Grim Discovery

Sorcery

Choose one or both —

• Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
• Return target land card from your graveyard to your hand.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Modern Beyond Horizons	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Pauper Duel Commander	Legal
Pauper EDH	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (47)

wallisface on Card Discussion: Grim Discovery

11 months ago

The problems with it, as I see:

• It's sorcery speed and two mana, which is both very slow and quite high-mana for a card that doesn't apply any pressure at all (it's not affecting the board state, and only setting you up for future-turn plays). Scam decks typically rely on applying constant pressure - they're not designed to out-grind the opponent, their plan is to cause early-game havoc and then win while the opponent is trying to stabilize from their turn-1 trauma. I don't think Grim Discovery is a good fit in that regard.

• In regard to trying this in a Yawgmoth, Thran Physician brew, I just don't see them wanting this kind of effect. They already have tons of ways to fetch creatures into play, and so can get additional copies of whatever happened to die. Plus they have Agatha's Soul Cauldron which does a much better job of turning the graveyard-creatures into huge value. They also don't want to have to rely on the graveyard too-heavily, as that's going to be one of the primary ways the opponent will be attacking the deck post-sideboard.

• Generally speaking, the card is only barely creating a net-positive in card-advantage, and only really in the form of a land. That's a pretty low return considering that the card costs 2 mana, and only puts these cards into hand. Compare this to Unearth or Persist which get the creature into play immediately and so have immediate impact - while they're not giving you a land with their effects, they're giving you some virtual mana-advantage by yeeting the creature into play instead of making you have to go to the trouble of casting it.

imo it's not seeing play because it's just not any good. It's really slow, barely creates any kind of meaningful card-advantage, is liable to be useless if your deck is already graveyard focused (because your opponent will bring hate), and there are just much stronger effects in this vein which more proactively advance the boardstate.

Icbrgr on Card Discussion: Grim Discovery

11 months ago

Recently I have Been inspired to brew/play 8-Rack in Modern specifically due to all the hype/buzz generated around Scam decks.

In my brewing/research I came across an old primer off of MTG Salvation and a card that caught my eye was Grim Discovery.

This really seems like a neat card but to my knowledge sees virtually no play... I did a quick search on MTG Top8 Modern and found one deck back in 2011 that used it in a {BG} Vampires deck.

Does anyone else think this card is worth revisiting as a niche tech choice for today? I remember after the Fury ban people placed bets on {UB} scam being a thing... could this maybe do to Subtlety what Undying Evil/similar does for Grief? Or perhaps at its worst just get the elemental/creature back in hand and or recycle a fetchland?... maybe some sort of application in a Yawgmoth, Thran Physician brew?

Icbrgr on MBC: Classic 8-Rack

11 months ago

@capwner I actually just had a FNM tonight and played this deck (but my Shriekmaw/Slaughter Pact/Sudden Spoiling/Grim Discovery are still in the mail... so instead I was running a playset of Bloodghast and some ratio of Liliana's Triumph/Sheoldred's Edict/Augur of Skulls... I will update this deck with the matchup results next week when I get the missing cards in.

Tonight I played against yawg and Rhinos and had a bye.... In the yawgmoth matchup One of the games I just got absolutely blown out by Force of Vigor getting rid of my both The Rack/Shrieking Afflictions and both of us were in topdeck mode but I ended up losing. I went 1-2 for both the games I played tonight; granted I lost but they were close/winnable I swear!

I have been toying with the idea of Cabal Coffers but The real monkey wrench of the deck is Smallpox and Liliana of the Veil... some games I can get 5 lands in play but other times its a struggle to get/keep 3; I think thats why I like Ghost Quarter simply because there isn't any investment to use it.

legendofa on Loam Life (PLEASE HELP)

1 year ago

Dumping some ideas and hoping something works: Rancor's always an option, if you have some on hand. Sporemound can go wide. Groundskeeper is a reusable recursion effect, and Grim Discovery hits most of your key cards. Explore and Arboreal Grazer effects could be your best ramp, since it seems like the deck puts lands into your hand pretty reliably. Murasa Behemoth is more beef, but is also pretty high mana cost.

StopShot on Unban Dark Depths!

4 years ago

Oh and I suppose there may be some merit considering if Grim Discovery or Mox Opal could provide any value in terms of recovery and extra mana off of the 20/20 legendary creature.

Balaam__ on Tartarus, Obsignatorum

4 years ago

See this is why it’s good to ask for advice! Let me go through your suggestions one by one.

1) I’m not sure, so correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think I could sacrifice Dark Depths to itself via Exploration to trigger Marit Lage. I’m leaning toward No because the card specifies “When Dark Depths has no ice counters on it, sacrifice it.” Even though it’s a card subject to the Legendary rule, I think they’d both enter the battlefield with ice counters. Again, I could be wrong (and if I am, please let me know!). But I think you’re right about not running Exploration anyway.

2) As for Entomb, I included that as a tutor to acquire either Dark Depths or Thespian's Stage. Then I can grab them from the graveyard using Grim Discovery. In a pinch it could also locate and grab any of the creatures with the same process. I’m leaning toward keeping them in, at least until further playtesting.

3) Makes sense about removing Spoils of the Vault too; I already have the superior Demonic Consultation so I suppose I can cut it in favor of Ancestral Recall (I keep forgetting that card exists. What irony XD)

4) Is Crop Rotation really all that useful? I guess I just can’t see the value. Since it costs a green even if I use it to sacrifice the land i just tapped to cast it, have I really gained an advantage? My mind can’t quite put together it’s usefulness. Help me understand better how it works or why it’s so good.

5) As much as I’d love to include more copies of Vampiric Tutor, it’s restricted:/ I could add Imperial Seal, that sounds like a plus. Grim Tutor sounds too slow (plus I don’t own a copy).

6) I think the mana producing creature Urborg Elf is really good, I don’t know why I should remove it here. It can chump block and help pay for the means to find and assemble my pieces for Marit Lage. Is it really bad to have the elf?

DasButch on They Eat... ZoMbIE BrAiNs?!?

4 years ago

Hey zAzen7977!

Dude, Rotting Regisaur looks nasty! Liliana, the Last Hope would be a great fit when I've got the $$$ for some more magic cards! lol.

Witch's Cottage looks useful too.

Experimenting with new removal spells all the time. I've had both Fatal Push and Spark Harvest in the deck and like them both.

You're right about Soul Stair Expedition being slow. I had a bunch of crack lands and thought it might be worth a try. I'm currently trying out Grim Discovery. Think it will be nice for digging a Stitcher's Supplier or a Carrion Feeder AND a crack land for the Bloodghast. Limited testing on that card.

I play on MTGO, so these decks are changing often!

Have quite a few play hours in. Deck runs really well.

Thanks for the advice buddy!

Lates, Das Butch

SpoopieGhost on Vraska's Triple D's

4 years ago

I don't usually do sideboards for my homebrew Pauper Decks as they're more for me and my friend's casual games. But I would definitely fun some Relic of Progenitus, Naturalize, maybe a Doom Blade or two, perhaps more Gurmag Angler or Greater Mossdog you have to be careful though because playing this deck I've learned that if you get too greedy with the graveyard filling you will have nothing but Stinkweed Imp to cast, and they unfortunately make the problem worse. This deck could use some more cards with flashback Gnaw to the Bone could be great for sideboards, or simply just more ways to refill the hand. possibly Grim Discovery or Disentomb. I personally love Macabre Waltz, but it does have a CMC of two. Disentomb can hit two zombies which is perfect for both Putrid Leech and Gurmag Angler.