Gravestone Strider MTG Card

Gravestone Strider offers card advantage and resource acceleration by returning creature cards from graveyard to hand. Instant speed spells add flexibility, but its discard requirement and specific mana cost can limit play options. Integration, combo potential, and meta-relevance make it a viable card for graveyard and creature-based strategies.

Gravestone Strider - Murders at Karlov Manor

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Artifact Creature — Golem
Released	2024-02-09
Set symbol
Set name	Murders at Karlov Manor
Set code	MKM
Power	1
Toughness	3
Number	252
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Tom Babbey

Text of card

: Add one mana of any color. Activate only once each turn. , Exile Gravestone Strider from your graveyard: Exile target card from a graveyard.

The empty graves grew tired of waiting for bodies to fill them and set out to make some.

Cards like Gravestone Strider

Gravestone Strider wades into the battlefield of Magic: The Gathering as a nuanced option in the realm of graveyard-dependent creatures. Its kinship is seen with cards like Scrabbling Claws, which also interacts with the graveyard by targeting cards to exile. The Gravestone Strider, however, offers a kind of exiling with an upside – a potential boost to its power and toughness.

Another comparable card is Sentinel Totem, similarly designed for graveyard hustling, exiling all cards from all graveyards when triggered. While Sentinel Totem impacts the entire graveyard at once, Gravestone Strider specializes in picking off individual threats, adapting and strengthening with each exile. This selective exile trait allows tactical advantages, especially when dealing with graveyard-based strategies.

A thorough analysis of cards like Gravestone Strider shows its strategic role within certain deck archetypes in Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to disrupt opponents’ graveyard while continuously bulking up presents a unique duality not commonly found in similar cards, marking Gravestone Strider as a card with a distinct advantage in creature and graveyard manipulation.

Cards similar to Gravestone Strider by color, type and mana cost

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Gravestone Strider. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

Name	Format	Archetype	Event
Decklist	Free form		86#CS
Golgari Insidious Roots	Standard	Golgari Insidious Roots	Standard League 2024-03-08
Ephemerate Tron	Pauper	Ephemerate Tron	Pauper Challenge 64 2024-03-03
Golgari Mill	Standard	Sultai Insidious Roots	BLACK - FRI - 11AM - Chicago 75K Standard Open

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gravestone Strider’s ability to potentially return a creature card from your graveyard to your hand offers a valuable chance to reuse valuable creatures and uphold card advantage on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: As the Gravestone Strider helps you recast creatures from your graveyard, it acts as a form of indirect resource acceleration, ensuring that you have impactful plays every turn without depleting your hand.

Instant Speed: The agility provided by instant speed spells is critical in MTG, and Gravestone Strider does not disappoint. Flexibility in timing allows you to react to an opponent’s threats or capitalize on an opening, making it a versatile addition to your strategy.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Engaging with the Gravestone Strider requires a strategic consideration—sending another card from your hand to the graveyard. This mandatory discard can stifle your game play, especially when your hand size is dwindling, and every card becomes a precious resource.

Specific Mana Cost: Catering to decks that tap into specific mana pools, the Gravestone Strider demands a precise range of mana types. This cost can cause a hurdle in deck diversity, as it ties you down to a certain color composition, thereby limiting its versatility in a variety of deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that sits on the higher end of the curve, the Gravestone Strider competes with other cards in your deck for valuable mana resources. This can cause a delay in your tempo as you aim to reach your strategic peaks, with other cards potentially offering similar or more impactful effects for less mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Gravestone Strider seamlessly integrates into various deck builds, catering to those who value creature-based strategies or graveyard synergies.

Combo Potential: This card offers great combo potential, working effectively with strategies that revolve around self-mill, reanimation, or utilizing creature cards from the graveyard.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment that emphasizes graveyard manipulation or heavy creature presence, Gravestone Strider can be a key player, adapting well to the evolving competitive landscape.

How to beat

Gravestone Strider is a unique creature card that can be quite the deterrent on the battlefield. With its ability to potentially grow stronger each turn, it requires a strategy to handle before it overwhelms you. One effective way to combat Gravestone Strider is through removal spells that don’t allow it to go to the graveyard, such as exile effects. Cards like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares can neatly sidestep the Strider’s strength-in-death mechanic.

Another route is to ensure the card never gets the chance to hit the field. Counterspells like Counterspell or Essence Scatter can nip the problem in the bud. If the Gravestone Strider manages to land on the battlefield, tapping into board control spells that wipe out all creatures, like Wrath of God or Damnation, will reset the board and remove the threat without triggering its graveyard-buff mechanics.

Overcoming a Gravestone Strider also involves playing strategically to minimize the number of creatures in your graveyard, thereby blunting the impact of its power-boosting ability. Enchantment-based graveyard hate such as Rest in Peace will nullify graveyard synergies, reducing the potency of the Gravestone Strider significantly.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gravestone Strider MTG card by a specific set like Murders at Karlov Manor, 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 Gravestone Strider and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gravestone Strider has restrictions

Format	Legality
Standard	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Standardbrawl	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Future	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Timeless	Legal