Grist, the Hunger Tide

Legendary Planeswalker — Grist

As long as this isn't on the battlefield, this is a 1/1 insect creature in addition to this card's other types.

+1: Create a 1/1 black and green insect creature token, then mill a card. If an Insect card was milled this way, put a loyalty counter on this and repeat this process. (To mill a card, put the top card of your library into your graveyard.)

-2: You may sacrifice a creature. When you do, destroy target creature or planeswalker.

-5: Each opponent loses life equal to the number of creature cards in your graveyard.

Tokens

• Insect 1/1 BG

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	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
Historic Brawl	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (50)

Snap157 on Budget Meren

1 week ago

Meren as a commander really pushes you to build with a high density of creatures-which are currently only a third of your deck. In this case I would cut most of your non-creature ramp for cheap mana dorks (Somberwald Sage, Arbor Elf, Fyndhorn Elves, maybe even Viridian Emissary, Solemn Simulacrum or Springbloom Druid).

I would also do the same with your other critical deck areas such as removal, draw, boardwipes, sac outlets. I would cut Alesha's Legacy, Overwhelming Remorse, and Putrefy in favor of Merciless Executioner, Insidious Fungus, Grist, the Hunger Tide, Foundation Breaker, and Acidic Slime. Also with more creatures gives us better tutor options: Fauna Shaman is worth the money here, and Jarad's Orders is super efficient. Mausoleum Secrets is kinda cool but it only grabs black creatures which I don't like- up to you if you want to keep it.

Drawing cards is overrated in this deck- your hand IS your graveyard. I would lose the Village Rites, Read the Bones, Sign in Blood, Bastion of Remembrance and Disciple of Bolas to bring in cards like Golgari Thug, Stitcher's Supplier, Skull Prophet, or Satyr Wayfinder. Nyx Weaver and Golgari Grave-Troll are an absolute must.

Not sure terastadon belongs here, as much as I love it. It's nice as a reanimation target but meren will have trouble bringing it back and the deck isn't ramp heavy enough to reliably have the mana to cast it. Instead, maybe a Skullwinder or Junji, the Midnight Sky to give you some added recursion.

You may want to also add in about 5 cheap nonbasics. Temple of Malady, Woodland Cemetery, Dakmor Salvage, Tainted Wood, Twilight Mire, Viridescent Bog, Necroblossom Snarl are all very solid choices. Lands entering tapped won't be a super large issue if you stick to 5 or so but you will definitely notice the mana smoothing and appreciate it.

Hope this helps!

multimedia on The Ooze makes it sticky

5 months ago

This new direction for you to consider improves big creature reanimation, threats shouldn't be a problem if you play smarter. Gameplay will be much different with less creatures, relying more on noncreature spells since they will be replacing creatures. In my opinion a good rule for casual Commander deck building is to have at least 10 sources of draw and ramp. Find deck room for lots of these effects as they're the two most important type of effects for smoother gameplay. Cards that both draw and ramp are helpful Collector's Vault.

More card draw Diresight can help to play smarter since you can better sculpt your hand because you see more cards. Draw spells in the early game Night's Whisper can also help to get more than 7 cards in your hand to then have free discard of creature(s) at your Cleanup step until you have 7 cards in hand. Low mana cost (0-3 CMC) ramp Sol Ring is important because you don't want to have to rely only on your one land drop on your turn as the only source of having mana. With less creatures you don't want mana dorks as ramp only noncreature cards Arcane Signet. Some lands since 40 lands is a lot, could be cut for lower mana cost ramp Utopia Sprawl.

Having your graveyard exiled is a fear/concern for all players who play reanimation thus with Stickfingers don't dump all your creatures at one time into your graveyard. Instead Stickfingers for 2 putting 2 threats into your grave and try to reanimate a creature the same turn you put creature into your graveyard. Paying less mana for Stickfingers leaves mana leftover to reanimate that same turn. This makes more 1 or 2 drop reanimation spells important to play Life / Death, Persist and more any card recursion Regrowth to get reanimation spell back to cast again.

There's cards you can play that help against graveyard exile, but ultimately you can't stop it from happening therefore the best defense is to play smarter. Instant reanimation Makeshift Mannequin, reanimate in response to the exile. Play more lower mana cost removal that can remove artifact, enchantment or creature graveyard hate Assassin's Trophy. In response to graveyard exile you can instant put creatures back into your library Turn the Earth or Repopulate.

Having less creatures and you're worried about not having enough blockers play additonal big creatures like Massacre Wurm. Play more creature board wipes Crux of Fate and Terror Tide. Reanimate big creatures who create token creatures Avenger of Zendikar to then use the tokens as blockers or sac fodder Grave Titan. Planeswalkers that can repeatably create creature tokens Grist, the Hunger Tide are nice. Grist can be reanimated by creature reanimation because when it's in your graveyard it's a creature. It's also a creature in your library therefore if revealed, Stickfingers puts it into your graveyard.

Having more creature token producers Liliana, Death's Majesty makes Altar of Bhaal viable repeatable reanimation since you can exile a creature token to reanimate. Liliana can also be a source of repeatable mana free reanimation. Altar's repeatable reanimation is really powerful when you have token fodder to exile. Grave Titan, Hornet Queen, Avenger of Zendikar are excellent with Altar. Having creature tokens also is defense against most opponent edict effects.

Neotrup on Reanimating Grist?

6 months ago

While in your graveyard Grist, the Hunger Tide can be the target of anything that targets creature cards in the graveyard, including spells like Reanimate. As a note, reanimation enchantments, like Animate Dead gain the ability "Enchant creature put onto the battlefield by [this aura]," since Grist is not a creature, it won't be legally enchanted, causing the aura to fall off and then Grist will be sacrificed before you have a chance to use any of it's abilities.

Caran_Lyg on Reanimating Grist?

6 months ago

Since it says on the card text of Grist, the Hunger Tide that it’s a 1/1 insect CREATURE as long as it’s not in the battlefield, it can be target of a reanimating spell, correct? What are your thoughts on this?

Balaam__ on Balaam__

6 months ago

Hm, good question Caran_Lyg. I’m always up for talking about the game, so nothing to worry about there. I typically learn something new whenever I do.

As for Grist, his text specifically says he’s a 1/1 insect creature when not on the battlefield, creature being the key word. However, Call of the Death-Dweller says “return up to two target creature cards”, which may conceivably throw a wrench in the works. As you know, Planeswalker is not a creature type and thus Grist, the Hunger Tide is not a creature card…technically. This specific wording is nebulous, at least to me. I would either post a general rules question or reach out to someone individually. Legendofa and wallisface are highly knowledgeable, far more so than I. They’ll definitely know.

Caran_Lyg on Balaam__

6 months ago

Hey bro. Sorry for coming back to this topic but I was reviewing the Grist deck I was trying to build again and saw that Grist, the Hunger Tide is considered an insect when not in the field, so if it’s in the grave, I can reanimate it with Call of the Death-Dweller, right? I just can’t put the menace or smothered Deathtouch counter on it but it should work.

Caran_Lyg on Balaam__

7 months ago

Hey bro, sorry for posting on your wall but you have extensive knowledge when it comes to cards that’s why I’m writing this. Is there any card that’s modern legal that lets you cast creatures from the graveyard? I found Zask, Skittering Swarmlord but it’s not legal. I’m trying to build a deck around Grist, the Hunger Tide and Grist, Voracious Larva  ^Flip. Hopefully you can share your thoughts with this one. Thank you.

milohenry13 on Tenacious D and the Sac of Destiny

7 months ago

You do understand that Grist, the Hunger Tide *list* can be fetched with Jarad's Orders and is also a "creature" in your graveyard? (However, Grist should be fetched your hand, and Bloodghast should be fetched to your graveyard. You're gonna have to get some fetch lands tho. ;)

You're welcome.