Skeletal Grimace MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant
Released	2011-09-30
Set symbol
Set name	Innistrad
Set code	ISD
Number	116
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Eric Deschamps

Key Takeaways

Instant speed casting of Skeletal Grimace offers strategic flexibility during critical gameplay moments.
Improves creature longevity on the battlefield with its potential for regeneration.
Demands careful hand resource management due to its required discard.

Text of card

Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has ": Regenerate this creature."

"And then I realized we all have skeletons on the inside. Why wait until the bodies are dead to control them?" —Jadar, ghoulcaller of Nephalia

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Skeletal Grimace ensures that your creatures become tougher to remove, effectively protecting your investments and maintaining your presence on the board.

Resource Acceleration: This enchantment increases the efficiency of your creature by giving it +1/+1. While not directly providing mana acceleration, it helps in sustaining your threats and maximizing the potential of your resources.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Skeletal Grimace at instant speed provides flexibility, allowing you to respond to threats or improve your defense during your opponent’s turn, catching them off-guard and preserving your strategy.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When you’re looking to beef up your creature with Skeletal Grimace, keep in mind that it necessitates a card in your hand you’re willing to part with. This can be a hurdle when your hand is dwindling, and each card could potentially be instrumental in achieving victory on the battlefield.

Specific Mana Cost: Strategizing your mana is crucial in MTG, and Skeletal Grimace demands a precise combination for casting—a constricting factor if your deck isn’t heavy on black mana sources or if you’re caught in a tight spot with a varied mana pool.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although the attached regeneration ability can be a game-changer, the mana investment might not always align with your deck’s tempo. There are alternatives available that could offer similar protective benefits without such a significant cost, leaving more room for maneuvers within your mana budget.

Reasons to Include Skeletal Grimace in Your Collection

Versatility: Skeletal Grimace offers flexible options for various deck types, particularly those looking for cost-effective ways to protect their important creatures. The ability to grant +1/+1 and regenerate makes it a handy tool in aggressive decks as well as more defensive strategies.

Combo Potential: This enchantment can enable synergies with creature-based decks that thrive on keeping their key monsters on the battlefield. Its regenerative capability allows for riskier plays and unexpected combat tricks, making it a pivotal piece in tactical combo setups.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where spot removal is prevalent, the protective aspect of Skeletal Grimace gains extra weight. The capacity to save creatures from destruction can tilt games in your favor, thereby making it a solid choice in the often creature-centric meta-game.

How to beat

Skeletal Grimace adds a layer of resilience to creatures on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. It’s akin to other protective enchantments, yet distinctive with its ability to grant a creature +1/+1 and regenerate. This combination means that even if the creature would be destroyed, it can bounce back by regenerating, effectively shielding it from a single lethal blow each turn if you have the mana to spare.

To effectively counteract the perseverance Skeletal Grimace provides, removal spells that don’t destroy but exile or bounce the enchanted creature back to the owner’s hand can be strategic. Cards such as Path to Exile or Unsummon circumvent the regeneration ability by not engaging in destruction. Additionally, enchantment removal spells like Naturalize or Disenchant can directly remove Skeletal Grimace, stripping the creature of its defenses and making it vulnerable once again.

Understanding the ins and outs of these strategic interactions is crucial in MTG. Overcoming a card like Skeletal Grimace requires a player to leverage the wealth of instant-speed removal and bounce spells or focused enchantment destruction, ensuring that the creature equipped with this grim accessory stays down for the count when targeted.

Cards like Skeletal Grimace

Skeletal Grimace adds a unique flavor to the suite of enchant creature spells in MTG. It’s often placed alongside other auras like Unholy Strength, which also gives a creature a power boost. Skeletal Grimace, however, has an extra perk with its regeneration ability, offering a shield that can keep your creatures in play even after a lethal blow. Unholy Strength lacks this survivability feature, providing only the bonus to power without any form of protection.

Delving deeper into the realm of creature buffs, we find Dragon Mantle. While this enchantment also increases a creature’s power and offers the draw-a-card benefit upon entering the battlefield, it doesn’t safeguard your creatures like Skeletal Grimace’s regeneration. Comparing the two, players might weigh the value of immediate card advantage against the resilience provided by regeneration.

In summary, while there are a number of spell options for empowering creatures in MTG, Skeletal Grimace holds its own among them, particularly for players who aim to maintain a battlefield presence. Its ability to potentially save a creature from destruction makes it a valuable asset in decks that capitalize on creature survivability.

Cards similar to Skeletal Grimace by color, type and mana cost

Chains of Mephistopheles - MTG Card versions

Tribute to Horobi // Echo of Death's Wail - MTG Card versions

Aphemia, the Cacophony - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Skeletal Grimace MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad, 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 Skeletal Grimace and other MTG cards: