Grim Return MTG Card


Grim Return provides a surprise element with instant speed, allowing key plays during complex battlefield conditions. It fits various decks, especially where creatures enter and leave the battlefield frequently. While powerful, Grim Return requires careful graveyard management and might be mana restrictive.
Grim Return - Magic 2014
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeInstant
Released2013-07-19
Set symbol
Set nameMagic 2014
Set codeM14
Number100
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred bySeb McKinnon

Text of card

Choose target creature card in a graveyard that was put there from the battlefield this turn. Put that card onto the battlefield under your control.

The necromancer's touch strips away memory and loyalty, and only strength and malice remain.


Cards like Grim Return

Grim Return is a unique resurrection magic card that allows players to bring back creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield. This ability mirrors the function of other classic revival spells like Animate Dead and Zombify. While Animate Dead is an enchantment that requires continuous control and Zombify operates as a straightforward resurrection with no strings attached, Grim Return stands out with its instant speed ability to snatch creatures at the crucial moment right after they’ve been put into the graveyard.

In the realm of reanimation, we also find the card Exhume, which is less specific but affects both players, potentially a drawback in the wrong scenario. This makes Grim Return more strategic, by focusing solely on your battlefield without aiding your opponent. Then, there’s Rise from the Grave which can return creatures from any graveyard to your battlefield as a zombie addition. Like Grim Return, it targets a single creature, but it’s less flexible due to being a sorcery.

Evaluating Grim Return alongside its counterparts, its instant speed gives it a unique edge in gameplay, allowing for unexpected plays and reversing fortunes in the blink of an eye, cementing its position as a competitive option for resurrection in the game.

Animate Dead - MTG Card versions
Zombify - MTG Card versions
Exhume - MTG Card versions
Rise from the Grave - MTG Card versions
Animate Dead - MTG Card versions
Zombify - MTG Card versions
Exhume - MTG Card versions
Rise from the Grave - MTG Card versions

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

Spoils of Evil - MTG Card versions
Dark Banishing - MTG Card versions
Carrion - MTG Card versions
Sick and Tired - MTG Card versions
Corpse Dance - MTG Card versions
Bone Harvest - MTG Card versions
Slay - MTG Card versions
Afflict - MTG Card versions
Dismember - MTG Card versions
Body Count - MTG Card versions
Reaping the Graves - MTG Card versions
Execute - MTG Card versions
Kill! Destroy! - MTG Card versions
Sudden Death - MTG Card versions
Footbottom Feast - MTG Card versions
Fevered Strength - MTG Card versions
Hideous End - MTG Card versions
Corpse Lunge - MTG Card versions
Necrobite - MTG Card versions
Murder - MTG Card versions
Spoils of Evil - MTG Card versions
Dark Banishing - MTG Card versions
Carrion - MTG Card versions
Sick and Tired - MTG Card versions
Corpse Dance - MTG Card versions
Bone Harvest - MTG Card versions
Slay - MTG Card versions
Afflict - MTG Card versions
Dismember - MTG Card versions
Body Count - MTG Card versions
Reaping the Graves - MTG Card versions
Execute - MTG Card versions
Kill! Destroy! - MTG Card versions
Sudden Death - MTG Card versions
Footbottom Feast - MTG Card versions
Fevered Strength - MTG Card versions
Hideous End - MTG Card versions
Corpse Lunge - MTG Card versions
Necrobite - MTG Card versions
Murder - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Grim Return provides strategic advantage by allowing you to target any creature card in a graveyard and put it onto the battlefield under your control. This key move can potentially disrupt your opponent’s strategy while bolstering your own forces.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana or tokens, Grim Return can accelerate your game plan by effectively reanimating a high-cost creature with potent abilities for a mere three mana investment, meaning more significant threats or valuable creatures can be played ahead of curve.

Instant Speed: The speed at which Grim Return can be cast adds a layer of flexibility to your gameplay, enabling you to respond to the ever-changing battlefield conditions. Recovering a creature can be a game-changing move after a wrath-style effect or combat casualties, making it a versatile card in most MTG decks that care about graveyard strategies.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Grim Return necessitates that you have a creature card in your graveyard to target, which can be a setup hurdle in early game scenarios or decks not focused on creature strategies.

Specific Mana Cost: Necessitating two black mana within its three total mana cost, Grim Return may be challenging to cast in multicolored decks or those with an unstable mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its mana cost of three, this card’s resurrection effect could be considered costly, especially when compared with other reanimation spells that might offer a broader selection of targets or additional benefits.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Grim Return is a powerful spell that can be slotted into various deck archetypes. Its ability to reanimate any creature that died this turn means it has potential in a vast array of situations, be it bringing back a key combo piece or a heavy-hitting threat from any graveyard.

Combo Potential: This card shines in combinations with board wipes or sacrifice effects. You can strategically set up the graveyard to ensure your Grim Return fetches the most impactful creature, manipulating the game’s state to your advantage.

Meta-Relevance: In game metas where creatures frequently enter and leave the battlefield, Grim Return’s utility skyrockets. It becomes especially potent in matches with high turnover of creatures, allowing you to turn your opponent’s strategies against them.


How to beat

Grim Return is a potent reanimation spell in Magic: The Gathering that can turn the tide of a game by bringing back a powerful creature just at the right moment. Facing this card, timing is crucial. Employ counterspells or graveyard removal tools like Tormod’s Crypt or Bojuka Bog in the lead-up to your opponent’s key turn. Wait for them to commit a valuable creature to the graveyard and aim to disrupt their plan before they can manifest it back onto the battlefield.

Another efficient way to tackle Grim Return is to make it less impactful. Utilize cards that exile creatures directly from play, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, reducing the number of high-threat targets for Grim Return. Also, consider running proactive cards like Scavenging Ooze that gradually eat away at graveyard resources, making your opponent’s Grim Return significantly less threatening. Nullifying the card can be as simple as keeping the graveyard clean or outpacing your opponent’s strategy with a swift and aggressive game plan.

Strategically speaking, maintaining awareness of your opponent’s potential to play Grim Return and planning around it is the key. If you can preemptively counteract the play or minimize its impact, you’ll stand a much better chance of coming out on top even if this formidable card hits the table.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the intricate features and uses of cards like Grim Return can transform your MTG experience. Whether reanimating pivotal creatures or enabling game-altering combos, the right spells make all the difference. Cards with graveyard interaction like Grim Return can be a linchpin for victory in the right deck, hence knowing their strengths, limitations, and strategic value is paramount for any player. We encourage you to continue unraveling the dynamic strategies that shape the battlefield and invite you to gain further insight into optimizing your deck with Grim Return. Elevate your gameplay by staying abreast of synergies and meta shifts with us.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Grim Return MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2014, 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 Return and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Grim Return has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Grim Return card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2013-07-01 Creature spells that are countered never entered the battlefield, so those cards can’t be chosen as the target of Grim Return.
2013-07-01 You can choose a creature card in any player’s graveyard as long as that card was put there from the battlefield during the turn. A creature card that was put into a graveyard from anywhere else, such as a card that was discarded, can’t be chosen as the target.