EDH Optimizer
Gríma, Saruman's Footman
Legendary Creature — Human Advisor · 2UB
Color identity: Black · Blue · Dimir
Gríma, Saruman's Footman is Dimir (black and blue): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones.
Rules text:
Gríma can't be blocked.
Whenever Gríma deals combat damage to a player, that player exiles cards from the top of their library until they exile an instant or sorcery card. You may cast that card without paying its mana cost. Then that player puts the exiled cards that weren't cast this way on the bottom of their library in a random order.
Reference price of the card: €2.86
Comes in the precon The Hosts of Mordor
Average lands in decks for Gríma, Saruman's Footman: 35
TheftSpellslingerSpell CopyControlClonesVoltronUnblockableEquipment
Build your Gríma, Saruman's Footman deck step by step, with in-depth analysis and AI optimization of your list.
🛠️ Build a deck for Gríma, Saruman's Footman 📥 Analyze my deck🎲 How the average Gríma, Saruman's Footman deck starts over 4,000 games
The list people actually play per EDHREC (the 99 most-included cards, with its average land count), simulated with the EDH Optimizer engine: hands, mulligans, lands, curve and commander. It does not model opponents; it measures whether the plan gets going.
Deck health of the average list: C+ (60/100)
- Consistency53
- Speed42
- Interaction100
- Resilience78
- Closing41
See the cards of the average deck · 99 cards, 35 lands (21 nonbasic, 10 Island, 4 Swamp)
Arcane Signet · Sol Ring · Swiftfoot Boots · Dimir Signet · Talisman of Dominance · Arcane Heist · Fireshrieker · Counterspell · Archmage Emeritus · Combat Research · Lightning Greaves · Tasha, the Witch Queen · Lord of the Nazgûl · Mind Stone · Talrand, Sky Summoner · Fellwar Stone · Baleful Strix · Mercurial Spelldancer · Propaganda · Thought Vessel · An Offer You Can't Refuse · Feed the Swarm · Genji Glove · Thief of Sanity · Gonti, Night Minister · Arcane Denial · Auton Soldier · Spark Double · Dark Ritual · Memory Plunder · Negate · Sword of the Animist · Aetherize · Strionic Resonator · Hostage Taker · Sedgemoor Witch · Dazzling Sphinx · Sword of Wealth and Power · Curiosity · Eagle Vision · Irenicus's Vile Duplication · Shark Typhoon · Stolen Identity · Toxic Deluge · Wrexial, the Risen Deep · Slip Out the Back · Storm of Saruman · Pongify · Dream Harvest · Notion Thief · Swarm Intelligence · The Key to the Vault · Withering Torment · Mithril Coat · Murmuring Mystic · Quantum Misalignment · Sakashima of a Thousand Faces · Siphon Insight · Swan Song · Fallen Shinobi · Impostor Syndrome · Infernal Grasp · Wayfarer's Bauble · Archmage of Runes · Command Tower · Sunken Hollow · Drowned Catacomb · Underground River · Watery Grave · Choked Estuary · Shipwreck Marsh · Tainted Isle · Reliquary Tower · Darkwater Catacombs · Morphic Pool · Bojuka Bog · Dimir Aqueduct · Exotic Orchard · Polluted Delta · Temple of Deceit · Gloomlake Verge · Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway · Mystic Sanctuary · Myriad Landscape · Sunken Ruins
🃏 Recommended cards for Gríma, Saruman's Footman
The highest-synergy cards in decks for Gríma, Saruman's Footman, with their inclusion rate.
| Card | Inclusion | Synergy |
|---|---|---|
| Fireshrieker | 59% | +58% |
| Arcane Heist | 59% | +57% |
| Combat Research | 53% | +52% |
| Archmage Emeritus | 53% | +49% |
| Tasha, the Witch Queen | 49% | +48% |
| Lord of the Nazgûl | 48% | +48% |
| Talrand, Sky Summoner | 46% | +44% |
| Swiftfoot Boots | 67% | +43% |
| Mercurial Spelldancer | 43% | +42% |
| Genji Glove | 40% | +39% |
| Gonti, Night Minister | 39% | +37% |
| Thief of Sanity | 40% | +36% |
| Auton Soldier | 38% | +34% |
| Sedgemoor Witch | 33% | +32% |
| Sword of the Animist | 35% | +32% |
| Memory Plunder | 37% | +31% |
| Sword of Wealth and Power | 32% | +31% |
| Dazzling Sphinx | 32% | +31% |
| Strionic Resonator | 34% | +30% |
| Curiosity | 31% | +30% |
| Hostage Taker | 33% | +29% |
| Shark Typhoon | 30% | +29% |
| Eagle Vision | 31% | +28% |
| Stolen Identity | 30% | +28% |
💰 The best cards for your Gríma, Saruman's Footman deck, by budget
Three tiers based on the maximum price PER CARD you are willing to pay. Paste your list and hit Optimize: you pick that cap and the AI only suggests swaps that fit under it.
Tier 1 · Budget up to €2/card
The most value for almost nothing. Coming from a precon? Start here.
- Fireshrieker
- Combat Research
- Archmage Emeritus
- Talrand, Sky Summoner
- Swiftfoot Boots
- Mercurial Spelldancer
Tier 2 · Balanced up to €10/card
The real step up: pieces that are no longer cheap but still sensible.
- Arcane Heist
- Tasha, the Witch Queen
- Lord of the Nazgûl
- Genji Glove
- Auton Soldier
- Sedgemoor Witch
Tier 3 · No cap no cap
The cards your price cap was hiding from you.
- Sword of Wealth and Power
- Mithril Coat
- Sakashima of a Thousand Faces
- Grim Hireling
Reference prices (cheapest English printing). They change daily.
Other commanders
Frequently asked questions
What is Gríma, Saruman's Footman's color identity?
Gríma, Saruman's Footman is Dimir (black and blue): its deck can only run cards of those colors plus colorless ones. Color identity comes from every mana symbol on the card, including those in the rules text, not just the casting cost.
What turn does Gríma, Saruman's Footman come down, and how often does the deck get stuck?
In the average Gríma, Saruman's Footman deck (the 99 most-included cards per EDHREC, with 35 lands), simulated 4,000 times, the commander comes down on turn 3.7 on average and is on the battlefield before turn 7 in 99 % of games. It misses at least one land drop in the first six turns 30 % of the time and floods 15 %. Deck health: C+ (60/100).
How many lands should a Gríma, Saruman's Footman deck run?
Real Gríma, Saruman's Footman decks run 35 lands on average. That is a starting point, not a rule: a lower curve can shave one or two, big-mana builds want more. The EDH Optimizer simulator tells you, over 10,000 games, how often you get mana screwed or flooded with your exact count.
What are the best cards for Gríma, Saruman's Footman?
The three highest-synergy cards are Fireshrieker, Arcane Heist, Combat Research. This page lists the top 24 with their real inclusion rate in Gríma, Saruman's Footman decks.
What combos does Gríma, Saruman's Footman have?
We have no known combos catalogued for Gríma, Saruman's Footman. That does not mean there are none — just that they do not show up in the public combo databases.
How much does a Gríma, Saruman's Footman deck cost?
You can start cheap: Fireshrieker, Combat Research, Archmage Emeritus are under €2 each. The "Level up" section on this page splits the best cards into three price caps PER CARD (up to €2, up to €10 and no cap), and the optimizer only suggests swaps that fit the cap you pick.