Mire's Grasp MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant
Released	2020-01-24
Set symbol
Set name	Theros Beyond Death
Set code	THB
Number	106
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Chris Rallis

Key Takeaways

Mire’s Grasp offers significant board control by reducing enemy creatures’ strength, pivotal for strategic plays.
It demands specific deck designs due to its mana requirements, which influences its inclusion in various builds.
The card’s flexibility in competitive matchups makes it a boon against prevalent aggressive creature strategies.

Text of card

Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets -3/-3.

Those caught attempting to escape the Underworld spend the rest of their existence trapped in the Mire of Punishment.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Mire’s Grasp shrinks an opponent’s creature, often removing it as a blocker or attacker, effectively dealing with a threat and potentially clearing the way for your own creatures to press the advantage, thus swinging the tide of board dominance in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: This enchantment lets you deal with opposing creatures at a low mana cost. By requiring only two mana, one of which is generic, it allows you to efficiently use your resources while keeping up pressure or developing your own board.

Instant Speed: While not an instant, Mire’s Grasp’s enchantment speed still complements strategies that unfold at the pace of your turn. This lets you plan your turn with more information, making informed decisions on whether to deploy this removal or further your own board state.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While playing Mire’s Grasp in your MTG deck, you should note that it doesn’t directly require a discard, but its single-use nature could mean sacrificing another card in your hand to auras or removal that grants longer-term value.

Specific Mana Cost: Mire’s Grasp requires a precise combination of black mana to cast. This confines the card to black-centered or multicolored decks that can accommodate the specific mana requirement, potentially limiting its flexibility in deck building.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When looking at its mana value and the effect it provides, Mire’s Grasp may seem slightly costly. It competes with other removal spells that either cost less or offer additional benefits, such as the ability to hit non-creature permanents or providing card advantage.

Reasons to Include Mire’s Grasp in Your Collection

Versatility: Mire’s Grasp brings flexibility to black-centric or multicolor decks. Its ability to weaken an opponent’s creature makes it adaptable against different creature sizes, aiding in both offense and defense.

Combo Potential: Offering more than just a standard debuff, this aura can trigger death-related abilities or synergize with enchantment-focused strategies, enhancing the overall tactic of your deck.

Meta-Relevance: Given its low mana cost and immediate impact on the battlefield, Mire’s Grasp effectively counters aggressive creature strategies that dominate current play patterns, making it a practical choice for competitive play.

How to beat

Mire’s Grasp is a solid removal option in Magic: The Gathering, presenting a challenge when placed on one of your creatures. As an enchantment aura, it both reduces the creature’s power and toughness by -3/-3, potentially rendering smaller creatures useless or even sending them to the graveyard. However, this card is not without its weaknesses.

To outmaneuver Mire’s Grasp, consider using cards that can bounce, exile, or protect your creatures. Bouncing your own creature to your hand with a spell like Unsummon can save it from the grasp’s lethal touch, while cards like Gods Willing provide protection based on color, shielding your creature from being targeted in the first place. Additionally, employing hexproof creatures prevents opponents from casting Mire’s Grasp on them, securing your board presence.

Moreover, strategies that don’t rely heavily on creatures, such as control decks or combo decks, can naturally negate the impact of Mire’s Grasp, as they don’t present many targets. Thus, while Mire’s Grasp can be formidable, it has its counters and can be played around with the right deck and strategy.

Cards like Mire's Grasp

Mire’s Grasp has established its niche in Magic: The Gathering as a potent aura that cripples opposing creatures. Its parallels can be drawn with Dead Weight, another card that similarly reduces a creature’s power and toughness. However, Mire’s Grasp goes a step further, offering a more significant debuff at the cost of an additional mana.

Examining Claustrophobia, we notice that it completely neutralizes a creature by tapping it down indefinitely. While it renders creatures ineffective, akin to Mire’s Grasp, it does so with a higher mana investment. This direct approach suits control strategies, contrasting with Mire’s Grasp’s subtle attrition game.

Consequently, in the varied tapestry of creature debuffs within the game, Mire’s Grasp finds a balance. It stands out as a cost-effective and immediate solution to weaken formidable creatures, positioning itself as a strategic preference for players looking to manage threats on board efficiently.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mire's Grasp MTG card by a specific set like Theros Beyond Death, 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 Mire's Grasp and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Mire's Grasp 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