Granite Grip MTG Card

Urza's Legacy (ULG)
1999-02-15 - Number 81

Seventh Edition (7ED)
2001-04-11 - Number 195★

Seventh Edition (7ED)
2001-04-11 - Number 195

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant

Key Takeaways

Grants lasting creature boost, potentially overcoming multiple threats and shifting battles.
Highly mana-specific; requires a solid red presence to be consistently effective.
Its versatility and combo potential make it a wildcard for diverse red strategies.

Text of card

Enchanted creature gets +1/+0 for each mountain you control.

There's beauty in the desert—but it's best to view it from afar.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Granite Grip itself doesn’t draw cards, it provides a lasting boost to a single creature which can lead to card advantage by allowing that creature to potentially take down multiple opponent’s creatures without getting destroyed itself.

Resource Acceleration: Though not directly tied to resource acceleration, enhancing a creature with Granite Grip can speed up your offensive strategy, pressuring your opponent and possibly leading to a faster victory.

Instant Speed: As an enchantment of sorcery speed, Granite Grip can’t be cast at instant speed. It encourages strategic planning for when to best deploy this buff to avoid interruption and maximize its effect on the battlefield.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One lesser-known drawback of Granite Grip is its initial discard requirement to activate its ability. If your hand is already sparse, having to let go of a potentially crucial card can set your game back, especially in scenarios where card advantage dictates the pace of play.

Specific Mana Cost: Granite Grip’s reliance on a specific blend of mana to cast—requiring not just one but two red mana symbols—can pose a deck-building challenge. Players not running a red-centric deck or lacking sufficient mana fixing might find this card a tough fit for their strategy, possibly sitting useless in hand while they scramble for the right mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Granite Grip provides a solid power boost, it comes at a cost of three mana—an investment that demands careful consideration. In environments where efficient plays are key, committing three mana for the enchantment could delay other critical actions or leave you vulnerable to your opponent’s threats, not to mention the abundance of alternative enchantments that might offer more flexibility or additional effects at a similar or lower cost.

Reasons to Include Granite Grip in Your Collection

Versatility: Granite Grip can be a surprisingly adaptable card, capable of enhancing any creature, thus enabling it to slip into a variety of red-based decks. Whether you’re running aggro to press early game advantages or midrange to beef up your threats, this enchantment can provide the power boost needed.

Combo Potential: This enchantment can synergize with decks that focus on untapping creatures for multiple attacks or benefit from increased power for various triggers and abilities. Granite Grip raises a creature’s power, making it more potent for combos that depend on such statistics.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where games drag out, granting extra power to your creatures could close out games quicker. While not a staple in any particular meta, Granite Grip offers an inexpensive way to tip the scales in prolonged matches, especially when unexpected power is required to break a stalemate.

How to beat

Granite Grip is a single-card force multiplier in the world of Magic: The Gathering, enchanting a creature to enhance its strength with additional power for each mountain you control. This card can lead to a quick finish if not addressed. To counter this threat, effective removal spells are your best defense. Instant speed removal like Path to Exile or Assassin’s Trophy can dismantle the threat before the enchanted creature can capitalize on its newfound power, maintaining the balance of the battlefield.

Another approach is to focus on enchantment removal. Cards like Disenchant or Naturalize offer a clean and direct way to remove Granite Grip from the game, neutralizing the immediate threat. Control decks that manage opponent resources can also mitigate the impact of Granite Grip by limiting the number of mountains and, consequently, the power available to the enchanted creature.

With proper planning and the right set of responses, Granite Grip’s influence on the game can be diminished. Remaining vigilant and prepared with a versatile set of spells is the key to overcoming the challenge presented by this enchantment card.

Cards like Granite Grip

In the landscape of Magic: The Gathering, Granite Grip stands as a unique aura that boosts a creature’s power. It’s somewhat reminiscent of other enchantments that offer similar boons, such as Oakenform. While both bring the benefit of a strength increase, Oakenform provides a higher static boost without the firebreathing ability. Granite Grip allows players to invest mana for each instance of strength increment, making it a more flexible and potentially more powerful tool during the late game.

Goblin War Paint is another card that can be looked at when examining Granite Grip. Both enchantments require a specific color commitment, but War Paint comes with a built-in haste effect, offering immediate impact compared to the scaling potential of Granite Grip. Another card in this comparison could be Brute Strength. Although Brute Strength is an instant that also gives a creature a temporary power bump and trample, it lacks the repeatability that Granite Grip provides across multiple turns.

Assessing their place among combat-enhancing spells, Granite Grip’s ability to scale with available mana offers a different angle for strategic depth, especially in prolonged matches where incremental advantages can add up to a crushing victory.

Cards similar to Granite Grip by color, type and mana cost

Curse of Hospitality - MTG Card versions

Anax, Hardened in the Forge - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Granite Grip MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Legacy and Seventh Edition, 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 Granite Grip and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Granite Grip Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1999-02-15 and 2001-04-11. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1999-02-15	Urza's Legacy	ULG	81	1997	Normal	Black	Mike Raabe
2	2001-04-11	Seventh Edition	7ED	195★	1997	Normal	Black	Ray Lago
3	2001-04-11	Seventh Edition	7ED	195	1997	Normal	White	Ray Lago