Grasp of Darkness

Instant

Target creature gets -4/-4 until end of turn.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Pauper Duel Commander	Legal
Pauper EDH	Legal
Penny Dreadful	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (50)

EnbyGolem on Dead and Back Again, A Necromancer's Tale

1 year ago

Have you considered running Urborg Justice? An instant speed Grave Pact-like effect can really catch your opponents off guard. Since they don't see it coming, they are much more likely to commit to their board.

If you do end up running it, I would try replacing it with one of your more conditional spot removals like Grasp of Darkness, Dismember, Defile, etc. Good luck!

Pheardemons on That is the most Rakdos way to win

1 year ago

zapyourtumor my friend was playing Soulflayer and he would delve Zetalpa and I simply lost whenever that happened. Grasp of Darkness is a thought, but normally he would have hexproof on it as well. Again, it is there for now but obviously I need to adjust according to whatever the meta may come to.

Murderous Rider was there as a catch all for later games since Fatal Push can't hit anything past 5, but it would be taken out. There may be an adjustment with how many Light Up the Stage s I play, with Murderous Rider and whatnot. Something to think about. Thanks for the thought!

Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger is another one that I'm going to play when I can find a foil Japanese Extended art, or have the money to afford it. Another way to help with grindy games.

Honestly, Dreadhorde Butcher is a potential as well. But his ability to just take over games cannot be denied. Plus, he's probably one of my favorite cards in Pioneer. It is RARE that I don't like to see him. He can be a serious clock. However, he isn't as synergetic as some of the other cards.

zapyourtumor on That is the most Rakdos way to win

1 year ago

For cards to take out, maybe the Murderous Riders. I'm not really sure since the list is pretty tight.

What kind of indestructible creatures are you encountering? If they are 3 or less cmc you could steal them, but if they are larger I think edict effects might be a better answer, or maybe even Grasp of Darkness / Vraska's Contempt / Baleful Mastery .

Neotrup on If I have 27 life …

1 year ago

Alternatively, they can attempt to make the creature smaller in some other way to make you gain less life. If they cast Grasp of Darkness to make the cleric a -1/-1 it'll die and you won't gain any life (if it dies to something else like Fatal Push you'll gain life equal to the toughness it had when it died).

jbgrv on EDH Removal Master List

1 year ago

This is really great list! Please keep updating.

Some of cards I found missing:

Black Eliminate , Grasp of Darkness , Feed the Swarm - oh yes, black can now destroy enchantments! Blue Ravenform - oh yes, blue can now EXILE ceatures or artifacts! White Angelic Edict , Cleansing Nova , Ondu Inversion  ^Flip, Doomskar Green Viridian Shaman , Thrashing Brontodon . Fight effects of Gargos, Vicious Watcher , Territorial Allosaurus , Primal Might , Ram Through Red Shatterskull Smashing  ^Flip and what about enrage effects from Silverclad Ferocidons or damage from Needletooth Raptor or Burning Sun's Avatar ?

MLS91 on Crippling Fear

1 year ago

Profet93

1. Yes, I've played maybe 4 games of EDH since the beginning of covid, my playgroup consisted of a stax player(he mainly played Golos and Zur), a combo player, a casually competitive player and myself whom I would consider also a casually competitive player (insight to best describe myself is that I enjoy playing Land Destruction and aggro style builds, physical damage in games is highly underrated and misunderstood at my local LGS and I use that to my advantage, I came into magic when i first started playing into a heavy control environment and just don't really "understand"/like the archetype)

2. Im not really about it either, i've included a single snow covered swamp for synergy with Field of the Dead

3. I don't plan on running snow lands as such will likely not run Dead of Winter

4. I ended up cutting Grasp of Darkness for Tragic Slip , i'm in the same spirit likely to cut Dismember for Feed the Swarm I hadn't thought about the likely hood of coming across Leyline of the Void or even Rest in Peace

Omniscience_is_life on Crippling Fear

1 year ago

All I'll say is Grasp of Darkness is a pretty useless card. Feed the Swarm is much better.

MLS91 on Crippling Fear

1 year ago

Profet93

in order of your thoughts/questions:

1. Lotus Petal

utilizing the Scrap Trawler loop i.e. Junk Diver + Myr Retriever and a sac outlet, you sacrifice the petal, it hits the yard, sacrifice either Myr Retriever or Junk Diver , Scrap Trawler ability on the stack target the Petal resolve the retriever ability targeting whatever . Then you play the petal, sac the petal, sac the Junk Diver / Myr Retriever , with the abilities on the stack target petal with the trawler ability and then myr/diver with the common ability shared between them(i.e. diver can target retriever/retriever can target diver). You will achieve infinite colored mana in this manner

1. We seem to share a philosophy in deck building, good to make common and relatable grounds with you. I respect you assessment and will keep an open mind to it, ill make sure to keep in touch about when i finally have the freedom to play.

2. What is it you're specifically referencing? I like Unearth because it hits all key creatures in the deck for one mana and unlike reanimate doesn't cost me life to do so.

3. where as i would agree with you in every case but this, i find that this correction will be made if or when i find that i can reliably trigger morbid consistently because yes, -13/-13 is great for 1cmc, however if I cannot trigger morbid it's 1cmc for -1/-1 where as i'd rather pay 2cmc for -4/-4. that being said I otherwise agree with you that Tragic Slip is a better option over Grasp of Darkness but until I can games in ill stick with the limit. (the sweet spot most people don't realize of most creatures is in fact 4)

4. Massacre Wurm is a love of mine however Noxious Gearhulk currently holds this slot. We could surely discuss the swap between the two, however Gearhulk has more direct synergy with the build. Both accomplish something similar and different at the same time