Saving Grasp MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Abilities	Flashback
Released	2012-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Dark Ascension
Set code	DKA
Number	46
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Matt Stewart

Key Takeaways

Enables strategic creature preservation and reuse of enter-the-battlefield effects, enhancing gameplay flexibility.
Instant speed allows for tactical responses to opponents’ actions, adding a deeper level of strategy.
Flashback feature offers additional value by allowing a second use from the graveyard.

Text of card

Return target creature you own to your hand. Flashback (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)

Nothing's more valuable than perfect timing.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Saving Grasp provides a unique opportunity to reuse a valuable creature on the battlefield. By returning a target creature you own to your hand, you can effectively save it from removal, or retrigger enter-the-battlefield effects, thereby generating card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: While Saving Grasp may not directly accelerate resources in the form of mana or tokens, it can be a form of resource acceleration by protecting your investment in a key creature or strategically planning to repurpose that creature for additional benefits on a subsequent turn.

Instant Speed: The ability to play Saving Grasp at instant speed adds a layer of tactical depth. You can respond to opponent’s actions during their turn, which can disrupt their plans and save your creature at the most opportune moment. Additionally, instant speed allows flexibility in managing your mana and deciding the best time to execute your saving play.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Saving Grasp necessitates letting go of another card from your hand, which could hinder your game if you’re running short on cards and options.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s need for blue mana restricts its inclusion to decks that can produce that color, potentially limiting its versatility across various deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Some players find that Saving Grasp’s mana cost is a bit steep for its bounce effect, especially when considering other cards in the format that can provide similar functionality at a lesser mana investment.

Reasons to Include Saving Grasp in Your Collection

Versatility: Saving Grasp offers the flexibility to serve multiple roles within various deck structures. It works as a protective measure, saving key creatures from removal or benefiting from enter-the-battlefield effects once more.

Combo Potential: It holds the ability to become an integral piece in intricate combos, especially in decks that harness the power of casting multiple spells in a single turn. It can re-trigger powerful on-cast and enter-the-battlefield effects that some creatures provide.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state that heavily features targeted removal or board wipes, Saving Grasp ensures that your pivotal creatures can evade these threats, maintaining your board presence and strategic advantage.

How to Beat

Saving Grasp is a unique card in the vast Magic: The Gathering universe, offering players the ability to return a creature to their hand. While at first glance this may seem like a setback, the savvy MTG player recognizes the strategic potential to reuse enter-the-battlefield effects or dodge removal spells.

Defeating Saving Grasp involves timing and understanding its role within an opponent’s strategy. Cards that restrict an opponent’s ability to play or benefit from casting Saving Grasp can greatly diminish its impact. Uncounterable spells or abilities that prevent opponents from targeting their creatures, like Sigarda, Heron’s Grace, create a shield around your threats. Similarly, cards like Hushbringer can be employed to nullify the advantage gained from recasting creatures for their powerful entry effects. Playing around Saving Grasp involves anticipating your opponent’s moves and efficiently utilizing your disruption tools to keep their board in check.

Ultimately, Saving Grasp is a flexible spell that can signal a player’s intent to utilize protective or repetitive strategies. So keep a close eye on the battlefield and respond with precision, rendering this tactical spell little more than a grasp at salvation that slips away.

Cards like Saving Grasp

Focusing on utility spells in Magic: The Gathering, Saving Grasp garners attention for its defensive qualities. It parallels cards like Unsummon which also return target creatures to their owner’s hand. While both play a role in creature protection or disrupting opponents’ boards, Saving Grasp is unique with its flashback ability. This means it can be used from the graveyard, giving players a second chance to save their creatures or reutilize enter-the-battlefield (ETB) effects.

Another counterpart is Momentary Blink, which also reuses ETB effects but instead of returning to hand, it exiles the creature and then returns it to the battlefield. This slight variation can avoid certain removals and can be a more tactical choice depending on the situation. Disperse is a wider-scoped option, allowing any non-land permanent to be returned to the player’s hand, granting more versatility but without the repeatable application Saving Grasp offers.

With a detailed comparison of related cards, Saving Grasp holds a strategic position for Magic: The Gathering players who favor tactical preservation and value extraction from creature abilities, solidified by its unique flashback feature.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Saving Grasp MTG card by a specific set like Dark Ascension, 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 Saving Grasp and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Saving Grasp has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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