden boost, it may be prudent to hold back attackers or ensure blockers are in place. Creature removal spells like Fatal Push or cards that can negate abilities, such as Disallow, can disrupt a well-timed Grotesque Mutation, leaving your opponent’s plans in ruins. In essence, by staying vigilant and ready to act, the surprise factor of Grotesque Mutation loses its edge, giving you the upper hand in combat scenarios.

Staying ahead involves not just responding to immediate threats, but anticipating potential surprises. By preparing for unexpected shifts like those Grotesque Mutation could introduce, you elevate your MTG gameplay to strategically secure your path to victory.


Cards like Grotesque Mutation

Grotesque Mutation offers a burst of strength and life gain to a single creature on the battlefield. This card brings to mind the classic Giant Growth, which is well-known for providing a sizeable boost of power and toughness without the life gain element. Grotesque Mutation, however, adds to the creature’s formidable presence with lifelink, giving the player a survival edge by increasing their life total with damage dealt during that turn.

Another analogous card is Alchemist’s Gift, which not only gives a smaller boost in stats but also presents a choice between lifelink or deathtouch, adapting to various game situations. However, it doesn’t provide the same magnitude of power increase that Grotesque Mutation does. Lastly, there’s Rush of Vitality, granting indestructible alongside lifelink. While indestructible can be pivotal in certain scenarios, the extra power provided by Grotesque Mutation might be more impactful in combat or for a decisive strike.

Overall, the extra lifelink and power from Grotesque Mutation can be essential for aggressive strategies, sustaining players’ life totals while they aim to outpace and overwhelm opponents in MTG.

Giant Growth - MTG Card versions
Alchemist's Gift - MTG Card versions
Rush of Vitality - MTG Card versions
Giant Growth - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Alchemist's Gift - Core Set 2021 (M21)
Rush of Vitality - Kaladesh (KLD)

Cards similar to Grotesque Mutation by color, type and mana cost

Simulacrum - MTG Card versions
Word of Command - MTG Card versions
Terror - MTG Card versions
Transmutation - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Edict - MTG Card versions
Headstone - MTG Card versions
Soul Rend - MTG Card versions
Shallow Grave - MTG Card versions
Wicked Reward - MTG Card versions
Urborg Justice - MTG Card versions
Imps' Taunt - MTG Card versions
Rapid Decay - MTG Card versions
Tainted Pact - MTG Card versions
Toxic Stench - MTG Card versions
Doom Blade - MTG Card versions
Go for the Throat - MTG Card versions
Cast Down - MTG Card versions
Smother - MTG Card versions
Hero's Demise - MTG Card versions
Sickening Shoal - MTG Card versions
Simulacrum - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Word of Command - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Terror - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Transmutation - Legends (LEG)
Diabolic Edict - Masters 25 (A25)
Headstone - Homelands (HML)
Soul Rend - Mirage (MIR)
Shallow Grave - Mirage (MIR)
Wicked Reward - Visions (VIS)
Urborg Justice - Weatherlight (WTH)
Imps' Taunt - Tempest (TMP)
Rapid Decay - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Tainted Pact - Odyssey (ODY)
Toxic Stench - Judgment (JUD)
Doom Blade - Magic 2012 (M12)
Go for the Throat - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Cast Down - Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate (CLB)
Smother - Worldwake (WWK)
Hero's Demise - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Sickening Shoal - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Grotesque Mutation MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad and Battlebond, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Grotesque Mutation and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Grotesque Mutation Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2016-04-08 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by Dan Scott.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-04-08Shadows over InnistradSOI 1152015normalblackDan Scott
22018-06-08BattlebondBBD 1452015normalblackDan Scott
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 6812015normalblackDan Scott
42020-09-26The ListPLST BBD-1452015normalblackDan Scott
52022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 4252015normalblackDan Scott
62023-03-21Shadows over Innistrad RemasteredSIR 1162015normalblackDan Scott

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Grotesque Mutation has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Grotesque Mutation card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2016-04-08 multiple instances of lifelink on the same creature are redundant.

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