Throne of the Grim Captain // The Grim Captain MTG Card
2023-11-17 - Number 313
2023-11-17 - Number 266
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Skeleton Spirit Pirate |
| Abilities | Craft,Hexproof,Lifelink,Menace,Trample |
| Power | 7 |
| Toughness | 7 |
Text of card
Menace, trample, lifelink, hexproof Whenever The Grim Captain attacks, each opponent sacrifices a nonland permanent. Then you may put an exiled creature card used to craft The Grim Captain onto the battlefield under your control tapped and attacking.
Cards like Throne of the Grim Captain // The Grim Captain
Exploring the grim depths of MTG, The Grim Captain stands as an intriguing option for players looking to control the board. This creepy character has compatriots in its eerie corner of the card library. Consider Dimir Doppelganger – another card with the capacity for transformation. While The Grim Captain might leverage the graveyard to its advantage, Dimir Doppelganger also transforms into any creature card in any graveyard, but without the specific pirate synergy.
Another relevant comparison is Havengul Lich. Like The Grim Captain, this lich offers access to creatures in the graveyard, yet it does so by giving you the ability to cast them, provided you have ample mana. This creates different strategic openings compared to The Grim Captain’s pirate tribe focus. Captain of the Mists also shares maritime ties with The Grim Captain. Though the Captain of the Mists lacks the graveyard interaction, it compensates by offering the utility of tapping or untapping target creatures, a valuable tactical maneuver in battle.
Assessing these related cards, The Grim Captain surely carves its niche with its unique blend of graveyard interaction and pirate tribal elements, marking its territory among MTG’s vast sea of distinctive cards.
Cards similar to Throne of the Grim Captain // The Grim Captain by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Grim Captain excels in providing card advantage by allowing you to foresee key cards and plan your strategy effectively. Its ability to sift through the deck and select the best tools for the situation can lead to a significant upper hand over your opponent.
Resource Acceleration: As a valuable asset in any deck, The Grim Captain offers resource acceleration by potentially unlocking additional mana sources. This can be crucial when you’re aiming to deploy high-cost cards earlier in the game, giving you a clear edge in the race for dominance.
Instant Speed: The Grim Captain’s instant speed functionality enables deft navigation of complex game states. This flexibility allows you to adjust your responses in real time, maximizing the effectiveness of your actions and keeping opponents on their toes.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One major downside to The Grim Captain is that it necessitates the discard of another card to tap into its full potential. This can be especially cumbersome when your hand is already dwindling, forcing you to make tough decisions about which resources to forfeit.
Specific Mana Cost: The Grim Captain can be restrictive with its precise mana requirements. This card’s casting cost means it fits best within a dedicated deck build, potentially rendering it less versatile across a broader range of deck types where its mana colors may not align as well.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: In terms of mana efficiency, The Grim Captain may not always come out on top. It commands a considerable amount of mana which can be quite the investment, especially in the early game. Players might find alternative cards that bring similar benefits or better board presence for the same, if not lower, mana cost, making them weigh their options closely.
Reasons to Include The Grim Captain in Your Collection
Versatility: The Grim Captain boasts a flexible role in many deck archetypes due to its ability to synergize with graveyard and sacrifice strategies, making it a solid addition for players who value adaptability.
Combo Potential: Its mechanics open up a myriad of combo possibilities, especially in decks that capitalize on creature death or reanimation effects, elevating your game with potential unexpected plays.
Meta-Relevance: Against a backdrop of constantly evolving metagames, The Grim Captain remains pertinent, potentially disrupting opponent strategies that rely on graveyard interactions or providing key utility in decks that need it.
How to beat
The Grim Captain sails into the world of MTG bringing with it a unique blend of strategy and endurance. Navigating around this card requires a keen understanding of its mechanics and the interactions within the game. To effectively outmaneuver this undying pirate, removal spells that exile are key. Cards like Path to Exile or Leyline of the Void can counteract The Grim Captain’s resilience, ensuring it doesn’t return to haunt your deck.
Another strategy to counter The Grim Captain involves utilizing graveyard hate cards. By incorporating Tormod’s Crypt or Relic of Progenitus into your deck, you disrupt the opponent’s graveyard synergy, turning The Grim Captain’s strength into a weakness. Additionally, cards that can prevent it from attacking or blocking, such as Pacifism or Frost Lynx, can render it harmless, effectively neutralizing the threat it poses on the board.
Ultimately, a well-prepared plan including these countermeasures can keep the formidable Grim Captain at bay, allowing you to maintain strategic dominance over the high seas of MTG’s diverse encounters.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Throne of the Grim Captain // The Grim Captain MTG card by a specific set like The Lost Caverns of Ixalan and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, 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 Throne of the Grim Captain // The Grim Captain and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Throne of the Grim Captain // The Grim Captain Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-11-17 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-11-17 | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan | LCI | 313 | 2015 | Transform | Black | Rafal Wechterowicz | |
| 2 | 2023-11-17 | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan | LCI | 266 | 2015 | Transform | Black | Tiffany Turrill |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Throne of the Grim Captain // The Grim Captain has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Throne of the Grim Captain // The Grim Captain card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-11-10 | Although the creature card you put onto the battlefield is an attacking creature, it was never declared as an attacking creature. This means that abilities that trigger whenever a creature attacks won't trigger when it enters the battlefield attacking. |
| 2023-11-10 | Craft abilities are activated abilities with costs that have a mana component as well as an additional "materials" component. |
| 2023-11-10 | Craft abilities are written "Craft with -aterials] -ana]", which means " -ana], Exile this permanent, Exile -aterials] from among permanents you control and/or cards in your graveyard: Return this card to the battlefield transformed under its owner's control. Activate only as a sorcery." |
| 2023-11-10 | If a card that isn't a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a card with craft, it'll stay in exile if you activate the craft ability. It won't return to the battlefield. |
| 2023-11-10 | If the materials required include multiple objects, you may exile some of them from among permanents you control and the rest from among cards in your graveyard. You don't have to choose all permanents or all cards from your graveyard. |
| 2023-11-10 | The Dinosaur, Merfolk, Pirate, and Vampire exiled to pay Throne of the Grim Captain's craft cost need to be separate objects. One creature with changeling is not enough. |
| 2023-11-10 | The back faces of some cards with craft refer to cards "used to craft" it. This refers to the cards exiled as part of the cost of the craft ability of the front face. Those cards are considered to be "used to craft" that permanent as long as they remain exiled and the permanent remains on the battlefield, even if the permanent's controller changes or some of its characteristics change (because of a copy effect, for example.) |
| 2023-11-10 | You choose which player, planeswalker, or battle the creature you put onto the battlefield is attacking as it enters the battlefield. It doesn't have to be the same player, planeswalker, or battle that The Grim Captain is attacking. |
| 2023-11-10 | You may exile tokens you control as part of the materials required. However, because they aren't cards and won't stay in exile, any abilities that refer to what you "used to craft" the back faces won't refer to anything. |