Gravelgill Duo MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Merfolk Rogue Warrior
Released	2008-05-02
Set symbol
Set name	Shadowmoor
Set code	SHM
Power	2
Toughness	1
Number	165
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Brandon Kitkouski

Key Takeaways

Gravelgill Duo ensures card advantage through graveyard effects and enhances resource acceleration with tribal synergy.
Requires careful hand management due to its discard condition, and has a specific mana cost for casting.
In tribal decks, the Duo’s versatility and combo potential make it a worthwhile addition to collections.

Text of card

Whenever you play a blue spell, Gravelgill Duo gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Whenever you play a black spell, Gravelgill Duo gains fear until end of turn.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gravelgill Duo boasts a modular utility that can be a key addition to your deck’s card advantage tactics. Its persistent effect from the graveyard provides ongoing value throughout the game.

Resource Acceleration: Gravelgill Duo ideally fits into decks that seek to ramp up their resources. By synergizing with other merfolk or rogues, it can help you outpace your opponents by applying additional pressure and building a board presence more swiftly.

Instant Speed: Although Gravelgill Duo itself isn’t an instant, the innate ability to cast it using its evoke cost at instant speed can be an unexpected boon. This enables you to time your plays strategically, potentially saving mana for reactionary plays while still developing your board state.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Gravelgill Duo card comes with an ability that necessitates discarding another card to activate. This condition can put the player at a disadvantage, especially if their hand is already depleted or if each card held is crucial for upcoming strategies.

Specific Mana Cost: Gravelgill Duo requires both black and blue mana for casting. This specific mana combination can restrict the card’s inclusion to only those decks that can generate such a color pairing, making it less versatile in a player’s overall strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes one colorless and two hybrid mana, Gravelgill Duo’s cost can be seen as steep for its provided effects. Players might opt for creatures with a more impactful board presence or additional abilities for a similar or lower mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Gravelgill Duo offers flexibility in deck building, apt for blue or black heavy strategies. Particularly, its merfolk and rogue synergy make it a fitting choice for tribal decks or those focusing on creature-based strategies.

Combo Potential: The Duo has an untap ability triggered by playing blue spells, and grows stronger from black spells, making it an admirable piece in combo-oriented decks that aim to cast multiple spells in a single turn.

Meta-Relevance: With the current emphasis on interactive gameplay and creature-based tactics, Gravelgill Duo has a place in the meta, offering consistent value each turn it remains on the board.

How to beat

Adapting your strategy to counter certain cards can be crucial for success in MTG. When it comes to the Gravelgill Duo, a card that thrives in decks with a strong Merfolk and Rogue’s tribal theme, understanding its strengths is key to defeating it. The Duo’s persistent ability to grow with every blue or black spell you cast makes it an increasingly larger threat on the battlefield.

However, you can craft a game plan against Gravelgill Duo by focusing on removal spells that can bypass its protection mechanisms. Since it doesn’t inherently have hexproof or shroud, targeted removals like Path to Exile or Fatal Push can be an efficient way to deal with it before it accumulates too many +1/+1 counters. Additionally, since the Duo relies on casting specific spells to get stronger, incorporating graveyard disruption such as Rest in Peace or Tormod’s Crypt can hamper its ability to scale up through unearth.

Ultimately, keeping tempo and managing your opponent’s threats promptly will often diminish the Gravelgill Duo’s impact on the game. Keep an eye on your opponent’s graveyard, hold up instant-speed interaction, and remember, staying ahead in the match often means keeping potential powerhouses like the Duo off the board.

Cards like Gravelgill Duo

Gravelgill Duo from Magic: The Gathering is an intriguing multi-faceted creature that engages players with its unique adaptability in gameplay. It shares mechanical similarities with other creatures like Ivy Lane Denizen, both having abilities that trigger when another green or blue creature enters the battlefield. Although, the counterpart doesn’t have the additional power boost or evasion that the Duo provides.

Metallurgeon is another card with similar reactive potential. It has the ability to protect and regenerate other artifacts, much like Gravelgill Duo, which has its protection mechanism under the guise of shroud when casting another blue spell. However, Metallurgeon’s reach is limited to artifact creatures, while Gravelgill Duo can impact the entire field with its versatility.

Lastly, consider Merrow Reejerey, a card that operates on the same wavelength of merfolk synergy. It allows you to tap or untap permanents whenever you play a merfolk spell, presenting a different kind of control over the game’s flow compared to the evasive Gravelgill Duo. These comparisons underline the significance of Gravelgill Duo’s presence, particularly in decks that exploit the tribal synergies of merfolk and the utility of its color combination.

Cards similar to Gravelgill Duo by color, type and mana cost

Phyrexian Infiltrator - MTG Card versions

Shadowmage Infiltrator - MTG Card versions

Siren of the Silent Song - MTG Card versions

Rona, Disciple of Gix - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gravelgill Duo 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 Gravelgill Duo and other MTG cards: