Simian Grunts MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Ape
Abilities Echo, Flash
Power 3
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Simian Grunts’ instant speed flash offers disruptive defensive and offensive strategies.
  2. The card demands a strategic hand and mana management due to its echo cost.
  3. Its unique abilities make it a potent choice for green decks emphasizing versatility.
Flash card art

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.

Text of card

Echo (During your next upkeep after this permanent comes under your control, pay its casting cost or sacrifice it.) You may play Simian Grunts any time you could play an instant.

These monkeys mean business.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Simian Grunts can potentially disrupt an opponent’s combo or assault by offering additional block options without losing card presence. The flexibility comes from its surprise factor, letting you maintain a strong defense while keeping your hand stocked.

Resource Acceleration: Though it doesn’t directly produce mana, Simian Grunts can effectively save resources. By flashing in as a blocker or an attacker, it saves mana you might have spent on other creatures, thus accelerating your resource allocation for upcoming turns.

Instant Speed: The most significant advantage of Simian Grunts is its ability to be cast at instant speed due to its flash mechanic. This allows for dynamic play, giving you the power to react to your opponent’s moves or end their turn threats, keeping you one step ahead in the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Though Simian Grunts offers a surprise creature on the battlefield, it demands letting go of another card from your hand, which can exhaust your options, particularly in tight situations where every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting requirement that includes a specific mana, players may find it tricky to accommodate Simian Grunts in multicolored decks. This restrictive cost means it’s inherently better suited for mono-green builds, putting constraints on its versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a creature that grants temporary muscle, its flash ability comes at a steep three mana, which is a considerable investment, especially when you compare it to other creatures with the potential to offer more lasting board presence or utility for a similar cost.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Simian Grunts offers flexibility with its flash ability, allowing you to cast the creature at instant speed. This creates opportunities to surprise opponents, making it a useful addition to decks that prioritize tactical plays and timing.

Combo Potential: With its unique Echo cost, Simian Grunts can be a strategic play in decks that capitalize on creatures entering or leaving the battlefield. It can work well with sacrifice outlets or other synergy-driven mechanics where creature presence is crucial.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where aggressive strategies reign, Simian Grunts can serve as both an early blocker or an unexpected attacker. Its relevance can shift with the pace of play, providing a reliable option when quick creature deployment is key to outmaneuvering opponents.


How to beat

Simian Grunts is a unique card known for its versatility on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This card tends to create quite an impact with its flash ability, allowing players to summon it unexpectedly during the combat phase as a defense strategy. As a player, when facing such a card, it’s essential to plan your moves strategically. Understanding that Simian Grunts can be summoned at the end of your turn, you might want to bait out your opponent’s mana before they have a chance to leverage its flash ability. One effective method is to present a less threatening creature to lure out Simian Grunts, then follow up with a stronger attack once the element of surprise is no longer at your opponent’s disposal.

Another tactic is to maintain open mana for instant-speed removals or counterspells when you suspect Simian Grunts could be played. This ensures you can respond adequately and eliminate the threat immediately, keeping control of the battlefield. By staying one step ahead and considering the potential for surprise plays, you can effectively negate the advantage that Simian Grunts provides and keep the upper hand in your matches.


Cards like Simian Grunts

Simian Grunts stands out in the realm of creature cards with flash within Magic: The Gathering. It’s akin to cards like Ambush Viper, which can be played similarly as a surprise blocker. Nonetheless, Simian Grunts elevates the game with its echo cost, offering a temporary solution on the battlefield unlike Ambush Viper’s permanent effect. With a strength of 3/4, it offers a robust defense option.

Another relative in this niche is Wolfir Avenger. Sharing the flash ability, this card also allows regeneration, making it a resilient threat. While Wolfir Avenger maintains a consistent presence on the board, the Simian Grunts can be seen as a formidable but fleeting deterrent. Additionally, Briarpack Alpha also deserves mention, being part of the flash creatures. It presents a different tactic by boosting another creature’s power when entering the battlefield, unlike the standalone utility of Simian Grunts.

Upon examining these cards with similarities in their surprise factor and defensive capabilities, Simian Grunts asserts itself as a card with a unique position. Despite its echo cost and temporary board impact, it can certainly turn the tide of combat in a player’s favor.

Ambush Viper - MTG Card versions
Wolfir Avenger - MTG Card versions
Briarpack Alpha - MTG Card versions
Ambush Viper - Innistrad (ISD)
Wolfir Avenger - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Briarpack Alpha - Dark Ascension (DKA)

Cards similar to Simian Grunts by color, type and mana cost

Cat Warriors - MTG Card versions
Rysorian Badger - MTG Card versions
Sabertooth Cobra - MTG Card versions
Quirion Druid - MTG Card versions
Spike Feeder - MTG Card versions
Hungry Hungry Heifer - MTG Card versions
Titania's Chosen - MTG Card versions
Taoist Mystic - MTG Card versions
Femeref Archers - MTG Card versions
Lydari Druid - MTG Card versions
Steel Leaf Champion - MTG Card versions
Realmwalker - MTG Card versions
Topiary Stomper - MTG Card versions
Territorial Scythecat - MTG Card versions
Wirewood Savage - MTG Card versions
Reki, the History of Kamigawa - MTG Card versions
Timberwatch Elf - MTG Card versions
Leatherback Baloth - MTG Card versions
Pincher Beetles - MTG Card versions
Elvish Champion - MTG Card versions
Cat Warriors - Legends (LEG)
Rysorian Badger - Homelands (HML)
Sabertooth Cobra - Mirage (MIR)
Quirion Druid - Visions (VIS)
Spike Feeder - Stronghold (STH)
Hungry Hungry Heifer - Unglued (UGL)
Titania's Chosen - Urza's Saga (USG)
Taoist Mystic - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Femeref Archers - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Lydari Druid - Sega Dreamcast Cards (PSDG)
Steel Leaf Champion - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Realmwalker - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)
Topiary Stomper - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Territorial Scythecat - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Wirewood Savage - Onslaught (ONS)
Reki, the History of Kamigawa - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Timberwatch Elf - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Leatherback Baloth - DCI Promos (PDCI)
Pincher Beetles - Tenth Edition (10E)
Elvish Champion - Tenth Edition (10E)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Simian Grunts MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Legacy and Vintage Masters, 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 Simian Grunts and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Simian Grunts Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1999-02-15 and 2014-06-16. Illustrated by Pete Venters.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11999-02-15Urza's LegacyULG 1131997normalblackPete Venters
22014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 2322015normalblackPete Venters

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Simian Grunts has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2004-10-04 This card is always a creature spell and is never an instant spell, no matter when you cast it.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks