Grindclock MTG Card

Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
2010-10-01 - Number 163

Magic 2015 (M15)
2014-07-18 - Number 217

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Rare
Type	Artifact
Abilities	Mill

Key Takeaways

Grindclock provides card advantage by milling, influencing draw quality indirectly.
It exemplifies resource acceleration, increasing win condition potency passively.
Though not instantly activated, it enables instant-speed play strategies.

Text of card

: Put a charge counter on Grindclock. : Target player puts the top X cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard, where X is the number of charge counters on Grindclock.

Pray you never hear it chime.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Grindclock leverages the power of time, ticking up counters to potentially dilute your opponent’s deck and improve the quality of your draws.

Resource Acceleration: Acting as a form of inevitability, Grindclock speeds up the win condition by accumulating counters passively, without necessitating further mana investments.

Instant Speed: While the artifact itself does not function at instant speed, it sets the stage for instant-speed interaction by threatening to mill the opponent at a moment’s notice, often requiring an immediate answer.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Grindclock demands a significant resource commitment to increase its charge counters, which is an intrinsic part of its function. This continuous investment can be detrimental when you’re trying to maintain card advantage or develop board presence.

Specific Mana Cost: Grindclock requires a specific initial investment of two colorless mana. This can present difficulties in multicolored decks where mana flexibility is essential and colorless mana sources might be limited.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the initial cast is modestly priced, the true cost comes in the form of needing to tap it and not develop your board further. Other cards in a similar cost bracket may advance your game state immediately or have a more substantial impact when they come into play.

Reasons to Include Grindclock in Your Collection

Versatility: Grindclock can be a useful piece in a variety of deck archetypes that use artifact synergies or focus on mill strategies to win the game. Its ability to adapt to different game states makes it an asset in numerous situations.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to accumulate charge counters and mill an opponent’s deck is a strong combo enabler. It meshes well with cards that proliferate or duplicate counter-related abilities, exponentially increasing its effectiveness.

Meta-Relevance: With a constantly shifting MTG metagame, Grindclock maintains relevance as a unique artifact that can target opponents’ strategic resources in their library, disrupting their game plan and potentially leading to a quick win if left unchecked.

How to beat

Grindclock offers a unique approach to victory in Magic: The Gathering by steadily milling an opponent’s library, turning the passage of turns into a countdown to defeat. This artifact provides a build-up mechanic, increasing its grind counters to boost its milling capability each turn. To effectively counter it, consider quick removal spells that can target artifacts such as Abrade or Naturalize, disrupting the strategy before it accumulates too many counters.

An alternative strategy is to focus on artifact recursion tactics. Cards like Artifact Ward or Padeem, Consul of Innovation can provide your artifacts with protection, rendering Grindclock’s threat moot. Additionally, leveraging graveyard shuffling effects with cards like Elixir of Immortality can refill your library, negating the milling strategy Grindclock relies on.

Ultimately, staying aware of the board state and maintaining access to artifact removal or protection holds the key to overcoming the steady ticking threat of Grindclock. By disrupting its setup or defending your own key pieces, you ensure that your opponent’s Grindclock doesn’t run down the clock on your game plan.

Cards like Grindclock

Grindclock takes its place in the lineage of MTG mill cards, those designed to delve deep into an opponent’s library and win by depletion. One relative, Mesmeric Orb, shares the essence of passive milling yet differs as it mills based on untapped permanents. Grindclock, with its charge counters, provides strategic control over when to initiate the milling, while Mesmeric Orb’s continuous effect doesn’t offer the same discretion.

Another akin device of library destruction is the famed Millstone. Modeled closely after Grindclock in both purpose and mechanical theme, Millstone lacks the scalability Grindclock possesses. As the game progresses, Grindclock can potentially churn through larger sections of a deck, opposed to Millstone’s constant two-card pace. Then comes the Hedron Crab, which, although not an artifact, performs a similar function. Each landfall triggers the crab to mill, offering a synergy with land plays but less control than Grindclock’s accruing counters.

In the realm of MTG milling strategies, Grindclock demonstrates its unique advantage through adjustable milling intensity, growing more formidable with time and setting a standard for adaptive library sabotage in the game.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Grindclock MTG card by a specific set like Scars of Mirrodin and Magic 2015, 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 Grindclock and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Grindclock Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2010-10-01 and 2014-07-18. Illustrated by Nils Hamm.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2010-10-01	Scars of Mirrodin	SOM		163	2003	Normal	Black	Nils Hamm
2	2014-07-18	Magic 2015	M15		217	2015	Normal	Black	Nils Hamm

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Grindclock has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2014-07-18	If Grindclock isn’t on the battlefield when its last ability resolves, use the number of charge counters on it when it left the battlefield to determine how many cards to put into the graveyard.