Gray Slaad // Entropic Decay MTG Card
2022-06-10 - Number 129
2022-07-07 - Number 156
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Sorcery — Adventure |
| Abilities | Mill |
Text of card
Mill four cards. (Then exile this card. You may cast the creature later from exile.)
Cards like Gray Slaad // Entropic Decay
Gray Slaad // Entropic Decay stands out in the pantheon of dual nature cards in MTG. This card transforms from Gray Slaad, a creature able to manipulate the top of the deck, into Entropic Decay, a powerful AoE curse whose strength is not commonly found in MTG. On the flip side, we have the comparable Delver of Secrets // Insectile Aberration, another card with transformation capabilities. Gray Slaad // Entropic Decay, unlike its peer, provides greater control over the game’s tempo as it shifts from a deck filtering creature to a control-enforcing curse.
Exploring further, we find Journey to Eternity // Atzal, Cave of Eternity. While Journey to Eternity also flips from one card type to another, it focuses on creature reanimation rather than deck manipulation or board control like Gray Slaad // Entropic Decay. It’s worth noting the uniqueness of Entropic Decay’s area of effect that disrupts multiple targets, a rare feature not shared by Journey to Eternity.
Assessing the role of versatile cards, Gray Slaad // Entropic Decay proves to be a valuable addition to MTG decks looking for both deck management and widespread disruption, ensuring its position within the transformative card category is not only unique but impactful.
Cards similar to Gray Slaad // Entropic Decay by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: With Gray Slaad // Entropic Decay, players gain the strategic edge by potentially drawing additional cards each time Gray Slaad deals combat damage to a player, cementing their lead in resources.
Resource Acceleration: The flip side, Entropic Decay, offers a significant boost in resource acceleration by allowing a player to add three mana of any one color, ramping up the ability to cast high-cost spells earlier in the game.
Instant Speed: The versatility of casting Entropic Decay at instant speed provides players with flexible options, enabling them to respond to the evolving game state more effectively by holding back mana for reactionary plays or surprise swings in board position.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Gray Slaad // Entropic Decay can be quite demanding on your hand, as playing this card entails a discard. This could be detrimental during gameplay, especially when your options are already scarce and every card in hand is pivotal for your strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: Deck building can sometimes be about flexibility, and the specific mana requirement of Gray Slaad // Entropic Decay can serve as a constraint. The necessity for particular mana types can restrict this card’s incorporation into various builds, potentially limiting its playability across multiple deck styles.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that’s on the higher end, Gray Slaad // Entropic Decay competes with other impactful cards in your deck that could potentially offer you a bigger advantage or stronger board presence. This cost factor necessitates careful consideration of its place in your deck compared to alternative options that might execute a similar role for less investment.
Reasons to Include Gray Slaad // Entropic Decay in Your Collection
Versatility: Gray Slaad // Entropic Decay brings a dual-card advantage, offering transformative gameplay that adapts to various in-game scenarios. The front side provides creature control, while the Entropic Decay side aids in late-game strategy shifts.
Combo Potential: This card’s flip mechanism works well with decks that utilize graveyard synergies or those that can benefit from having a flexible creature/spell option. It can also fit into strategies that manipulate card types in the graveyard for additional benefits.
Meta-Relevance: Considering its adaptability, Gray Slaad // Entropic Decay could find a place in current decks that are facing an environment heavy with creature-based strategies. The card could disrupt opponents’ plays significantly while giving the player a strategic upper hand.
How to beat
Gray Slaad // Entropic Decay is one of those dual-nature cards that can present quite the challenge during a match. In its creature form, Gray Slaad can catch an unsuspecting player off guard with its potential to overpower the board if left unchecked. When it transforms into Entropic Decay, the power level spikes with its capability to eradicate permanents, paving the way for devastating turns.
Dealing with such a versatile card requires equal measures of foresight and speed. Counter spells are key in preventing Gray Slaad from hitting the battlefield in the first place, while exile and removal spells like Path to Exile or Doom Blade can effectively handle it before it gets out of hand. Should you find yourself face to face with Entropic Decay, artifact-based strategies, including graveyard shuffling effects, can nullify the permanent loss. It’s also wise to limit the number of valuable targets on the board, thus minimizing Entropic Decay’s impact.
Timing is everything. Swiftly addressing Gray Slaad before its metamorphosis—or managing your resources smartly against Entropic Decay—could very well mean the difference between a win or a loss in this complex game of strategy and wits.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Gray Slaad // Entropic Decay MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate and Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate, 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 Gray Slaad // Entropic Decay and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Gray Slaad // Entropic Decay Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2022-06-10 and 2022-07-07. Illustrated by Piotr Foksowicz.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2022-06-10 | Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate | CLB | 129 | 2015 | Adventure | Black | Piotr Foksowicz | |
| 2 | 2022-07-07 | Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate | HBG | 156 | 2015 | Adventure | Black | Piotr Foksowicz |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Gray Slaad // Entropic Decay has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Gray Slaad // Entropic Decay card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2022-06-10 | An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it’s in your graveyard, Altar of Bhaal is an artifact card whose mana value is 2. |
| 2022-06-10 | An effect may refer to a card, spell, or permanent that “has an Adventure.” This refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an adventurer card’s set of alternative characteristics, even if they’re not being used and even if that card was never cast as an Adventure. |
| 2022-06-10 | Casting a card as an Adventure isn’t casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure. |
| 2022-06-10 | If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner’s graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won’t be exiled and the spell’s controller won’t be able to cast it as a permanent later. |
| 2022-06-10 | If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won’t give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell. |
| 2022-06-10 | If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it’s not possible to cast the copy from exile. |
| 2022-06-10 | If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose. |
| 2022-06-10 | If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it’s a token) or cease to be a copy (if it’s a nontoken permanent), and so you won’t be able to cast it as an Adventure. |
| 2022-06-10 | If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it’s legal to cast that spell. |
| 2022-06-10 | When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card’s normal characteristics. The spell’s color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics. |
| 2022-06-10 | You must still follow any relevant timing rules for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you’ll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty. |