A-Gutter Skulker // A-Gutter Shortcut MTG Card

A-Gutter Skulker // A-Gutter Shortcut - Innistrad: Crimson Vow

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Spirit
Abilities	Disturb,Transform
Released	2021-11-19
Set symbol
Set name	Innistrad: Crimson Vow
Set code	VOW
Power	3
Toughness	3
Number	A-62
Frame	2015
Layout	Transform
Border	Black
Illustred by	Viko Menezes

Key Takeaways

Drawing extra cards with A-Gutter Skulker can give you a significant advantage by broadening your strategic options.
A-Gutter Shortcut’s land acceleration is crucial for swiftly casting high-cost spells and gaining a tempo edge.
The instant speed of A-Gutter Shortcut offers reactive and surprise play opportunities, vital for dynamic strategies.

Text of card

Gutter Skulker can't be blocked as long as it's attacking alone. Disturb (You may cast this card from your graveyard transformed for its disturb cost.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With A-Gutter Skulker, you gain a creature that can potentially draw you additional cards, especially when you have eight or more cards in your graveyard. This becomes a powerful tool to stay ahead in the match by having more options at your disposal.

Resource Acceleration: When you cast A-Gutter Shortcut, you can put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield tapped, which enhances your mana resources and enables you to play higher-cost cards more quickly. This acceleration can be key to outpacing your opponents.

Instant Speed: Casting A-Gutter Shortcut at instant speed provides the flexibility to optimize the timing of your plays, allowing you to react to opponents’ actions during their turn or surprise them with unexpected plays during your own turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The transformation into A-Gutter Shortcut demands a card to be discarded. While enabling the card’s versatility, this requirement can hinder your game, especially when your hand is already stretched thin on resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Although A-Gutter Skulker’s mana cost is flexible, consisting of generic and blue mana, flipping it into A-Gutter Shortcut requires black mana. This specificity can restrict deck building options, mandating a commitment to decks that can reliably produce both colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The upfront cost for A-Gutter Skulker is three mana, which can be steep in fast-paced games where board presence and tempo are critical. Other cards at a lower mana threshold might provide immediate impact or establish quicker board control.

Reasons to Include A-Gutter Skulker // A-Gutter Shortcut in Your Collection

Versatility: A-Gutter Skulker offers a dual utility; it’s not just a creature but also an instant card A-Gutter Shortcut when given the right conditions. This allows it to seamlessly integrate into decks that value flexibility and surprise elements.

Combo Potential: With its ability to transform into A-Gutter Shortcut and grant any creature unblockable for a turn, it opens up numerous combo possibilities. It can be a game-changer in decks that focus on doing direct damage with elusive creatures.

Meta-Relevance: Considering its adaptability and potential to catch opponents off guard, A-Gutter Skulker // A-Gutter Shortcut can be a strategic addition to a collection, especially in metas where evasive creatures are key to victory.

How to beat

A-Gutter Skulker is a versatile creature card that shifts the dynamic of gameplay in MTG. This card, like many others, demands a strategic approach to effectively counter. Typically, removal spells that can target creatures are the go-to solution against creatures like A-Gutter Skulker. Utilizing cards such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile could efficiently remove the Skulker from the battlefield before its ability to become unblockable is used.

Another effective strategy involves preventing the Skulker from transforming into A-Gutter Shortcut. Cards that restrict your opponent’s ability to cast spells from anywhere other than their hands can be key. Grafdigger’s Cage, for instance, keeps the Shortcut form at bay. It’s imperative to recognize the pivotal moments to disrupt your opponent’s flow, such as when they plan to capitalize on Skulker’s shift to its unblockable Shortcut version.

Ultimately, staying one step ahead of the skulking creature is essential. Board control, targeted removal, and strategic timing are crucial elements in outmaneuvering an opponent who relies on the dual nature of A-Gutter Skulker // A-Gutter Shortcut. Master these tactics, and your chances in the match will surely increase.

Cards like A-Gutter Skulker // A-Gutter Shortcut

A-Gutter Skulker from Magic: The Gathering resonates with the stealth and adaptability of rogues within the game. Its likeness can be seen with cards like Oona’s Blackguard, which also carries the rogue subtype and offers benefits for controlling other rogues. Although Oona’s Blackguard doesn’t flip into a land like A-Gutter Skulker does, it presents a passive ability that affects the opponent’s hand, contrasting with Skulker’s ability to become unblockable for a turn.

When flipped, A-Gutter Shortcut enters the realm of unique transforming lands with strategic flexibility. It bears a resemblance to the modal double-faced cards from Zendikar Rising, such as Blackbloom Rogue, which similarly offers a creature on one side and a land on the other. However, Blackbloom Rogue transforms into a land that can tap for colorless mana without offering an additional effect like Shortcut’s mana-fixing capability.

Assessing A-Gutter Skulker in comparison with similar MTG cards, its dual nature and flipping mechanism provide an interesting tactical edge, meshing well with rogue strategies and flexible mana bases, standing out with its versatility in gameplay situations.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase A-Gutter Skulker // A-Gutter Shortcut MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Crimson Vow, 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 A-Gutter Skulker // A-Gutter Shortcut and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where A-Gutter Skulker // A-Gutter Shortcut has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal