Grapple with the Past

Grapple with the Past

Instant

Put the top three cards of your library into your graveyard, then you may return a creature or land card from your graveyard to your hand.

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Legality

Format Legality
Casual Legal
Modern Legal
Pauper Legal
Limited Legal
1v1 Commander Legal
Tiny Leaders Legal
Leviathan Legal
Duel Commander Legal
Pauper EDH Legal
2019-10-04 Legal
Highlander Legal
Vintage Legal
Commander / EDH Legal
Custom Legal
Canadian Highlander Legal
Pioneer Legal
Block Constructed Legal
Legacy Legal
Oathbreaker Legal
Unformat Legal

Grapple with the Past occurrence in decks from the last year

Latest Decks as Commander

Grapple with the Past Discussion

sekiars on The Rock, Pauper, Scissors (RPS)

2 weeks ago

Grubbernaut take into consideration that while Gurmag Angler may seem very tempting, nowadays most decks seem to be able to handle the fish pretty well, while the decks that don't handle it very well don't care too much about it unless you drop it on an early turn. That's why Delver Angler doesn't see as much play anymore. I've already tested a more "dredgy" heavy deck, and turns out it just becomes a worse version of TortEx. Also if I were to run a self-mill card I'd run Grapple with the Past since it keeps the recursion theme while also milling cards with the upside of returning creatures to my hand as well. But either way, with the amount of interaction that I'm running it's not practical to run self-mill. I'm running Pestilence as a main-wincon because: a) It's a very efficient removal when necessary; b) It's a little bit harder to interact than Gurmag Angler, with the upside of not costing me six cards from my graveyard if it ever gets bounced back to my hand; c) The land approach to the deck allows me to have a more comfortable mana pool by the mid to end game to use it effectively. BUt of course: a) It costs me life to "block" a creature; b) Has the normal downside of the card; c) Can't be brought back from the graveyard.

Lujotheganker on GW REANIMATOR

1 month ago

EDIT: update: So I have been messing with this deck for quite some time, and I decided to change a few things. First of Commune with the Gods, as good as it is in this deck, ended up burrying oue lands a lot of the times, so I had to replace it with 4 copies of Grapple with the Past. For now, it has been working really well. I added 2 copies of Eternal Witness for our Vesperlark in the late game. I've also added two more copies of Deep Forest Hermit. Unfortunatelly Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite ended up being pretty useless in most of the games, and would just sit in my hand for no reason, so I've moved it to the sideboard vs creature based opponents.

I also changed the manabase a bit. One Gavony Township for the late game works really well with Kalonian Hydra. Once we have these two cards on the board and a little token army ready to bite our opponents, just pump all of our creatures and let them get bigger with each swing.

The initial idea remained the same, and I have to say this deck is just so much fun to play. It's also pretty decent in competetive league, so I'm really looking forward to it to my local FNM.

If you have any new/interesting suggestions, please let me know, thanks a lot peeps:-)

LastEdegy on Jarad vod Savo

3 months ago

wow! thanks guys for all the suggestions! I have been so busy, and haven't update much of this deck since early this year.. I will update this deck this weekend, with all the good suggestions you have given..

@king-saproling - thanks for the suggestions! I will consider those..

@casual_competitive - I'm not much of a 2 card auto win combo kind of player, especially since i already have Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord + Phyrexian Devourer in the deck.. but thanks for the suggestion!

@VEILofAUTUMN - thanks! I might add one of them, it depends on playtesting, since either of them are creatures.. maybe Deadly Rollick..

@vileplume23 - hmm.. these are good on indestructible creatures, but i can't target threats like Ravenous Chupacabra.. i'll consider those.. thanks!

@backdoorbonus - that's a cool new card! affect other players too.. i might add that! thanks for the suggestion!

@cakes25 - it's an instant graveyard fill, but it might be too slow and too random of a card recursion.. but thanks!

@TRANSFORMERS159 - thanks for the suggestions.. however, i have considered those before and it's just to slow for me since those are sorceries compared to Grapple with the Past & Grisly Salvage..

@Cloud777 - Lotleth Giant only affects one opponent, and it's hard to cast or cost higher life to Reanimate, but i might consider Doomgape.. it can be lifegain on a stick.. thanks!

@masayoshishido - Doomed Necromancer can be a cheap creature recursion, Keeper of the Dead will depend on the consistency of creatures on my graveyard, Gemrazer is good on certain situations bu can be vulnerable to single target removals that can kill gemrazer and the mutated creature, Altar of Dementia might be reconsidered.. thanks for all the suggestions!

@antlers12 - Gamekeeper might be a dud, since it needs to die then it needs to have enough noncreature cards to fill a bit of the graveyard and i don't have a lot of sac outlets.. also, creatures in the graveyard is needed for the gameplan of the deck, it might be counterintuitive to mill noncreature cards with Gamekeeper.. but Skull Prophet is a definite inclusion! thanks!

@sigiledwatch - ohh.. true, however putting things in my graveyard can be card draw in a way that's why i don't put a lot of card draws.. but i get what you mean, i might consider some of those cards.. thanks!

@mylene800 - i have considered Ghoultree before, though i'm not sure how it would be good.. i would playtest it again with the changes i would make, and check if it's worth as an inclusion.. however, Hydra Omnivore might be meh in the deck.. 6 mana, 8/8 creature that needs to connect for the best results might be hard in turns 4-6 earliest.. not having trample is not good.. but thanks for the suggestions!

@megantrongriffin13 - both Fiend Artisan and Necrotic Wound are great new changes in the deck! I'll check about Sheoldred, Whispering One.. It might not be a salty preator card, on my playgroup.. thanks!

@lola82600 - yeah! i was excited on adding some of those to my edh decks as well! I will definitely include Bala Ged Recovery  Flip and Tangled Florahedron  Flip! not sure about Agadeem's Awakening  Flip, depends on playtesting if the price of the card versus being useful game ender or just a land most of the time.. I'll consider Nissa of Shadowed Boughs too! Thanks for the suggestions!

smilodex on Ishkanah, Grafwidow Commander COMBO Deck

3 months ago

Thanks for your comment. I am very happy about such comments, as it is difficult to keep an eye on every possible combination with over a thousand commanders, especially with such a commander like Ishkanah, which you don't meet in your LGS every day. Thanks to your comment, I can see more of the potential of Ishkanah. I you want to tune up your deck, I have some recommendations for that:

I would exchange:

I would play as many cool utility lands with a sacrifice effect and as many fetch lands as possible because they're needed for Delirium and have also great potential with the MVP in every graveyard deck Life from the Loam:

Carddraw or Cardadvantage:

Other good finishers/ combo pieces:

Well, I'm sure that you already know what other options there are to tune up the deck. If you want to win consitenly I would add more ways to produce infinte mana like Nim Deathmantle + Priest of Gix + Ashnod's Altar or Magus of the Coffers + Staff of Domination OR another unigue and complicated way to filter infinite colorless mana with Basalt Monolith + Rings of Brighthearth is together with Mirage Mirror and a Swamp...

To make the whole thing more consistent you have play all green and black tutors, play fast mana like the Moxes, Mana Crypt/-Vault, Manadorks (Elvish Mystic/Elves of Deep Shadow/Llanowar Elves etc. and pack some premium removal in the deck to raise the power level. If you're interested we can brew a fringe competetive list together.

Azeworai on Micromancy

6 months ago

Well met, young callant! I have some suggestions with your names on them. Such a strange coincidence.

You'll need Black Lotus, this verson of Sol Ring, perhaps a dual land or two...

Jests aside, let's do this.

So, I see budget, I see counters, I see mill. Let's start with mill.

One does not simply play a graveyard deck bereft of the following: Satyr Wayfinder finds some lands whiles stocking the bin. Grisly Salvage is morbidly efficient, finding creatures and lands. Winding Way does the forenamed, whereupon it sometimes betrays you (Don't look it in the eye). Grapple with the Past brings stuff back and loads the bin. It feels great. Funeral Rites is fine and straight-forward. Ransack the Lab is cheap whiles bearing efficacy.

If you're feeling betaken to your graveyard chicanery, Perpetual Timepiece does an absolutely lovely job of stocking the bin.

Backup versions of the commander's ability are evermore a cruciality. Sevinne's Reclamation is great, as with Sun Titan. "Six mana?! :(" you say. "It's worth it! :D" I respond.

A little more on the affluent side, but The Gitrog Monster, Ramunap Excavator, and Dread Return could be worth inclusion, for they are quite splendid.

Ahem. DEATH'S OASIS?! It mills, it fills, and eventually it kills. Moreover, it is three to cast, thusly on-theme.

Okay, now counters!

(I've never built any counter-themed decks. You have been warned.) Upon my presaged failures, all I have to proffer is Inspiring Call and Armorcraft Judge. Take it or leave it.

Unto the intrinsic:

Let us protect thine commander! Selfless Spirit is out of budget yet amazing, Saffi Eriksdotter is of a similar role, and Dauntless Bodyguard, along withal Selfless Savior, are budget options for choice.

Ramp, ramp, ramp. I care not that your curve is low, ramp! Rampant Growth, Nature's Lore, Edge of Autumn, ilka of these are fantastic.

There are two routes in commander decks (when playing fairly); a low-curve with a foison of card draw or a higher curve with less card draw. Low-curve = more card draw. I'd add Painful Truths, Sign in Blood, Funeral Rites, Ransack the Lab

I am biased, but I put Once Upon a Time in literally all of my green decks. 'Tis most lovely each time I cast the gest.

And therefrom is the finis of my comment. Fare thee well and may fortune betide!

Epicurus on Stranger with some strange lands

7 months ago

+1 for creativity, for sure. But also +1 for designing this deck at nearly $1/card. That's impressive. Now, please excuse me while I ruin the two reasons why I really like this deck.

The Gitrog Monster is at its best when it is in a classic Loam build. Which is to say, it has Life from the Loam, and preferably Crucible of Worlds. Neither of those are budget friendly, and both are completely uncreative, since it's basically "Gitrog 101." I can't help a whole awful lot here with the creative part, but I do have some insights into the budget version aspect:

Personally, I also think that easy self mill, like Perpetual Timepiece, Shard of Broken Glass and Splinterfright, as well as dredge spells like Golgari Grave-Troll, Golgari Thug, Dakmor Salvage, Shambling Shell and Stinkweed Imp are certainly helpful as well.

Not that I think your deck needs all of the cards I've listed here, but they are all worth consideration. You've put together a formidable budget list already, and I wouldn't want to muck it up too much.

Cheers!

Azeworai on Undying gift of Nel Toth

8 months ago

Alright. I am not too fond of graveyard strategies myself, though I have tinkered vehemently with Alesha , Muldrotha Adun Oakenshield , so I'll see where that gets me.

I see a strong value engine in the command zone, but far too much late-game in the ninety-nine. I would highly recommend cutting much of the seven drops, lest the deck be too slow betime on, thusly being trampled.

Furthermore, the deck needs more sacrifice outlets. With many death triggers comes a dire need to control when they go off, thence you should probably have at least seven.

Ideally, the gameplan is turn one or two ramp and cheap creature, then turn three Meren to return it to your hand.

Now, onto my suggestions.

Upon what I would ablate:

  1. Korozda Guildmage is too slow. Four mana to sacrifice something is awful.

  2. Overseer of the Damned is the same. Seven mana to kill something with a menial deathrattle.

  3. terrastodon is eight mana. I have a deck with seventeen cards of ramp and it's still too much.

  4. Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder may be an exquisitely perfidious character within the lore, hereon he is rather slow. Egregious stats and only lives so long.

  5. I've never quite understood the draw to Yavimaya Elder . Three mana, then requires extra work to find two basics to the hand, whereat even further toiling is required to draw the card. I never liked it, but I suppose.

  6. Phyrexian Rager is too slow, no matter how mad it gets.

  7. Deathsprout is cute, but four mana to remove something whiles providing no value by being a creature.

  8. Acidic Slime has always seemed lacking to me. You have Sage and Caterpillar to foredo artifacts or enchantments. A five-mana 2/2 seems lacking.

  9. Sever the Bloodline is a four mana sorcery to kill one thing. If someone plays Kiki-Jiki or Mr. Gitaxias , whereupon their effects are immediate, this won't solve anything. Sure it flashbacks for seven mana, but the additional upside of the card isn't worth it in a singleton format.

  10. Aid from the Cowl is a card I have tested withal. It's effect is slow, capricious, and ineffective. When it does work, it's five mana to maybe get something off of the top. I don't like it.

  11. Diabolic Tutor and Final Parting are five mana to find one card. In a deck without infinite combos these are a lot less appealing. I'd put in cantrips instead.

  12. So, Pathbreaker Ibex and Overwhelming Stampede . Each possess much dint, but I wouldn't play multiple. Pick one, move on. (I prefer the Ibex , though I'm biased.)

  13. Thrashy is fine, but is four mana to kill something. Given the foison of similar effects the deck has, just remove it.

Okay, now unto thee I provide sacrifice outlets.

Altar of Dementia is literally perfect for a deck like this. Mill and death, all in one! Viscera Seer is a classic, Carrion Feeder can become massive, Goat Thing comes back by itself and offers caprine fodder, Yawgmoth, Thran Physician is oft the best card in my aristocrats deck though is expensive, and High Market or Phyrexian Tower are always fine.

Blood Artist or Bastion of Remembrance are fine in strategies such as this.

Fauna Shaman seems absolutely great; Discard a dork, fetch a monstrosity, return aforesaid dork with Meren , celebrate.

Victimize is never lacking as it cheats out giants whilst providing sacrifice, Dread Return fills a very similar role, Eternal Witness is always great, Blood for Bones loops with the Witness , and Animate Dead is always great.

Now, cantrips: Grisly Salvage , Winding Way , Grapple with the Past , Ransack the Lab , and Once Upon a Time all filter through the deck, fill the graveyard, save for Once Upon a Time , and find lands or creatures. Furthermore, they are great with Meren , as creatures are to be disinterred.

For ramp, mana dorks are great. Birds of Paradise , Llanowar Elves , Elvish Mystic , Fyndhorn Elves , and Elves of Deep Shadow offer fodder and acceleration. The best is probably Skull Prophet . Mill, fodder, and ramp in one.

Reassembling Skeleton just seems great, Bloodghast grants much, and Bitterblossom can be sacrificed a meiny of times.

Importantly, I add some more draw. Phyrexian Arena , Underworld Connections , Liliana's Standard Bearer , Erebos, Bleak-Hearted , Dark Prophecy , Moldervine Reclamation , and Rankle, Master of Pranks do this deed.

That shall be all from me. Good luck!

liquid_water on Kathril of the Hunt - Voltron/Reanimator

9 months ago

The deck looks fun, but does Knight of Malice actually work here? Hexproof and 'Hexproof from white' seem distinctly different for the sake of Kathril. Also, you may want to consider Grapple with the Past in here in addition to Grisly Salvage. It doesn't dig as deep as Salvage, but being able to get cards that were already in the graveyard has proven useful to me in similar graveyard strategies.

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