Grim Discovery MTG Card

A dual-purpose tool, Grim Discovery returns both creature and land cards, substantially boosting resource availability. Despite its strengths, Grim Discovery can be a liability if it’s cast in mana-tight or resource-scarce situations. Its unique dual-recovery benefits make it a formidable inclusion in any strategic deck that prizes graveyard utilization.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery

Text of card

Choose one or both — Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand; and/or return target land card from your graveyard to your hand.

Few among the living understand just how much of their world is shaped by the ruins of the dead.

Cards like Grim Discovery

Grim Discovery stands out in the realm of creature and land recovery spells. It shares its fundamental objectives with cards like Cadaver Imp, which also retrieves a creature from the graveyard to a player’s hand. Yet, Grim Discovery offers an added benefit, the potential to return a land card as well. Cadaver Imp, while providing a creature, doesn’t have this dual retrieval capability.

Looking at Restore, it shows some overlap, focusing solely on getting lands back from the graveyard. Although beneficial in land-focused decks, it doesn’t offer the creature recovery that Grim Discovery does. Then there’s Morbid Recovery – a card that provides creature return with flashback, giving it a second life from the graveyard. However, Grim Discovery maintains an edge with its immediate dual-purpose utility.

When weighing the versatility and value of different return-to-hand spells, Grim Discovery is a competitive option for MTG players who want to maximize the strategic advantages from their graveyard, combining both crucial aspects of gameplay, creatures, and land recovery, in a single, efficient package.

Cadaver Imp - MTG Card versions
Restore - MTG Card versions
Cadaver Imp - MTG Card versions
Restore - MTG Card versions

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

Drain Life - MTG Card versions
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Sinkhole - MTG Card versions
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Hunger of the Nim - MTG Card versions
Drain Life - MTG Card versions
Demonic Tutor - MTG Card versions
Sinkhole - MTG Card versions
Word of Binding - MTG Card versions
Soul Exchange - MTG Card versions
Dry Spell - MTG Card versions
Hymn to Tourach - MTG Card versions
Mind Knives - MTG Card versions
Shattered Crypt - MTG Card versions
Disturbed Burial - MTG Card versions
Death Stroke - MTG Card versions
Exhume - MTG Card versions
Imperial Edict - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Intent - MTG Card versions
Decompose - MTG Card versions
Chainer's Edict - MTG Card versions
Walk the Plank - MTG Card versions
Predators' Hour - MTG Card versions
Nausea - MTG Card versions
Hunger of the Nim - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

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

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Lurrus SagaLurrus Saga VintageLurrus SagaVintage League 2024-03-11
UBUB PauperPauper Challenge 64 2023-12-17
Esper MiraclesEsper Miracles LegacyEsper Control2023 NA Legacy Champs
Dimir ScamDimir Scam LegacyGrixis Scam2023 Asia Legacy Championship

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Grim Discovery is a standout card for those looking to pull ahead in the game by maximizing their resources. The ability to retrieve a creature card combined with the option to return a land card from your graveyard to your hand paves the way for sustained card advantage, ensuring that you rarely find yourself at a loss for options.

Resource Acceleration: The power of Grim Discovery lies in its flexibility and resource acceleration. By bringing back a previously used land card, you effectively accelerate your mana base, opening the door to replay powerful lands or simply ensuring land drops to cast high-impact spells sooner.

Instant Speed: While Grim Discovery isn’t cast at instant speed, its sorcery nature allows you to plan your turns with precision, carefully timing your graveyard retrieval to maximize the impact on your game strategy without the need to worry about leaving mana open.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Grim Discovery demands a payment cost beyond its mana cost, a card must be discarded from your hand to activate its potential benefits. When your hand is already scarce, this can further deplete valuable resources you might need later in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting requires not just any mana, but specifically one black mana. If you’re running a multicolor deck lacking in black mana sources, Grim Discovery could end up stuck in your hand, unplayable, hampering your strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although two mana might not seem a lot, Grim Discovery is competing with other cards in the two-mana slot. In certain situations, alternative cards may offer quicker or more impactful effects at a similar or lesser cost, potentially edging Grim Discovery out of the deck.

Reasons to Include Grim Discovery in Your Collection

Versatility: Grim Discovery proves to be a flexible addition to decks that rely on graveyard interaction. Its ability to return a creature and a land from your graveyard to your hand can fit into various strategies, from reanimator to landfall decks.

Combo Potential: This card works well with numerous combos, particularly in decks that deliberately send cards to the graveyard. When paired with sacrifice or self-mill tactics, Grim Discovery can be an engine for recurring key pieces.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where removal is prevalent, being able to recover essential creatures and lands from the graveyard can give you a significant advantage. Grim Discovery allows you to maintain pressure and regain resources, which can be crucial for staying competitive.

How to beat

Grim Discovery is a unique spell in MTG that can catch opponents off guard by returning a creature and a land card from the graveyard to a player’s hand. This dual recovery can be especially potent in decks that capitalize on graveyard synergies. To effectively combat Grim Discovery, it’s crucial to limit what your opponent can retrieve. Graveyard hate cards, like Rest in Peace or Relic of Progenitus, can remove the targets before Grim Discovery is even cast. Additionally, instant-speed removal can disrupt your opponent’s plans by exiling key cards in response to the cast of Grim Discovery.

Another strategy involves countering the spell outright. Utilize counterspells such as Negate or Dovin’s Veto if you’re playing blue. These can provide a firm answer not only to Grim Discovery but to other problematic spells as well. Finally, timing is essential. Be aware of the state of your opponent’s graveyard and their available mana; often, the best moment to act is right before they have the opportunity to utilize Grim Discovery to its fullest potential.

By integrating these strategies, players can effectively neutralize or even turn the tables against the advantages that Grim Discovery provides, maintaining control of the game’s pacing and the resources available to each player.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Grim Discovery MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar and Duel Decks: Nissa vs. Ob Nixilis, 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 Discovery and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Grim Discovery Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2009-10-02 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Christopher Moeller.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12009-10-02ZendikarZEN 912003NormalBlackChristopher Moeller
22016-09-02Duel Decks: Nissa vs. Ob NixilisDDR 512015NormalBlackChristopher Moeller
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 6792015NormalBlackChristopher Moeller
42020-09-26The ListPLST DDR-512015NormalBlackChristopher Moeller

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Grim Discovery has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal