Grim Hireling MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Tiefling Rogue
Abilities Treasure
Power 3
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Generates crucial card advantage and mana flexibility via Treasure tokens when dealing combat damage.
  2. Demands wise card play due to its conditional benefits and specific color mana requisites.
  3. Grim Hireling’s potential for combo plays can make it a formidable addition to your collection.

Text of card

Whenever one or more creatures you control deal combat damage to a player, create two Treasure tokens. , Sacrifice X Treasures: Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Grim Hireling shines in providing consistent card advantage. Each time it deals combat damage to a player, you create a Treasure token. Beyond its immediate impact, this ability can quickly snowball, ensuring you have the resources for more powerful plays and maintaining a solid hand as the game progresses.

Resource Acceleration: The ability of Grim Hireling to generate Treasure tokens acts as a resource accelerator in your deck. The Treasures can be sacrificed for any color mana, offering great flexibility and the chance to cast spells earlier than usual or fixing your mana to avoid color shortages.

Instant Speed: While Grim Hireling itself does not operate at instant speed, the Treasures it creates can be utilized at any time, giving you the versatility to respond to your opponents’ moves on the fly. This could mean casting spells during your opponent’s turn or creating unexpected blockers, thus keeping your adversaries guessing.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The effectiveness of Grim Hireling hinges on you creating Treasure tokens, which typically requires other card interactions or sacrificing resources that could be utilized elsewhere.

Specific Mana Cost: Grim Hireling requires both black and red mana to cast, which can restrict its inclusion to only certain types of decks that can supply these colors consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, including multiple specific mana requirements, Grim Hireling can be considered slow, especially when you need to establish board presence or respond to faster decks.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Grim Hireling seamlessly integrates into a wide range of strategies, offering both mana acceleration and a unique damage-dealing ability. Its utility in creating Treasure tokens makes it a multipurpose asset for numerous deck archetypes.

Combo Potential: As a card capable of converting excess mana into direct damage, Grim Hireling illustrates excellent synergy with decks that generate a surplus of Tokens. Its combo potential is vast, creating opportunities for explosive turns that can swing the game in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: Considering its role in aggressive and treasure-oriented strategies, Grim Hireling is particularly potent in speeding up your game plan while disrupting slower, more methodical decks, making it a relevant choice in diverse MTG metagames.


How to beat

Grim Hireling presents a unique challenge on the battlefield, capable of turning your creatures’ successful combat efforts into a valuable flurry of Treasure tokens. This ominous character thrives on your opponents’ life total decreasing, rewarding swift strikes with financial gain. To counter this menace, it’s essential to disrupt its engine. Direct removal spells are your first line of defense, cleanly eliminating Grim Hireling from the battlefield before it can generate significant advantage.

Another effective strategy is to employ creature deterrents or establish a stronger defensive line. Cards that offer protection, such as those that prevent combat damage, can nullify the Hireling’s power by blocking attacks that would normally result in the creation of Treasure. Also, if possible, attacking an opponent’s life total on terms that bypass Grim Hireling’s triggers keeps their resource gain in check. Lastly, controlling the flow of Treasures through cards that restrict token generation can diminish the Hireling’s value, as it relies on a growing treasure hoard to feed its abilities.

Ultimately, staying one step ahead of your opponent’s game plan and managing the treasures at stake can turn the tide, neutralizing Grim Hireling’s potential and keeping your riches safe from your opponent’s grasp.


BurnMana Recommendations

Diving into the strategic layers of MTG can unearth cards like Grim Hireling, a dual-force in creating card advantages and shaping your deck’s dynamism. With resource acceleration at its core, Grim Hireling not only fortifies your mana pool but also aligns with numerous deck archetypes, enhancing its versatility. Tactically, understanding and utilizing such cards can turn the tides of any game. Whether you’re aiming to bolster your deck’s performance or seeking cards that will disrupt your opponents, our in-depth analyses will guide you towards formidable strategies. Delve deeper into the art of deckbuilding with us and harness the full potential of your MTG collection.


Cards like Grim Hireling

Grim Hireling finds its place in the Magic: The Gathering realm of treasure token generators. When distinguishing Grim Hireling from its counterparts, it’s important to note its unique trigger mechanism that creates treasure tokens each time you deal combat damage to a player. Comparatively, cards like Captain Lannery Storm enable the creation of treasure tokens when the card itself attacks. Though both cards are proactive in their approach to generating resources, Grim Hireling has the potential to produce a higher yield of treasure if multiple creatures are dealing damage.

Treasure Map is another noteworthy comparison. This artifact allows players to gradually create treasure tokens while also providing card filtering advantages. Unlike Grim Hireling, Treasure Map requires a more controlled setup but offers a transformation into a land that generates mana of any color. Pitiless Plunderer, too, deserves mention. This creature, as an alternative, generates a treasure token whenever another creature you control dies, providing similarity to Grim Hireling in being an indirect source of mana generation, relying on creature involvement to accrue value.

Ultimately, each card offers unique advantages for resource accumulation. Nonetheless, Grim Hireling stands out due to its potential for explosive treasure production tied to the commonplace action of dealing combat damage.

Captain Lannery Storm - MTG Card versions
Pitiless Plunderer - MTG Card versions
Captain Lannery Storm - Ixalan Promos (PXLN)
Pitiless Plunderer - Rivals of Ixalan (RIX)

Cards similar to Grim Hireling by color, type and mana cost

Hell's Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Rag Man - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Debaser - MTG Card versions
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions
Slinking Skirge - MTG Card versions
Gravedigger - MTG Card versions
Scandalmonger - MTG Card versions
Urborg Shambler - MTG Card versions
Whispering Shade - MTG Card versions
Filth - MTG Card versions
Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions
Bold Plagiarist - MTG Card versions
Toxin Sliver - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Spirit - MTG Card versions
Nim Shambler - MTG Card versions
Scourge of Numai - MTG Card versions
Deathgazer - MTG Card versions
Dirty Wererat - MTG Card versions
Faceless Butcher - MTG Card versions
Magus of the Abyss - MTG Card versions
Hell's Caretaker - Chronicles (CHR)
Rag Man - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Phyrexian Debaser - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Slinking Skirge - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Gravedigger - The List (PLST)
Scandalmonger - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Urborg Shambler - Invasion (INV)
Whispering Shade - Odyssey (ODY)
Filth - Judgment (JUD)
Demon of Catastrophes - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Bold Plagiarist - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Toxin Sliver - Legions (LGN)
Vampiric Spirit - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Nim Shambler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Scourge of Numai - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Deathgazer - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Dirty Wererat - Hachette UK (PHUK)
Faceless Butcher - Time Spiral Timeshifted (TSB)
Magus of the Abyss - Future Sight (FUT)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Grim Hireling MTG card by a specific set like Forgotten Realms Commander and Forgotten Realms Commander, 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 Grim Hireling and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Grim Hireling Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-07-23 and 2022-07-07. Illustrated by Tomas Duchek.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12021-07-23Forgotten Realms CommanderAFC 252015normalblackTomas Duchek
22021-07-23Forgotten Realms CommanderAFC 2942015normalblackTomas Duchek
32022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 7552015normalblackTomas Duchek
42022-07-07Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's GateHBG 1582015normalblackTomas Duchek

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Grim Hireling has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
GladiatorLegal
TimelessLegal

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