Grell Philosopher MTG Card
2022-06-10 - Number 666
2022-06-10 - Number 616
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Horror Wizard |
| Abilities | Aberrant Tinkering |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Text of card
Aberrant Tinkering — When Grell Philosopher enters the battlefield and at the beginning of your upkeep, each Horror you control gains all activated abilities of target artifact an opponent controls until end of turn. You may spend blue mana as though it were mana of any color to activate those abilities.
Cards like Grell Philosopher
Grell Philosopher stands out in the realm of Magic: The Gathering for its thought-provoking ability to disrupt opponent strategies. Comparable to cards such as Mesmeric Fiend, which also peeks into an opponent’s hand, Grell Philosopher takes the concept further. It not only allows you to peep but forces a discard, impacting the opponent’s game plan.
When looking at cards with similar disruptive effects, Brain Maggot enters the fray. This creature similarly exiles a card from an opponent’s hand until it leaves the battlefield. While Brain Maggot doesn’t necessitate the card’s return, the temporary disruption can be pivotal during critical game moments. Grell Philosopher, meanwhile, provides a more permanent solution by discarding the chosen card.
Finally, we have Tidehollow Sculler, a card that shares the exile strategy but handles it slightly differently. It holds onto the exiled card and offers a potentially longer disruption duration. Despite this, Grell Philosopher might be preferable for the guarantee of removing a threat from the game entirely. In the grand scheme of MTG deck building and play, the persistent and definitive nature of Grell Philosopher’s ability is a powerful tool that can sway the balance of a match.
Cards similar to Grell Philosopher by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Grell Philosopher provides unique deck manipulation by allowing players to sift through their library, thus enhancing the chance of drawing desirable cards. This utility is instrumental in securing card quality over sheer quantity, offering a strategic edge.
Resource Acceleration: This card’s synergy with graveyard mechanics can result in indirect resource acceleration. By discarding certain cards, you enable various graveyard-related plays, effectively expediting your strategy deployment on the battlefield.
Instant Speed: Grell Philosopher’s ability to be cast at instant speed affords players the flexibility to react during their opponent’s turn or end step. This characteristic allows for strategic depth, as it can be held back until the most opportune moment, aligning with a well-timed tactical approach.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Grell Philosopher requires discarding a card upon casting, a step that could deplete your hand and strategic options, particularly if your deck isn’t built to capitalize on graveyard mechanics.
Specific Mana Cost: This card necessitates a particular color blend in its casting cost, which constrains its inclusion to decks aligned with that color scheme, potentially reducing its versatility across diverse deck types.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sporting a higher mana cost than some alternative creatures or spells with comparable abilities, Grell Philosopher could affect your curve efficiency, possibly slowing down your gameplay at critical stages.
Reasons to Include Grell Philosopher in Your Collection
Versatility: Grell Philosopher is not just a creature; it offers strategic depth with its ability to influence the graveyard, making it a valuable addition to decks that manipulate their own or their opponent’s graveyard.
Combo Potential: This card has inherent synergies with decks that focus on spellcasting or graveyard-based strategies. Its ability to potentially return spells from the graveyard to your hand could enable repetitive casting or enhance other combo pieces.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where control decks and graveyard tactics prevail, having Grell Philosopher in your arsenal could provide an edge. Its unique graveyard interaction might disrupt your opponent’s plans while advancing your own board state.
How to beat
Grell Philosopher has emerged as a unique creature card in the world of Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to encourage a deck that plays on graveyard strategy sets it apart from other cards, enabling a synergy that could become a thorn in an opponent’s side. Acting early is key when facing this card. Spell removals that can target creatures at instant speed, such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile, could be crucial counters to prevent the Grell Philosopher from ever getting its effects off the ground.
Combat tricks that offer temporary boosts in power and toughness are also effective, making sure your creatures survive the encounter and take down the Grell Philosopher in battle. In addition, graveyard hate cards such as Relic of Progenitus or Tormod’s Crypt can disrupt the graveyard synergy strategy, undermining the very foundation of Grell Philosopher’s value. Lastly, always be prepared to adjust your own gameplay; understanding when to hold back and when to push forward can make a significant difference when navigating against decks that leverage the Grell Philosopher’s potential.
Tackling the challenges of Grell Philosopher combines quick removal, strategic creature combat, and a keen sense of graveyard disruption to ensure the upper hand. By doing so, players can maintain control over the game and neutralize the threats posed by this peculiar creature card.
BurnMana Recommendations
Dive into the intriguing world of MTG with the Grell Philosopher as your muse. This enigmatic card beckons players who appreciate a deck that leverages the untapped power of the graveyard. Its potential to disrupt your opponent’s plans and enhance your own makes it a worthy contender for your collection. Curious about the sophisticated plays it can enable or how to effectively incorporate it into your strategic arsenal? Join us for a deeper exploration and learn how to maximize the profound impact of the Grell Philosopher on your path to MTG mastery.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Grell Philosopher MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate and Commander Legends: Battle for 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 Grell Philosopher and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Grell Philosopher Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2022-06-10 and 2022-06-10. Illustrated by David Astruga.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2022-06-10 | Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate | CLB | 666 | 2015 | Normal | Black | David Astruga | |
| 2 | 2022-06-10 | Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate | CLB | 616 | 2015 | Normal | Black | David Astruga |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Grell Philosopher has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Grell Philosopher 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 | Activated abilities contain a colon. They're generally written “ -ost: -ffect].” Some keywords are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder text. |
| 2022-06-10 | Grell Philosopher causes Horrors to gain only activated abilities. They don't gain keyword abilities (unless those keyword abilities are activated), triggered abilities, or static abilities. |
| 2022-06-10 | The granted abilities effectively use “this permanent” rather than “ -hat card's name],” so you treat the abilities as if they were printed on the creature that gained the ability. For example, say the artifact was Universal Solvent, which has the ability “, , Sacrifice Universal Solvent: Destroy target permanent.” If Grell Philosopher gained that ability, you'd treat it as though it said “, , Sacrifice Grell Philosopher: Destroy target permanent.” |