Wretched Gryff MTG Card
2016-07-22 - Number 12
2019-11-07 - Number 555
2023-03-21 - Number 9
2020-09-26 - Number EMN-12
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 7 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Eldrazi Hippogriff |
| Abilities | Emerge,Flying |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Key Takeaways
- Emerge mechanic of Wretched Gryff allows for cheaper casting cost and strategic creature sacrifices.
- The card draws from Gryff can provide instant speed interaction and hand replenishment.
- Despite a high mana cost, it’s versatile and can fit into various deck strategies.
Text of card
Emerge (You may cast this spell by sacrificing a creature and paying the emerge cost reduced by that creature's converted mana cost.) When you cast Wretched Gryff, draw a card. Flying
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Upon casting Wretched Gryff, you draw a card, which bolsters your hand and gives you more options during gameplay. The ability to replace itself in your hand can shift the momentum in your favor.
Resource Acceleration: As an emerge card, Wretched Gryff allows you to sacrifice a creature to reduce its casting cost. This mechanic can serve as a form of resource acceleration by effectively utilizing the board state to put a larger threat into play sooner than normal.
Instant Speed: While Wretched Gryff itself must be cast at sorcery speed, the card it draws you could be an instant, offering you the opportunity to react immediately to an opponent’s actions. Maintaining a hand that could include instant speed responses adds a layer of unpredictability and strategic depth.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Wretched Gryff demands sacrificing another creature or discarding an Eldrazi card to cast it with Emerge, potentially depleting your hand or field.
Specific Mana Cost: The hybrid mana requirement can be restrictive, needing both colorless and blue, possibly hindering its inclusion in multi-colored decks not focused on these colors.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a baseline seven mana cost, Wretched Gryff may arrive too late in the game where lower-costing creatures or spells could have had an immediate impact.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Wretched Gryff serves as an excellent inclusion in various deck builds by offering both a sizeable flying creature and a card draw on casting. Its emerge cost can also be a game-changer, allowing for an earlier or cheaper summoning that can pivot the battlefield in your favor.
Combo Potential: The emerge ability of Wretched Gryff opens up diverse combo avenues. You can sacrifice a creature for a reduced cost, potentially triggering death-related abilities or synergizing with cards that benefit from creatures leaving the battlefield.
Meta-Relevance: In a game climate that sees numerous small creatures or tokens, Wretched Gryff can shine by trumping over smaller threats while maintaining hand advantage. Its presence in a deck helps to combat those strategies effectively, keeping the deck competitive in varying metas.
How to beat
Wretched Gryff is an intriguing creature in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, especially within the Eldrazi archetype. Players facing this 3/4 flying beast often stumble upon its unique emerge mechanic that lets it hit the battlefield for less while providing card draw. But how do you outmaneuver this efficient monster?
Countering Wretched Gryff starts with understanding the tempo of your opponent’s play. Knowing when to expect an emerge can be crucial. Utilize instant-speed removal when the creature it’s emerging from is sacrificed. This disrupts their plan and leaves them without the draw benefit, and potentially a wasted turn. Employ flying blockers or reach creatures to deter the Gryff’s attacks. Ensure your strategy includes cards that can handle threats from above.
Timing is pivotal. Anticipate the emerge triggering and counter it, or prepare for its aftermath. Adapt your plays to maintain board control. Keeping a versatile mana base ready for such instances can turn the tables in your favor and keep the winged menace in check.
Cards like Wretched Gryff
Wretched Gryff emerges as a unique entity in the vast pantheon of Magic: The Gathering creatures, sharing similarities yet holding its ground with distinct features. Much like the card Eldrazi Skyspawner, Wretched Gryff offers players the value of spawning an additional creature token, albeit in the Gryff’s case, a three-dimensional toughness boost compared to the Skyspawner. While Eldrazi Skyspawner demands less mana, the costlier Wretched Gryff compensates with an inherent versatility since it can be cast for its emerge cost, potentially at a reduced rate.
Emeria Shephard is another creature often spotlighted in discussions due to its ability to return permanents from the graveyard to the battlefield – a feature Wretched Gryff lacks. However, Wretched Gryff’s advantage lies in providing immediate board presence and card advantage upon casting, a strategic edge in fast-paced games. Lastly, considering Affinity decks, Thought Monitor stands out as a card that similarly offers a draw mechanic while potentially being cast for a lower mana cost, albeit without the additional benefit of a token creature provided by the Gryff.
Comparing these options, Wretched Gryff holds a solid position in decks that can harness its emerge mechanic effectively, doubling as a formidable flying threat and a one-time source of card advantage on the battlefield.
Cards similar to Wretched Gryff by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Wretched Gryff MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon and Mystery Booster, 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 Wretched Gryff 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 Wretched Gryff Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by Darek Zabrocki.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-07-22 | Eldritch Moon | EMN | 12 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Darek Zabrocki | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 555 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Darek Zabrocki | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | EMN-12 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Darek Zabrocki | ||
| 4 | 2023-03-21 | Shadows over Innistrad Remastered | SIR | 9 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Darek Zabrocki |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Wretched Gryff 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 |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Wretched Gryff card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2016-07-13 | A creature’s converted mana cost is determined solely by the mana symbols printed in its upper right corner (unless that creature is the back face of a double-faced card, is a melded permanent, or is copying something else; see below). If the mana cost includes , X is considered to be 0. If it’s a single-faced card with no mana symbols in its upper right corner (because it’s an animated land, for example), its converted mana cost is 0. Ignore any alternative costs or additional costs (such as kicker) that were paid as the creature was cast. |
| 2016-07-13 | A “when you cast” triggered ability resolves before the original spell resolves. It resolves even if the original spell is countered, and the original spell resolves even if the triggered ability is countered. |
| 2016-07-13 | Colored mana components of emerge costs can’t be reduced with emerge. |
| 2016-07-13 | Each card with emerge is colorless and has an emerge cost that includes one or more colors of mana. These cards are still colorless if you pay the emerge cost. |
| 2016-07-13 | If you sacrifice a creature with in its mana cost, that X is considered to be 0. |
| 2016-07-13 | Once you begin to cast a spell with emerge, no player may take actions until you’re done. Notably, opponents can’t try to remove the creature you wish to sacrifice. |
| 2016-07-13 | The converted mana cost of a creature spell with emerge isn’t affected by whether its emerge cost is paid. For example, if you cast Elder Deep-Fiend for its emerge cost and sacrifice a creature whose converted mana cost is 3, Elder Deep-Fiend’s converted mana cost remains 8. |
| 2016-07-13 | The converted mana cost of the back face of a double-faced card is the converted mana cost of its front face. The converted mana cost of a melded permanent is the sum of the converted mana costs of its front faces. A creature that’s a copy of either has a converted mana cost of 0. |
| 2016-07-13 | The creature chosen to be sacrificed is still on the battlefield up through the time that you activate mana abilities. Its abilities may affect the spell’s cost, be activated to generate mana, and so on. However, if it has an ability that triggers when a spell is cast, it will have been sacrificed before that ability can trigger. |
| 2016-07-13 | You may sacrifice a creature with a converted mana cost of 0, such as a token creature that’s not a copy of another permanent, to cast a spell for its emerge cost. You’ll just pay the full emerge cost with no reduction. |
| 2016-07-13 | You may sacrifice a creature with converted mana cost greater than or equal to the emerge cost. If you do, you’ll pay only the colored mana component of the emerge cost. |
