Greel's Caress MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant, Flash
Released	2000-06-05
Set symbol
Set name	Prophecy
Set code	PCY
Number	67
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Chippy

Key Takeaways

Strips key cards from opponents, potentially swaying the game in your favor by disrupting their plans.
Instant speed of Greel’s Caress allows for strategic timing, maximizing its disruptive capability.
The dual-edged nature requires careful hand and resource management to leverage its full potential.

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.

Text of card

You may play Greel's Caress any time you could play an instant. Enchanted creature gets -3/-0.

Greel's grin is far less loathsome than his touch.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Greel’s Caress, you can delve into your opponent’s hand, selecting cards that they must discard. This not only depletes their resources but potentially gives you an upper hand by removing key pieces from their strategy.

Resource Acceleration: Although Greel’s Caress does not directly generate mana or tokens, forcing discards could indirectly accelerate your resources. By stripping away threats or answers from an opponent, it clears the path for your own game plan to progress with less interference.

Instant Speed: The utility of Greel’s Caress being an instant cannot be overstated. This allows you to disrupt your opponent’s plans at a crucial moment, be it in the middle of their combo setup or right before a significant spell cast, ensuring that you’re always one step ahead.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Greel’s Caress demands the player to discard two cards, which could significantly deplete a hand, leaving fewer options for subsequent turns.

Specific Mana Cost: Necessitating one black and two generic mana, it requires a commitment to black mana sources, potentially restricting deck flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana for its effect, players might find themselves facing more efficient disruption spells in the MTG environment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Greel’s Caress has the ability to disrupt your opponent’s hand while giving you a peek at their secret weapons. Its utility is not limited to a single strategy, making it a flexible addition to any deck that favors a bit of hand sabotage.

Combo Potential: This card can work seamlessly with other discard mechanisms to whittle down your opponent’s options, amplifying the impact of cards that capitalize on the number of cards in your opponent’s graveyard or their lack of hand.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where players rely heavily on specific combo pieces or a particular set of cards, the targeted discard effect of Greel’s Caress can significantly hamper their game plans, making it a strategic choice for decks that aim to disrupt the opponent.

How to beat

Confronted with Greel’s Caress, players need astute strategies. Simply put, this spell subtly chips away at your hand size, posing a creeping threat. Opposite to aggressive destruction spells, Greel’s Caress wears down your options, which can be particularly damaging in the late game when resources are at a premium. As it functions akin to a persistent pressure point rather than an overwhelming force, cracking the puzzle of Greel’s Caress requires a specific approach.

The key lies in maintaining a robust hand and versatile counters. Cards that grant card draw can replenish your hand, nullifying the gradual depletion induced by Greel’s Caress. Furthermore, instant speed interaction allows you to stay ahead of such enchantments, ideally removing them before their effect becomes too burdensome. Incorporating cards that can retrieve others from the graveyard also lets you regain what was lost. Ultimately, adapting your play to prioritize hand size and resiliency will elevate your game above the insidious reach of Greel’s Caress.

While Greel’s Caress challenges players to rethink their strategy, an attentive and proactive approach can ensure it becomes a manageable aspect of the match rather than a roadblock to victory within the nuanced and ever-evolving landscape of MTG.

Cards like Greel's Caress

Greel’s Caress presents an interesting comparison to other daunting control cards in MTG. Much like the intimidating touch of Greel’s Caress, cards like Mind Rot force a player’s hand, compelling them to discard, which can be a game-changer by disrupting the opponent’s strategy. However, while Greel’s Caress requires to pay life alongside its casting cost, Mind Rot offers a straightforward approach without additional life loss.

Delving further into the theme of psychological warfare, we find Hymn to Tourach. It shares the element of unpredictability with Greel’s Caress, randomly discarding two cards from your opponent’s hand. Though Hymn to Tourach costs less mana, Greel’s Caress offers a repeatable effect provided you’re willing to pay the price in life. Then, there’s the infamous Thoughtseize, which allows for targeted discard and has the benefit of costing only one mana. The trade-off with Thoughtseize is the lower cost but fixed one-time use, unlike Greel’s Caress which has potential for multiple activations affecting your opponent’s game plan over several turns.

Considering the impact and cost-effectiveness of discard effects in MTG, Greel’s Caress holds its own. Its ability to recur, balanced with a life cost, makes it a formidable presence in games where resource management and long-term strategies take precedence.

Cards similar to Greel's Caress 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 Greel's Caress MTG card by a specific set like Prophecy, 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 Greel's Caress and other MTG cards: