The release of Outlaws of Thunder Junction has resulted in Grim Hireling’s price tripling. However, if you plan on acquiring it, we can assist you in maximizing the benefits of this incredible Treasure card.
Grim Hireling is widely recognized as an exceptional black-mana Treasure engine in MTG, and its value has significantly risen in recent times, experiencing a surge of 194%. With the debut of Outlaws of Thunder Junction, the price of Grim Hireling has skyrocketed from $10 to a median price of $29.44 on TCGPlayer, reaching an unprecedented peak for the card.
The large rise in Grim Hireling’s cost is attributable to two interrelated causes: the introduction of the Outlaw mechanic in Outlaws of Thunder Junction, and the release of the Most Wanted Thunder Junction pre-constructed deck.
The addition of the Outlaw type offers support for several lesser-known Creature types, such as Rogue, to which Grim Hireling belongs. With the added synergy from other Outlaws, many of which excel in generating Treasure, Grim Hireling now has a plethora of support at its disposal.
The Most Wanted pre-constructed Commander deck is one of four Outlaws of Thunder Junction decks, with a focus on Outlaws and accumulating a large number of Treasures. The inclusion of Grim Hireling is vital to the success of this deck’s strategy and it would have been beneficial if it had been reprint.
Grim Hireling and Prosper, Tome-Bound
The Commander Prosper, Tome-Bound, has a long history of utilizing Grim Hireling in their decks, as demonstrated by its presence in the Prosper-led Planar Portal pre-con deck. Prosper is widely regarded as one of the top Rakdos Commanders of all time, as their abilities greatly support the use of exile and Treasure strategies, making Grim Hireling a perfect fit.
Despite the high price of Grim Hireling, seasoned Prosper players may want to consider whether to continue including this card in their deck or transferring it to other Commanders who can utilize it more effectively.
While Grim Hireling can certainly benefit Prosper, its usefulness is largely dependent on the deck’s chosen direction. There are various paths that Prosper can take, with some players opting for a Creature-centric aggressive strategy, while others may prefer a spellslinger approach. Since Grim Hireling’s ability revolves around Creatures dealing combat damage to accumulate Treasure tokens, it may not be the best fit for non-aggro Prosper decks and should be considered for replacement.
Fortunately, there are now two exceptional Thunder Junction Commanders, featured in the aforementioned Most Wanted Deck, who are able to fully utilize Prosper: Olivia, Opulent Outlaw and Vihaan, Goldwaker.
Grim Hireling’s New Commanders
Olivia, Opulent Outlaw
While Olivia, Opulent Outlaw may come off as a surprising choice for a Commander, she takes a departure from the character’s traditional vampire strategies by solely focusing on buffing Outlaws. To fully optimize Olivia’s strategy and maximize her effectiveness, it is recommended to build a deck centered around Outlaw Creatures.
Olivia’s synergy with Grim Hireling is evident, as her initial ability also produces Treasure when dealing damage effectively. By having both of these characters on the field and a sufficient number of Outlaws to attack with, you have the potential to acquire up to three Treasure tokens for each opponent you harm.
In addition to sacrificing Treasure created by her own ability, Olivia can also sacrifice Treasure from any source to put +1/+1 counters on all of your outlaws. By successfully completing a single combat step, both Olivia and Grim Hireling can quickly accumulate enough Treasure to activate this Commander’s secondary ability multiple times within the same turn. This can result in an overwhelming board of Creatures that will leave opponents struggling by the time your next turn arrives.
I hate you, Goldwaker
Vihaan, also known as Goldwaker, is the alternate Commander in Most Wanted. He proves to be a formidable opponent for Olivia as he utilizes Grim Hireling to its full potential. Unlike Olivia who uses Treasures to boost her Outlaws, Vihaan converts Treasure tokens into Creatures, quickly amassing an army. With the help of Grim Hireling, Vihaan’s board grows rapidly, allowing for swift attacks and the creation of even more Treasure.
In Vihaan, Grim Hireling is an excellent removal tool as it allows you to exchange your Treasures for the removal of a difficult Creature on the field. By combining Grim Hireling with other powerful cards such as Pitiless Plunderer and Mahadi, Emporium Master, any Treasures used will be replenished before the end of the turn.
Regardless of which Commander you choose to use Grim Hireling in, this card is rapidly becoming a key component of Treasure-based strategies and is expected to maintain its current high value in the foreseeable future.
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