Gryff Rider MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Knight
Abilities Flying,Training
Power 2
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Repeatable dungeon ventures with Gryff Rider can tip scales in your favor by continually granting in-game bonuses.
  2. Gryff Rider requires careful hand management due to its discard activation yet promises resource acceleration through completed dungeons.
  3. The card’s flying capability provides a consistent, versatile threat, enabling offensive and defensive strategies in multiple deck builds.

Text of card

Flying Training (Whenever this creature attacks with another creature with greater power, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.)

"Keep your heels down and bend at the hips as your mount takes flight. She'll do the rest." —Anders, cathar drillmaster


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gryff Rider boasts an ability that could potentially allow you to repeatedly venture into the dungeon, leading to incremental advantages over the course of a match. This type of repeatable effect can slowly but surely tip the scales in your favor by offering you additional value through dungeon-related perks.

Resource Acceleration: While Gryff Rider itself does not directly accelerate your resources, the dungeons you complete thanks to its venture mechanism can. Whether it’s scrying, drawing a card, or even creating a Treasure token, the dungeons offer multiple paths to indirectly boost your resources in the long run.

Instant Speed: The ability to flash in creatures can be a game-changer and Gryff Rider, with the right setup, can benefit from such dynamics. Although Gryff Rider doesn’t have flash inherently, within the right deck, giving it instant speed through various enabler cards could allow for surprising defensive maneuvers or for launching unexpected attacks during your opponent’s turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Gryff Rider necessitates discarding a card to activate its abilities. This condition can be a significant setback when hand size is important for maintaining strategic advantage on the battlefield.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature card requires white mana in its casting cost, which might not seamlessly fit into multicolored or non-white decks, potentially limiting its versatility across various deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana value, other cards may offer more impact or value for the same or lower cost. This can affect deck efficiency, especially in fast-paced games where mana economy is crucial.


Reasons to Include Gryff Rider in Your Collection

Versatility: Gryff Rider is a flexible addition to decks, fitting seamlessly into strategies that appreciate creatures with flying. This card can serve both offensive and defensive roles within a variety of deck archetypes.

Combo Potential: Given its flying ability, Gryff Rider pairs well with cards that capitalize on creatures with flying or buff aerial attackers, opening opportunities for powerful synergies within a deck’s strategy.

Meta-Relevance: If flying creatures are prevalent in the current metagame, including Gryff Rider becomes even more compelling. Its capability to consistently apply pressure in the air can be a decisive factor in many matchups.


How to beat

Gryff Rider is an intriguing creature card that brings versatility to the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. With its flying ability, it often soars over ground defenses, and paired with the right synergies, such as human or knight tribal buffs, this card can become a substantial threat. Nonetheless, like all cards, it has its vulnerabilities.

To effectively counter Gryff Rider, removal spells are your best option. Consider using direct removal like Doom Blade or Murder to dispatch the Gryff Rider before its potential becomes a reality on the battlefield. Targeted spells are invaluable here since they can bypass the flying ability, removing the creature regardless of its position. Another strategy is to include creatures with reach in your deck, as they can block flying creatures like Gryff Rider. Cards such as Giant Spider not only serve as a defense against flyers but can also act as deterrents, discouraging your opponent from attacking.

In summary, while Gryff Rider can enhance your opponent’s aggressive strategies, its impact can be mitigated. With the right removal spells or defensive creatures featuring reach, you can neutralize Gryff Rider, maintaining control of the aerial zone of the game.


Cards like Gryff Rider

Gryff Rider adds a unique twist to the category of creature spells with flying in Magic: The Gathering. It could be likened to other creatures such as Leonin Skyhunter, which also boasts of flying and presents itself as a sturdy two-cost creature. But, Gryff Rider steps up the gameplay with vigilance, allowing it to be a constant threat without the drawback of tapping when attacking.

Another creature to consider in this comparison is Healer’s Hawk. It shares the flying ability and even steps it up with lifelink, giving you precious life points with each attack. Despite its perks, Healer’s Hawk falls short with only 1/1 in stats, whereas Gryff Rider offers a more formidable presence on the battlefield at 2/2. Then we have Sunspire Griffin, a creature similar in its 2/3 stat line and flying. While Sunspire Griffin might seem like a stronger alternative, it is also more mana-intensive, making Gryff Rider a more agile option early on in the game.

In summary, Gryff Rider holds a favorable position among its peers with flying in MTG due to its balanced cost, vigilance, and solid stats, making it a worthwhile consideration for decks seeking aerial dominance and consistent board presence.

Leonin Skyhunter - MTG Card versions
Healer's Hawk - MTG Card versions
Sunspire Griffin - MTG Card versions
Leonin Skyhunter - Mirrodin (MRD)
Healer's Hawk - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)
Sunspire Griffin - Return to Ravnica (RTR)

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Argivian Blacksmith - MTG Card versions
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Argivian Blacksmith - Antiquities (ATQ)
Jamuraan Lion - Media Inserts (PMEI)
Femeref Knight - Mirage (MIR)
Border Guard - Portal (POR)
Benalish Knight - Anthologies (ATH)
Regal Unicorn - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Wild Griffin - Starter 2000 (S00)
Pianna, Nomad Captain - Odyssey (ODY)
Dogged Hunter - Odyssey (ODY)
Diving Griffin - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Faithful Squire // Kaiso, Memory of Loyalty - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Freewind Equenaut - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Sanctum Guardian - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Field Marshal - Coldsnap (CSP)
Kithkin Healer - Lorwyn (LRW)
Kor Hookmaster - Zendikar (ZEN)
Zhalfirin Commander - Duel Decks: Knights vs. Dragons (DDG)
Silverblade Paladin - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Emancipation Angel - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Steelform Sliver - Magic 2014 (M14)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gryff Rider // Gryff Rider MTG card by a specific set like Crimson Vow Art Series and Innistrad: Crimson Vow, 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 Gryff Rider // Gryff Rider and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Gryff Rider // Gryff Rider Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-11-19 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Yongjae Choi.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12021-11-19Crimson Vow Art SeriesAVOW 102015art_seriesborderlessYongjae Choi
22021-11-19Innistrad: Crimson VowVOW 152015normalblackYongjae Choi
32022-01-28Innistrad: Double FeatureDBL 2822015normalblackYongjae Choi

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gryff Rider has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-11-19 A creature's training ability triggers only when both that creature and a creature with greater power are declared as attackers. Increasing a creature's power after attackers are declared won't cause a training ability to trigger.
2021-11-19 Once a creature's training ability has triggered, destroying the other attacking creature or reducing its power won't stop the creature with training from getting a +1/+1 counter.

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