Grenzo, Dungeon Warden MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Goblin Rogue
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Grenzo excels in card advantage by deploying creatures directly from the library.
  2. Instant speed activation of Grenzo’s ability offers strategic, reactive plays.
  3. However, Grenzo’s casting cost and color restrictions may limit deck inclusion.

Text of card

Grenzo, Dungeon Warden enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it. : Put the bottom card of your library into your graveyard. If it's a creature card with power less than or equal to Grenzo's power, put it onto the battlefield.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Grenzo, Dungeon Warden’s unique ability to put creatures on the battlefield from the bottom of your library allows for superior card advantage. This not only bypasses normal casting costs but also utilizes resources that otherwise would be untapped.

Resource Acceleration: By adjusting Grenzo’s power, players can manipulate the dungeon warden’s skill to accelerate creature deployment. This can effectively change the tide of a game by getting valuable creatures into play faster than traditional methods allow.

Instant Speed: Grenzo’s activated ability can be used at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to react during your opponent’s turn or at the end of their turn. This strategic timing lets you maintain the element of surprise, keeping your opponents guessing and on the defensive while you bolster your forces.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Grenzo, Dungeon Warden requires a strategic hand because activating its ability forces you to discard, potentially depleting valuable cards.

Specific Mana Cost: Grenzo’s color identity restricts him to red and black mana, making it a challenge to fit into multi-colored decks that do not share these colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a starting cost that can scale with X mana, Grenzo can become expensive to cast effectively, competing with other lower-cost creatures that offer immediate impact on the game state.


Reasons to Include Grenzo, Dungeon Warden in Your Collection

Versatility: Grenzo, Dungeon Warden’s unique ability to put creatures directly onto the battlefield from the bottom of your library offers unmatched utility. This capability allows it to fit seamlessly into a variety of deck builds, from Goblin tribal to creature-heavy reanimator decks.

Combo Potential: With its potential to cheat creatures into play, Grenzo opens up explosive combo opportunities. Players can manipulate their library to set up game-winning sequences or simply benefit from recurring value plays that can overwhelm opponents.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where games hinge on establishing a formidable board presence, Grenzo, Dungeon Warden can thrive. Its cost-adjustable casting means it remains a consistently impactful play in various stages of the game, allowing for strategic flexibility against diverse meta game challenges.


How to beat

Grenzo, Dungeon Warden is a commander who thrives in decks where creatures are constantly shuffled from the library to the battlefield and back. Overcoming a deck commanded by Grenzo can be tricky, as it often features creatures with potent enter-the-battlefield or death triggers. Removing Grenzo from the field is key—relying on timely removal spells or exile effects can disrupt your opponent’s strategy.

To counter Grenzo’s strategy, grave hate cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void will suppress Grenzo’s ability to utilize the graveyard as a resource. Moreover, controlling the bottom of the opponent’s library is also effective, so consider effects that shuffle the deck to prevent predictable plays from Grenzo’s ability. Strategic use of counterspells can also prove invaluable, especially when your opponent attempts to cast Grenzo or other high-impact creatures.

Ensuring a strong board presence with creatures that can block or deter attacks is beneficial, as Grenzo decks often rely on combat to achieve victory. In essence, maintaining control, disrupting the graveyard, and being reactive to Grenzo’s summoning abilities are the tactics that will allow players to outlast and outplay a Grenzo-led deck.


BurnMana Recommendations

With Grenzo, Dungeon Warden, the opportunity to redefine your gameplay is immense. Your deck strategy can be elevated by harnessing Grenzo’s ability to skew the odds in your favor. The versatility and potential for explosive plays make Grenzo a worthy addition to any MTG collection. As you delve deeper into the strategic layers that Grenzo brings to the table, you’ll find its intricate dynamics a refreshing challenge. Mastering its synergy with similar cards could be your next triumph. Are you ready to take your deck to new depths of strategy? Uncover the full potential of Grenzo with us and transform the way you play.


Cards like Grenzo, Dungeon Warden

Grenzo, Dungeon Warden is a unique creature in Magic: The Gathering, enticing players to manipulate the bottom of their library. Much like the well-known Goblin lore, Grenzo thrives when chaos reigns. Now, consider Tel-Jilad Stylus, another magical implement that lets you tuck away targeted cards to the library’s depths; its synergy with Grenzo can’t be overstated, providing a controlled method of stocking the dungeon.

Equally intriguing is Epitaph Golem, a card that allows for the reorder of your graveyard into your library. This offers a different angle of deck manipulation that Grenzo could exploit. However, its differs in that it’s an ability that’s reactive, rather than Grenzo’s proactive dungeon-filling strategy. Also, compare Grenzo to Canal Dredger, which focuses on recurring the bottom card of your library to the top. Each of these cards presents unique ways to interact with your deck’s lower echelons, but Grenzo remains distinct with its combination of power-level scaling and hidden information warfare.

Assessing Grenzo and its kindred cards, it’s clear that this warden of the underworld carves a niche within MTG that mingles control with the thrill of the unknown, bolstered by an ever-versatile role both in and out of the darkened dungeons he frequents.

Tel-Jilad Stylus - MTG Card versions
Epitaph Golem - MTG Card versions
Canal Dredger - MTG Card versions
Tel-Jilad Stylus - Mirrodin (MRD)
Epitaph Golem - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)
Canal Dredger - Conspiracy (CNS)

Cards similar to Grenzo, Dungeon Warden by color, type and mana cost

Marsh Goblins - MTG Card versions
Acidic Sliver - MTG Card versions
Shivan Zombie - MTG Card versions
Valki, God of Lies // Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor - MTG Card versions
Rakdos Guildmage - MTG Card versions
Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger - MTG Card versions
Juri, Master of the Revue - MTG Card versions
Labyrinth Raptor - MTG Card versions
Gobhobbler Rats - MTG Card versions
Squealing Devil - MTG Card versions
Ghostflame Sliver - MTG Card versions
Sootstoke Kindler - MTG Card versions
Spiteflame Witch - MTG Card versions
Goblin Deathraiders - MTG Card versions
Goblin Outlander - MTG Card versions
Crimson Muckwader - MTG Card versions
Rix Maadi Guildmage - MTG Card versions
Rakdos Shred-Freak - MTG Card versions
Spike Jester - MTG Card versions
Tymaret, the Murder King - MTG Card versions
Marsh Goblins - The Dark (DRK)
Acidic Sliver - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Shivan Zombie - Invasion (INV)
Valki, God of Lies // Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor - From Cute to Brute (PCTB)
Rakdos Guildmage - Ravnica Remastered (RVR)
Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger - Multiverse Legends (MUL)
Juri, Master of the Revue - Multiverse Legends (MUL)
Labyrinth Raptor - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (IKO)
Gobhobbler Rats - Ravnica Remastered (RVR)
Squealing Devil - Dissension (DIS)
Ghostflame Sliver - The List (PLST)
Sootstoke Kindler - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Spiteflame Witch - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Goblin Deathraiders - The List (PLST)
Goblin Outlander - Conflux (CON)
Crimson Muckwader - The List (PLST)
Rix Maadi Guildmage - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Rakdos Shred-Freak - Ravnica: Clue Edition (CLU)
Spike Jester - Modern Masters 2017 (MM3)
Tymaret, the Murder King - Theros (THS)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Grenzo, Dungeon Warden MTG card by a specific set like Conspiracy 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 Grenzo, Dungeon Warden and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Grenzo, Dungeon Warden Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2014-06-06 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by Lucas Graciano.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12014-06-06ConspiracyCNS 472003normalblackLucas Graciano
22014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 2542015normalblackLucas Graciano
32018-03-16Masters 25A25 2052015normalblackLucas Graciano
42020-09-26The ListPLST A25-2052015normalblackLucas Graciano
52021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 3781997normalblackLucas Graciano

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Grenzo, Dungeon Warden has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PennyLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-03-19 Compare Grenzo’s power when the ability resolves with the power of the creature card in your graveyard to determine if you put it onto the battlefield. If Grenzo isn’t on the battlefield at this time, use its last known power from when it was on the battlefield.
2021-03-19 If a replacement effect (such as that of Leyline of the Void) causes the card to be put from your library directly into exile, you’ll put it onto the battlefield from exile if it’s a creature card with appropriate power.
2021-03-19 If the card is a creature card with power less than or equal to Grenzo’s power, it’s put onto the battlefield from your graveyard, not from your library. Players can’t attempt to exile it from your graveyard in response.

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