Alley Grifters
Creature — Human Mercenary
Whenever this creature becomes blocked, defending player discards a card.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Mercadian Masques
- Price
- $0.14
- EDHREC rank
- #25439
Alley Grifters forces each opponent to discard a card when it enters and again whenever it attacks — repeatable hand disruption on a 2/3 body for three mana. The effect is real, but three mana for a vanilla-statted creature that opponents can simply block or ignore makes this a role-player at best.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Alley Grifters scales poorly — forcing three or four opponents to each discard one card is less punishing than it sounds when everyone draws seven and refills constantly. Pauper is where Alley Grifters has the most credibility: commons-only means the discard pressure is harder to ignore and the 2/3 body is more competitive on rate. Legacy and Vintage are non-starters — the competition at three mana is simply too steep for a creature with no evasion and no immediate card-advantage payoff.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.14 bulk tier
At $0.14, Alley Grifters is deep bulk — you're paying for cardboard, not demand. That price is stable by default, not by merit; there's no competitive pressure driving it up.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.