Skeleton Crew MTG Card


Skeleton Crew provides card draw and deck scrying, offering dual benefits when sacrificing creatures. Instant speed activation grants surprise plays and mana efficiency, bolstering your game control. While its discard cost is a drawback, Skeleton Crew’s utility in long games can be game-changing.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Skeleton Pirate
Power 3
Toughness 3

Text of card

Each other creature you control that's a Skeleton or Pirate gets +1/+1. Whenever one or more creature cards leave your graveyard, create a 2/2 black Skeleton Pirate creature token. (This ability triggers only from the battlefield.) : Return Skeleton Crew from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Skeleton Crew offers an efficient way to transform your expendable creatures into new cards. This utility is invaluable in long games where maintaining a healthy hand size could determine the victor.

Resource Acceleration: By leveraging expendable tokens or creatures that have served their purpose, Skeleton Crew allows you to quickly churn through your deck to access more powerful spells and resources faster, giving you an edge in tempo and strategy.

Instant Speed: This card can be activated at instant speed, providing flexibility and surprise factor. Utilize it at the end of your opponent’s turn to maximize your mana efficiency and to adapt to the evolving battlefield without sacrificing your turn to do so.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One drawback to the Skeleton Crew card is its discard requirement for activation. This could deplete your hand, especially in the early game when card advantage is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: Featuring black mana in its casting cost, Skeleton Crew necessitates a particular deck structure or color theme, which could be restrictive for players who favor a more diverse mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that may be viewed as steep for its potential impact on the game, Skeleton Crew can lag behind when compared to other options available that provide similar or greater value at a lower mana investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Skeleton Crew adds a unique twist to your deck by providing both offensive and defensive utility. This card can adapt to various game situations, whether you’re aiming to assemble an army or need an extra blocker on the board.

Combo Potential: With its ability to utilize your untapped creatures as resources, Skeleton Crew can be a pivotal part of combos that revolve around creature tapping and untapping mechanics or strategies that profit from creature sacrifice.

Meta-Relevance: In games where creature-based strategies dominate, Skeleton Crew offers a way to capitalize on board presence. It can be especially useful against decks that have difficulty dealing with a consistent stream of creature tokens.


How to beat

Skeleton Crew is an intriguing card that can add a momentous edge to your gameplay in Magic: The Gathering. This creature card offers the ability to leverage your expendable creatures for card advantage. While it seems menacing, overcoming Skeleton Crew can be achieved with a blend of removal and strategic creature control. Targeted removal spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can efficiently dispose of Skeleton Crew before it becomes a recurring nuisance.

Moreover, board-wiping spells such as Wrath of God or Damnation will clear the way, removing the crew along with other threats on the battlefield. To prevent your opponent from gaining an advantage in the first place, consider using graveyard disruption tools like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void to inhibit strategies centered around self-sacrifice and recursion. Planeswalkers with control abilities can also redirect the pressure, forcing your opponent to address your threats instead of building their own. With careful planning and a versatile deck, Skeleton Crew’s potential can be kept in check, maintaining the balance of play in your favor.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Skeleton Crew MTG card by a specific set like The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Skeleton Crew and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Skeleton Crew Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-11-17 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by Camille Alquier.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 532015NormalBlackCamille Alquier
22023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 852015NormalBlackCamille Alquier

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Skeleton Crew has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Skeleton Crew card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2023-11-10 If two or more creature cards leave your graveyard as a single event, Skeleton Crew's second ability will trigger once. If they leave your graveyard as separate events, it will trigger once for each event.
2023-11-10 Resolving Skeleton Crew's last ability won't cause its second ability to trigger.