Grim Strider MTG Card
2017-04-28 - Number 94
2020-09-26 - Number AKH-94
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Horror |
| Power | 6 |
| Toughness | 6 |
Key Takeaways
- Grim Strider excels as players minimize their hand, becoming a substantial on-board threat.
- Efficient mana-to-power ratio aids board development, enhancing strategic plays.
- Synergy with instant-speed spells maximizes Grim Strider’s battlefield dominance.
Text of card
Grim Strider gets -1/-1 for each card in your hand.
"As a child I saw something walking in the distance, far beyond the Hekma—shadow-dark, and taller than the gods. Even now, it passes through my dreams." —Pytamun, initiate of Nef crop
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Grim Strider rewards players for a lean hand, potentially becoming a massive threat that requires opponents to deal with quickly, nudging the game in your favor.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing resources, its low casting cost for potentially high power makes it an efficient play, allowing you to allocate mana elsewhere to bolster your board presence.
Instant Speed: Though Grim Strider itself does not have instant speed capabilities, it synergizes well with instant speed spells that help you maintain a minimal hand size to maximize its power, making it a formidable creature on the battlefield.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Grim Strider obliges players to keep their hand size low for it to reach its optimal strength. This condition can place a player at a disadvantage, especially when facing strategies that force drawing cards or against opponents who punish low hand counts.
Specific Mana Cost: Grim Strider’s casting cost includes both black and colorless mana, which can restrict deck-building options. It means that players need to run a deck with sufficient black mana sources to reliably cast it on curve, limiting its inclusion to mainly black-centric or two-color decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a four mana value to get Grim Strider on the battlefield, some players might find that there are other creature cards at the same cost that provide more immediate impact or value without the conditional requirement tied to hand size.
Reasons to Include Grim Strider in Your Collection
Versatility: Grim Strider is a card that can adapt to various deck types, thriving in environments where the player’s hand size can be consistently reduced. Its power and toughness dynamic make it an adaptable threat on the board.
Combo Potential: When utilized in conjunction with cards that enable hand sculpting or graveyard play, Grim Strider becomes a formidable force. It synergizes well with strategies that involve discarding cards for value, enhancing its potential in combo-centric decks.
Meta-Relevance: As the game shifts and certain strategies gain prominence, Grim Strider can become a critical piece in metagames that revolve around hand size manipulation. In such metas, its stat efficiency for its mana cost can provide a competitive edge against numerous popular deck archetypes.
How to beat
Grim Strider presents a unique challenge as a formidable creature in Magic: The Gathering. Its power and toughness are intrinsically tied to the number of cards in a player’s hand, making it a dynamic threat on the battlefield. With its strength fluctuating based on hand size, crafting a strategy to overcome this creature requires a tactical approach.
To effectively neutralize Grim Strider, players should concentrate on minimizing their own hand size while controlling the opponent’s hand through discard effects or card-drawing spells. These methods will ensure that Grim Strider’s stats are significantly reduced, making it easier to manage. Spot removal spells are also an efficient solution to remove Grim Strider outright. Additionally, implementing creatures or spells that can block and trade with Grim Strider without being affected by its variable stats can stabilize the board and turn the tides in your favor.
By understanding the mechanics that govern Grim Strider’s effectiveness, players can tailor their deck to include answers that specifically address such variable threats. With careful planning and the right set of cards, ensuring a diminished impact from Grim Strider in your MTG matches becomes a manageable feat.
Cards like Grim Strider
The Grim Strider’s unique presence in MTG is marked by its potential to become a formidable creature. Analogous to the Grim Strider, Lhurgoyf stands out with a power and toughness determined by graveyard contents. While Lhurgoyf calculates its strength based on all graveyards, Grim Strider is distinct in that it grows bigger as the player’s hand diminishes. Both have the green color’s hallmark of increasing in power, yet they operate under different conditions.
An additional comparison can be drawn with the card Tarmogoyf, another variable-power creature that thrives on the types of cards in all graveyards. Grim Strider, however, relies solely on the player’s hand size to flex its muscle. And while Tarmogoyf may be a staple in many decks for its consistently high power potential, Grim Strider’s fluctuating strength offers a unique challenge and strategy.
Ultimately, in the landscape of MTG cards that become more potent under specific game states, Grim Strider showcases its own special brand of power that can be highly advantageous in the right circumstances, especially within decks designed to rapidly deplete the player’s hand.
Cards similar to Grim Strider by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Grim Strider MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and The List, 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 Grim Strider and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Grim Strider Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2017-04-28. Illustrated by Christine Choi.
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Grim Strider has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Grim Strider card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-04-18 | Because damage remains marked on a creature until it’s removed as the turn ends, the damage a Grim Strider takes during combat may become lethal if you draw cards later in the turn. |
| 2017-04-18 | If a spell or ability causes you to draw cards and then has you remove some from hand (such as by discarding them or putting them on top of your library), Grim Strider may briefly have 0 toughness or less. As long as its toughness is 1 or greater again after the spell or ability is finished resolving, it will remain on the battlefield. |
