Steelgaze Griffin MTG Card
2019-10-04 - Number 65
2022-12-02 - Number 351
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Griffin |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Text of card
Flying Whenever you draw your second card each turn, Steelgaze Griffin gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
"If we didn't guard our secrets, they wouldn't remain secrets for long." —Gadwick, the Wizened
Cards like Steelgaze Griffin
Steelgaze Griffin emerges as a distinctive flyer within the vast skies of Magic: The Gathering. When weighed against its feathered counterparts, this mechanical avian’s ability to peek at the top card of your library aligns it with creatures like Sphinx of Jwar Isle, albeit at a lower mana cost. However, the Griffin edges ahead with its added draw dynamic. Whereas the Sphinx offers a larger body and shroud, Steelgaze Griffin’s power hinges on artifacts – draw a card whenever you cast an artifact spell, providing potential for more sustained card advantage over the course of the game.
Similarly, Faerie Mechanist offers an artifact-related draw effect but in the form of a one-time EtB (Enter the Battlefield) trigger, revealing the top three cards and enabling the selection of an artifact card from among them. Steelgaze Griffin’s ability, in contrast, is tied directly to the casting of artifacts, allowing for a continuous flow of card advantage rather than a singular event. Lastly, we have Jhoira’s Familiar, a creature that reduces the cost of your historic spells, which synergizes-in-kind with artifact-heavy decks but does not in itself provide card draw.
Steelgaze Griffin stands out by granting consistent card draw to decks that frequently cast artifacts, providing a strategic edge in maintaining hand advantage and board presence. It’s a fine choice for players who favor artifact-laden strategies in their MTG gameplay.
Cards similar to Steelgaze Griffin by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Soaring over the battlefield, Steelgaze Griffin provides a persistent opportunity to refill your hand. Each time you scry, presumably from various spell or ability triggers within your deck, the Griffin allows you to draw a card. This mechanic not only gives you access to more options but also strengthens your position as you progress through the game.
Resource Acceleration: While the Steelgaze Griffin itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, the card you draw from its ability could potentially be a land or spell that does. It complements decks that focus on smoothing out mana curves and capitalizing on available resources throughout a match, keeping you a step ahead of your opponent.
Instant Speed: While the Steelgaze Griffin’s ability isn’t at instant speed, it capitalizes on scry triggers that can occur on either player’s turn. This flexibility allows you to benefit from other cards in your deck that operate at instant speed, maintaining pressure and adapting quickly to the state of the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Steelgaze Griffin necessitates the discard of another card as a prerequisite for its ability to draw a card. This condition can backfire, particularly when your hand is almost empty or the cards in hand are too valuable to discard, significantly reducing your strategic options.
Specific Mana Cost: Casting Steelgaze Griffin requires a strict combination of mana, including both white and blue sources. This requirement can restrict its inclusion to decks that are able to produce both types of mana consistently, potentially excluding it from mono-colored or other archetype decks that do not support such a mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes three generic and one each of white and blue mana, Steelgaze Griffin’s mana investment is considerable. For a creature that provides card advantage only upon fulfilling its discard requirement, assess whether your deck can accommodate this demand, or if a lower-cost card could serve a similar purpose more efficiently.
Reasons to Include Steelgaze Griffin in Your Collection
Versatility: Steelgaze Griffin offers an adaptable tool for various deck archetypes, especially those that capitalize on card draw to strengthen board presence.
Combo Potential: With its ability to draw a card upon artifacts entering the battlefield, this card can seamlessly integrate into combos that revolve around artifact synergies, enhancing your deck’s dynamic plays.
Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity for consistent card draw, Steelgaze Griffin remains relevant in metagames that favor keeping a full hand, ensuring you never fall behind on resources against your opponent.
How to Beat
The Steelgaze Griffin presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its ability to draw a card whenever you’ve drawn your second card each turn. While the Griffin can offer sustained card advantage, it’s not without vulnerabilities. Disrupting your opponent’s card draw synergy is key — countering cards that specifically trigger the Griffin’s ability can mitigate its effectiveness.
Targeted removal is also a reliable method. Spells like Murder or Cast Down, which destroy the creature outright, are useful for stopping the Griffin before it starts to generate value for your opponent. Another strategy would be to impose hand size limits with cards like Narset, Parter of Veils, preventing your opponent from utilizing the extra cards drawn — indirectly weakening the Steelgaze Griffin’s impact on the game.
Denying the opponent the aerial advantage by employing creatures with flying or reach ensures the board is not controlled by the Steelgaze Griffin alone. It’s about anticipating when the Griffin is most likely to draw cards and countering effectively. Considering these approaches, overcoming the Steelgaze Griffin can be an achievable feat, maintaining the balance of power in your favor during the match.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Steelgaze Griffin MTG card by a specific set like Throne of Eldraine and Jumpstart 2022, 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 Steelgaze Griffin and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Steelgaze Griffin Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-10-04 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by J.P. Targete.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2019-10-04 | Throne of Eldraine | ELD | 65 | 2015 | Normal | Black | J.P. Targete | |
| 2 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 351 | 2015 | Normal | Black | J.P. Targete |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Steelgaze Griffin has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Steelgaze Griffin card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2019-10-04 | If a spell or ability causes you to put cards into your hand without specifically using the word “draw,” it's not a card drawn. |
| 2019-10-04 | If an effect instructs you to draw multiple cards, the ability triggers after you draw whichever is the second one for the turn. You choose a target (if any) for the ability after you've drawn and looked at all of the cards and finished resolving the spell or ability that caused you to draw them. |
| 2019-10-04 | The triggered ability can trigger only once each turn. It doesn't matter whether the permanent with that ability was on the battlefield when the first card was drawn. If it's not on the battlefield when the second card is drawn, the ability can't trigger at all that turn. It won't trigger when the third or fourth card is drawn. |