Grim Servant is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Menace When this creature enters, search your library for a card with mana value less than or equal to your devotion to black, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle. You lose 3 life. (Eachin the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to black.)
Complete guide
Grim Servant is a versatile Zombie Warlock that rewards players for committing to the dark arts of black mana. It functions as a powerful tutor on a stick, allowing you to find exactly the piece you need as long as your devotion is high enough.
Understanding Devotion and the Search
When Grim Servant enters the battlefield, it checks your devotion to black, which is the total number of black mana symbols ({B}) in the mana costs of all permanents you control. This count is determined specifically as the ability resolves. You then search your library for any card with a mana value less than or equal to that count. Note that the {B} in Grim Servant's own mana cost counts toward this total if it is still on the battlefield when the ability resolves.
Step-by-Step Resolution
First, the ability is put on the stack after Grim Servant enters. Upon resolution, you calculate your devotion to black. Second, you search your library for a card meeting the mana value requirement and reveal it to all players. Third, you put that card into your hand and shuffle your library. Finally, regardless of whether you found a card or even chose to search, you lose 3 life as part of the resolution.
Common Pitfalls
A common mistake is forgetting that devotion only counts symbols in mana costs, not text boxes or activated abilities. Additionally, if a card in your library has {X} in its mana cost, X is always treated as 0 when determining its mana value for this search. Be careful with your life total, as the 3 life loss is mandatory even if your devotion is zero and you find nothing.
When to Play Grim Servant
This creature shines in 'Mono-Black' or heavy black decks where your board state naturally builds a high devotion. It is best played when you already have at least one or two other black permanents on the field, ensuring you can tutor for impactful spells or silver bullets rather than just low-cost utility cards.
Interaction examples
Roaming ThroneIf you control Roaming Throne with 'Zombie' or 'Warlock' chosen, Grim Servant's ability triggers an additional time. You will resolve the first trigger, calculate devotion, search, and lose 3 life. Then, you resolve the second trigger, calculate devotion again (which might have changed if the first card you found was a permanent you somehow played with Flash), search again, and lose another 3 life.
Solemn SimulacrumWith only Grim Servant and Solemn Simulacrum on the battlefield, your devotion to black is 1 (only the symbol from the Servant, as the Golem is colorless). When the Servant's ability resolves, you can search for a card with mana value 1 or less. After searching and shuffling, you lose 3 life. This illustrates that while colorless permanents like Solemn Simulacrum provide utility, they do not help Grim Servant find more expensive spells.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Grim Servant
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If a card in a player's library has
in its mana cost, X is 0 when determining that card's mana value.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Colorless and generic mana symbols (
, 
, 
, 
, , and so on) in mana costs of permanents you control don't count toward your devotion to any color.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Mana symbols in the text boxes of permanents you control don't count toward your devotion to any color.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Hybrid mana symbols, monocolored hybrid mana symbols, and Phyrexian mana symbols do count toward your devotion to their color(s).
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Count the number of black mana symbols among the mana costs of permanents you control as Grim Servant's triggered ability resolves to determine your devotion to black. If Grim Servant is still on the battlefield at that time, it will be included in that count.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If you put an Aura on an opponent's permanent, you still control the Aura, and mana symbols in its mana cost count towards your devotion. Similarly, if you make an opponent the protector of a Siege you control, mana symbols in that battle's mana cost count toward your devotion.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Grim Servant
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