River's Grasp MTG Card

Combines board control with drawing a card, making a significant impact on the game’s momentum. Instant speed enables surprising counterplays and flexible mana management during matches. Requires card discard and specific mana, limiting its versatility and efficiency in some decks.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Sorcery
Released	2008-05-02
Set symbol
Set name	Shadowmoor
Set code	SHM
Number	174
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Steven Belledin

Text of card

If was spent to play River's Grasp, return up to one target creature to its owner's hand. If was spent to play River's Grasp, target player reveals his or her hand, you choose a nonland card from it, then that player discards that card. (Do both if was spent.)

Cards like River's Grasp

River’s Grasp is a noteworthy card that offers both control and card advantage in one package. When looking for parallels in Magic: The Gathering, it evokes comparisons with cards like Recoil from the Invasion set. Both cards allow a player to return a target to its owner’s hand, but River’s Grasp gives an extra advantage by drawing a card, which Recoil does not provide. Despite this, Recoil only demands a single blue and one black mana to play, making it slightly more mana-efficient compared to the three mana needed for River’s Grasp.

Examining further, we can refer to the card Capsize which, like River’s Grasp, has the flexibility of being played at instant speed. Capsize, with its “buyback” option, can potentially be reused, offering a different type of long-term value. However, it doesn’t naturally include card draw. Another card worthy of mention is Into the Roil. This card shares the bounce and draw mechanics, albeit it draws a card only if the kicker cost is paid, which is a slight limitation compared to the automatic card draw from River’s Grasp.

Hence, while River’s Grasp might not be the most mana-efficient option in terms of bounce spells with upside, it certainly holds its own in terms of providing immediate card advantage and board impact in every cast.

Cards similar to River's Grasp by color, type and mana cost

Call of the Nightwing - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: River’s Grasp enables a player to both return a nonland permanent an opponent controls to their hand and to draw a card. This dual action not only disrupts the opponent’s board presence but also ensures replenishment of your own hand, offering a significant shift in the game’s momentum.

Resource Acceleration: While River’s Grasp doesn’t directly create Treasure tokens or produce mana, the sheer fact it combines disruption with card draw means a player can potentially accelerate their resources by finding the necessary land or spells more quickly, thus fostering a strategic advantage.

Instant Speed: As an instant, River’s Grasp provides tactical flexibility, allowing players to act during the opponent’s turn. This can lead to a surprise tempo swing, disrupting what might appear to be a carefully laid out plan or victory march by the opposing side. Additionally, this instant-speed feature empowers a player to optimally manage their mana throughout the game, keeping options open until the most impactful moment.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: River’s Grasp necessitates the player to let go of a card, potentially putting you at a disadvantage, especially when your hand is already dwindling.

Specific Mana Cost: Sporting a blue and black mana requirement, this card might not seamlessly slot into decks that aren’t aligned with these colors, potentially limiting its versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Given its mana valuation, River’s Grasp may not be the most mana-efficient choice compared to other options in your deck that could achieve similar or better results for less.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: River’s Grasp is a flexible card, effective in various blue decks. It allows you to control the game’s pace by addressing threats while replacing itself in your hand with its draw feature.

Combo Potential: This card can synchronize well with strategies that manipulate or gain advantages from spell casting or drawing cards, opening avenues for synergistic plays.

Meta-Relevance: Given how current decks often aim to establish board presence quickly, River’s Grasp can disrupt opponent plays, making it a strategic inclusion against aggressive or creature-heavy decks.

How to beat

River’s Grasp has emerged as a prime tool for control decks in MTG, providing them with the ability to disrupt an opponent’s strategy while keeping their own resources flowing. This card is especially potent due to its combined effects of returning a creature to its owner’s hand and drawing a card, which can turn the tides by disrupting opponent tempo and enhancing your own card advantage.

However, there are strategies you can deploy to undermine River’s Grasp’s impact on the game. It helps to field low-cost creatures that don’t set you back too much when returned to your hand. Hexproof or shroud-equipped creatures can stand strong against this sort of spell, as they are immune to being targeted. Keeping up a counter-spell reserve specifically for crucial turns when control players might attempt to utilize cards like River’s Grasp could save your creatures and maintain your board presence. Also, instants that can grant indestructibility or protection color can be vital to safeguard your pivotal creatures at critical moments.

As with any card that shapes the meta, being prepared with answers to River’s Grasp can ensure you don’t lose momentum when facing a control player adept at using such a versatile card to their advantage.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase River's Grasp MTG card by a specific set like Shadowmoor, 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 River's Grasp and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where River's Grasp has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2016-06-08	If this spell is copied, the copy will not have had any colors of mana paid for it, no matter what colors were spent on the original spell.
2016-06-08	This spell cares about what mana was spent to pay its total cost, not just what mana was spent to pay the hybrid mana symbol in its cost.
2016-06-08	This spell checks on resolution to see if any mana of the appropriate colors were spent to pay its cost. It doesn’t matter how much mana of that color was spent; the effect isn’t multiplied.