Shrieking Grotesque MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Gargoyle
Abilities	Flying
Released	2006-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Guildpact
Set code	GPT
Power	2
Toughness	1
Number	15
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Dany Orizio

Key Takeaways

Shrieking Grotesque excels in resource disruption, making it a strategic pick for hand control tactics.
Its requirement for specific mana can limit deck flexibility, posing a challenge for players.
Inclusion in a collection enhances versatility and meta-relevance against control-heavy decks.

Text of card

Flying When Shrieking Grotesque comes into play, if was spent to play Shrieking Grotesque, target player discards a card.

Orzhov mage-sculptors bring their stone to life before they carve it. The shrieking begins as soon as the mouths are formed.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When playing Shrieking Grotesque, you get to enforce discard, potentially stripping an important card from your opponent’s hand and tipping the informational balance in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: This card suits decks that capitalize on casting cheaper spells or benefit from the death of creatures, as it offers a less costly option for triggering those effects while also presenting a flying threat.

Instant Speed: While Shrieking Grotesque itself is not an instant, its versatility in gameplay comes from its compatibility with instant-speed interactions in the Orzhov archetype, allowing you to harness its discard ability efficiently during your main phase before yielding to the complex stack manipulation your deck might support.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Shrieking Grotesque may put you in a tight spot when it asks for a card discard upon entering the battlefield. This can shrink your hand size at a moment when every card counts, especially if you’re running out of options.

Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost of this card is narrowly defined, requiring both white and black mana. This may cause players to second-guess its inclusion in a two-colored deck where mana flexibility is key to a smooth play.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in at three mana might not seem excessive at first glance, but when you consider the efficiency of other creatures and spells available, Shrieking Grotesque could be considered a costlier choice for its disruptive effect.

Reasons to Include Shrieking Grotesque in Your Collection

Versatility: Shrieking Grotesque offers flexibility as it serves multiple roles within a deck. Its flying ability makes it a reliable attacker or blocker in the air, and it can also be an efficient way to disrupt your opponent’s hand when it enters the battlefield.

Combo Potential: The discard effect it triggers upon being cast can synergize with strategies that benefit from opponents discarding cards or with your own graveyard mechanics, potentially enabling powerful interactions within certain archetypes.

Meta-Relevance: Given its role in disrupting opponents’ hands, Shrieking Grotesque can be a tactical response to a meta that is heavy on combo and control decks, stripping key components and reactive spells from your opponents’ grip, essentially turning the tides in your favor.

How to beat

Shrieking Grotesque presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. This card, when played, forces an opponent to discard, thereby putting pressure on their hand and strategy. To effectively navigate against this flying creature from the Orzhov guild, it is essential to employ foresight and control. The key lies in maintaining a healthy hand size, minimizing the impact of its discard effect when it enters the battlefield.

Resource management becomes crucial when facing Shrieking Grotesque. Ensuring that you have a surplus of non-essential cards can absorb the discard effect without sacrificing key components of your game plan. Alternatively, utilizing instant-speed card draw after the discard trigger can replenish your hand, mitigating its disruptive ability. In addition, deploying creatures with a higher power can easily deal with Shrieking Grotesque due to its modest stats.

Denying the grotesque’s haunt ability also plays a role. Exile effects or graveyard manipulation can prevent a second discard trigger when the creature dies, helping maintain your hand’s integrity. By implementing these strategies, you can dull the shriek of the grotesque and maintain control over the game.

Cards like Shrieking Grotesque

Shrieking Grotesque introduces a unique dynamic to the array of creatures available in Magic: The Gathering. When considering cards with a kinship to Shrieking Grotesque, we notice the resemblance with cards like Tidehollow Sculler. Both creatures have the ability to disturb an opponent’s hand upon entering the battlefield. However, Tidehollow Sculler has the potential to permanently expropriate a nonland card as long as it remains on the field, adding a layer of strategy not present in Shrieking Grotesque’s gameplay.

Another card that draws parallels is Burglar Rat, which forces each opponent to discard when it comes into play, affecting everyone at the table rather than targeting a single player. Conversely, Shrieking Grotesque offers the flexibility to choose discarding a card or not based on whether white mana was spent during its casting, providing a tactical advantage directed at a specific player’s hand.

Ultimately, versatility is a key aspect when comparing these cards, and in the realm of hand disruption, Shrieking Grotesque stands out. It offers selective disruption combined with a flying ability, making it a multifaceted choice for players aiming to unbalance their adversary’s strategy from the early game stages.

Cards similar to Shrieking Grotesque by color, type and mana cost

Breena, the Demagogue - MTG Card versions

Souls of the Faultless - MTG Card versions

Pious Evangel // Wayward Disciple - MTG Card versions

Kambal, Consul of Allocation - MTG Card versions

Kunoros, Hound of Athreos - MTG Card versions

General Kudro of Drannith - MTG Card versions

Lurrus of the Dream-Den - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

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