Grim Feast MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment |
| Released | 1996-10-08 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Mirage |
| Set code | MIR |
| Number | 265 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Mike Kimble |
Text of card
At the beginning of your upkeep, Grim Feast deals 1 damage to you. Whenever a creature is put into target opponent's graveyard from play, gain an amount of life equal to that creature's toughness.
"Hmmm—midnight snack."
Cards like Grim Feast
Grim Feast is an intriguing enchantment in Magic: The Gathering, providing a unique life-gain mechanism. Its closest relatives in effect include Zulaport Cutthroat and Blood Artist, which also allow players to gain life whenever a creature dies. Grim Feast, distinctively, grants life gain equal to the creature’s toughness, offering potentially more life per trigger. Zulaport Cutthroat and Blood Artist, conversely, provide a set gain of one life per creature, irrespective of size.
Exploring parallel enchantments, we encounter Deathgreeter, which offers a life gain every time another creature dies, parallel to Grim Feast’s function. However, Deathgreeter is limited by its one-time gain of one life per death, unlike Grim Feast’s scalability based on creature toughness. This makes Grim Feast favorable in a game where larger creatures are prevalent.
To encapsulate, Grim Feast holds a distinct edge in lifegain enchantments within Magic: The Gathering. It thrives in environments with substantial creatures, scaling its benefits accordingly, whereas similar cards offer more consistent, yet fixed, life gains, marking Grim Feast as a card to consider for player decks that interact frequently with creature deaths.
Cards similar to Grim Feast by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Grim Feast provides ongoing benefit by granting you life points whenever a creature card is put into an opponent’s graveyard from play. These incremental gains can quickly add up, providing you with a strong advantage over the course of the game.
Resource Acceleration: While Grim Feast doesn’t explicitly ramp your mana resources, the life points it generates can be critical in sustaining your presence on the battlefield. This, in turn, allows for more aggressive plays and better utilization of mana-heavy spells without the imminent threat of losing from low life.
Instant Speed: Grim Feast operates automatically at the pace of the game—its effect triggers instantly whenever it’s conditioned are met. This means that the advantages it confers don’t require additional mana or turns to utilize, leaving your resources free to react to opponents’ moves or further your board state.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Grim Feast calls for a specific condition to actively exploit its benefits. Without creatures hitting the graveyard, its utility could become negligible, especially if you’re facing off against decks that don’t rely on creatures.
Specific Mana Cost: The card demands a precise mana alignment of one black and two other colors to be played. This can be restricting since it necessitates having a mana base that can consistently produce these colors, potentially complicating your deck’s mana curve and flexibility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of three mana, Grim Feast is a card that requires a significant early-game investment. It competes with other impactful three-mana spells or creatures that could otherwise be affecting the game state. Moreover, it’s an enchantment that does not affect the board immediately, which might lead to tempo loss against more aggressive strategies.
Reasons to Include Grim Feast in Your Collection
Versatility: Grim Feast’s ability adds a unique layer of survivability to any deck, particularly those looking to capitalize on life-gain strategies or offset aggressive playstyles that come with life-costing spells.
Combo Potential: Dealing with creatures is a common game move, and Grim Feast turns these occurrences into opportunities. Pair it with cards that manipulate creatures’ demise to maximize life-gained benefits.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based strategies prevail, Grim Feast can serve as a counterbalance, providing you with a steady source of life as creatures fall, which can often be the difference-maker in a match.
How to beat Grim Feast
Grim Feast is a unique enchantment in the world of Magic: The Gathering. This card, from the Mirage set, offers a lifegain trigger whenever a creature is put into an opponent’s graveyard. To effectively counteract Grim Feast’s benefits, it’s essential to consider strategies that limit creature deaths or neutralize lifegain effects.
One effective technique is to employ graveyard disruption. Cards that exile creatures rather than sending them to the graveyard, such as Path to Exile or Leyline of the Void, can be excellent choices. Another strategy is to use enchantment removal like Disenchant to eliminate Grim Feast directly from the battlefield. Denying your opponent the triggers from Grim Feast can severely compromise their game plan, especially if they rely heavily on the incremental life gain to maintain a lead.
Additionally, including cards that punish lifegain can turn the tables on a Grim Feast strategy. Tainted Remedy, for example, transforms any lifegain into life loss, making Grim Feast a liability rather than an asset. By adapting your deck to include answers to key strategies, you can maintain an edge over cards like Grim Feast, keeping you one step ahead in the metagame.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Grim Feast MTG card by a specific set like Mirage, 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 Feast and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Grim Feast has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Grim Feast card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | It affects all opposing players in a multiplayer game. |