Grotesque Demise MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2019-01-25
Set symbol
Set name	Ravnica Allegiance
Set code	RNA
Number	75
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Ben Wootten

Key Takeaways

Grotesque Demise is an efficient removal option for creatures with three or less toughness, enhancing card advantage.
Its instant speed capability allows players to react swiftly to threats, maintaining advantage during opponents’ turns.
Casting Grotesque Demise requires specific mana, but it’s a valuable addition to black-centric decks in MTG.

Text of card

Exile target creature with power 3 or less.

"A debtor's soul has little value, except as a warning to others who might consider defaulting on their loans." —Ubea, Orzhov ministrant

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Grotesque Demise offers a clear route to card advantage by removing a creature with three or less toughness from the battlefield. When used strategically, it can disrupt your opponent’s plans and reduce their resources while maintaining your own card count.

Resource Acceleration: While this card doesn’t provide direct resource acceleration like mana ramp, efficiently removing a threat for a low mana cost means you spend less to deal with potentially more costly creatures, thus conservatively accelerating your control over the game’s pace.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Grotesque Demise at instant speed gives players versatility during gameplay. It allows you to stay reactive, keeping mana available for responses to opponents’ actions, and potentially removing threats before they get a chance to influence the game state.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: For players considering the strategic value of Grotesque Demise, it’s crucial to note that it does not necessitate discarding as part of its casting process. This aspect may actually benefit those who are managing their hand resources carefully.

Specific Mana Cost: Grotesque Demise demands a precise mana color combination to cast. This restriction can be cumbersome for decks that are not primarily aligned with its black mana cost, potentially creating a hurdle for card inclusion in multi-colored deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating removal options, Grotesque Demise carries a mana cost that some might deem steep relative to its effect. This factor could influence deck builders to consider alternative spells that deliver removal at a more economical mana expense.

Reasons to Include Grotesque Demise in Your Collection

Versatility: Grotesque Demise offers a cost-effective removal option for any black-centric deck. It effortlessly takes out creatures with power 3 or less, which can include many utility creatures and early-game threats across a wide range of decks.

Combo Potential: While not a combo piece itself, its low mana cost allows you to maintain tempo while setting up your board for bigger plays. It also keeps the way clear for your own combo pieces by removing potential blockers or creatures with abilities that could disrupt your strategy.

Meta-Relevance: It thrives in environments where there are numerous aggro decks with smaller creatures. With many players opting for quick, aggressive strategies, having an efficient answer like Grotesque Demise can be the difference between staying in the game or being overrun.

How to beat

Grotesque Demise may seem daunting for its instant-speed creature removal capabilities within Magic: The Gathering. Its strength lies in targeting creatures with power 3 or less, providing a low-cost option to disrupt early game creature plays. Yet, like all spells, it can be outmaneuvered. To effectively counter this card, consider using creatures with a power of 4 or greater. This simple strategy places your creatures outside Grotesque Demise’s reach, forcing your opponent to find alternative removal spells.

Additionally, employing creatures with hexproof or indestructible characteristics can neutralize the threat posed by Grotesque Demise. Encase your battlefield strategy in layers of protection that preclude single-target removal and elevate your resilience against such direct threats. Moreover, the use of counter spells when playing blue allows you to directly oppose Grotesque Demise as it’s being cast, nullifying its effect and maintaining board presence.

Equipping your deck to cope with various removal threats ultimately strengthens your standing within the game, and acknowledging Grotesque Demise’s specific limits helps tailor your deck to stand firm against this and similar removal tactics.

Cards like Grotesque Demise

Grotesque Demise is an interesting piece in the assortment of removal spells in the world of Magic the Gathering. Standing side by side with other efficient killers like Vendetta and Ultimate Price, Grotesque Demise brings its own take on creature removal. Unlike Vendetta, which can remove creatures of any size at the cost of potential high life loss, Grotesque Demise offers a safer removal option but is capped at destroying creatures with power 3 or less. It mirrors the precision of Ultimate Price but is more flexible, not limited to mono-colored targets.

Another card that echoes the sentiment of removal without condition is Fatal Push. This potent spell has a similar mana cost, but its strength hinges on the ability to scale with the number of permanents leaving the battlefield. There’s also Dead Weight, which, while not immediately removing a creature, permanently weakens it, potentially leading to its demise over time. Dead Weight is a static alternative that can deal with larger creatures given the necessary time.

Assessing the value in removal spells, Grotesque Demise is uniquely positioned for players seeking a cost-effective way to manage small to medium threats on the board without the gamble of life loss or restrictions on the target’s color identity.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Grotesque Demise MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica Allegiance, 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 Grotesque Demise and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Grotesque Demise 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
Timeless	Legal