Grist, The Plague Swarm

Grist, The Plague Swarm is a black and green insectoid Planeswalker, introduced in July 2024 with Release 6.7.0 and the Puzzle Masters 2 card set.

She has a penultimate mana bonus total, even after it was reduced. Her positive bonuses total 9, which is one more than usual for a dual color walker. Saheeli Rai has a higher total of 11, in her primary colors, and-in the remaining colors. Grist has high gains in her colors, a small Red bonus, and neutral White and Blue (White was originally +1). She has very high health, high creature and spell limits, and a low support limit.

Her abilities are powerful, in part because many of them are dual purpose. She has a Passive ability-rare for a dual color Planeswalker, as Passives were introduced as a balance to make single color Planeswalkers more attractive. Synergizing with her first ability, it functions primarily as a mana source. Her first ability simultaneously feeds the graveyard and moves a creature if any from there, to play. Her second ability is similar to a lot of early Planeswalkers; destroying supports, but also Vanguards, while also creating 1/1 green and black Insect tokens. The ultimate Exiles all cards from all graveyards, creates Insects, and damages the opponent, gaining that much life.

Stats

' Mana Bonuses: White () Blue () Black (+4) Red (+2) Green (+3)

Total Leveling Cost: 160720

Deck Limits at Level 60: 07 Creatures, 08 Spells, 04 Supports

Abilities

   Passive Ability - Swarm Form

   When you cast a Creature card for the first time each turn: That creature gains the Insect subtype. Then: gain X mana. X is the number of Insect cards you control, including their reinforcements, up to 10.

   Ability 1 - Maggot Feast (Cost 06)

       Level 1: Destroy the top 2 cards of your library. Corrupt 2 gems.

       Level 2: Destroy the top 2 cards of your library. Corrupt 2 gems. Then: Return the last Creature card from your graveyard to your hand. That creature gains the Insect subtype.

       Level 3: Destroy the top 4 cards of your library. Corrupt 4 gems. Then: Return the last Creature card from your graveyard to your hand. That creature gains the Insect subtype.

       Level 4: Destroy the top 4 cards of your library. Corrupt 4 gems. Then: Return the last Creature card from your graveyard to play under your control. That creature gains the Insect subtype.

   Ability 2 - Termite Infestation (Cost 09)

       Level 1: Destroy an opposing nonToken Support at random.

       Level 2: Destroy an opposing nonToken Support at random. This effect can affect Vanguards. Then: Create a Golgari Insect token.

       Level 3: Destroy an opposing nonToken Support at random. This effect can affect Vanguards. Then: Create 3 Golgari Insect Tokens. Insect tokens you control gain Deathtouch until the beginning of your next turn.

       Level 4: Destroy up to 3 opposing nonToken Support cards at random. This effect can affect Vanguards. Then: Create 6 Golgari Insect Tokens. Insect tokens you control gain Deathtouch.

   Ability 3 - Plague of Necrophages (Cost 15)

       Level 1: Exile all nonCreature cards from your graveyard. Then: Deal X damage to your opponent's Planeswalker and you gain X life. X is the number of cards exiled this way.

       Level 2: Exile all nonCreature cards from all graveyards. Then: Deal X damage to your opponent's Planeswalker and you gain X life. X is the number of cards exiled this way.

       Level 3: Exile all nonCreature cards from all graveyards. Then: Create X Golgari Insect Tokens. Deal X damage to your opponent's Planeswalker and you gain X life. X is the number of cards Exiled this way.

       Level 4: Exile all cards from all graveyards. Then: Create X Golgari Insect Tokens. Deal X damage to your opponent's Planeswalker and you gain X life. X is the number of cards Exiled this way.

Story

"Grist is a Black and Green Planeswalker from an undisclosed plane. She is an ever-hungry insect and one of the few non-humanoid Planeswalkers. Grist has the power to amass a swarm of insects that she can transform into a powerful body for herself. She is known for consuming vegetation until the land is barren."

Starting Deck

Card name	Type	Cost	Color	Rarity	Set

Notes

Grist is humanoid. Humanoid universally means, two arms, two legs, torso, waist, shoulders, head on top..the shape of a human. Perhaps what they mean is, mammalian? She is an insect, rather than a mammal. Even if you were just using the word differently, if a Soratami or Merfolk or Gorgon or Minotaur is a humanoid, so is Grist.

The in-game text, as of near release, read amusingly differently than the forum listing:

"Grist is a Black and Green Planeswalker from an undisclosed plane. She is an ever-hunger insect and one of the fewest non-humanoid Planeswalker. Grist has the power to ammas a swarm of insects that she can turn into a great body for her and she is known for consuming vegetal life until the land is dry."