Wasteland Scorpion MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Scorpion
Abilities Cycling,Deathtouch
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Deathtouch makes Wasteland Scorpion a board-controlling force, threatening to any attacking or blocking creature.
  2. Flexible inclusion, it synergizes with strategies that utilize death triggers or sacrifices.
  3. Sturdier than similar deathtouch cards, its cycling ability adds late-game adaptability.

Text of card

Deathtouch Cycling (, Discard this card: Draw a card.)

All but the gods fear the scorpion's sting.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Wasteland Scorpion doesn’t directly provide card advantage in terms of drawing cards, its deathtouch ability can eliminate multiple enemy creatures over the course of a game, effectively giving you an advantage on the board.

Resource Acceleration: Resource acceleration isn’t a typical feature of Wasteland Scorpion. However, it can help maintain your resources by efficiently dealing with larger threats your opponents control without the need to commit multiple cards to do so.

Instant Speed: Although Wasteland Scorpion is a creature card and doesn’t have instant speed itself, it can be used in tandem with flash mechanics to appear on the battlefield unexpectedly. This forces opponents to be cautious about attacking with stronger creatures, lest they lose them to the scorpion’s lethal sting.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Being on the battlefield without an accompanying benefit like card draw or life gain can sometimes render Wasteland Scorpion less impactful, especially if you’re forced to discard other useful cards to play it.

Specific Mana Cost: Wasteland Scorpion requires both black and generic mana, which could present a challenge for multicolored decks looking to maintain a balanced mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For three mana, some players might expect a creature with additional abilities or a stronger presence. Wasteland Scorpion’s stats and deathtouch are appropriate, but not overly impressive when considering other options available at a similar cost.


Reasons to Include Wasteland Scorpion in Your Collection

Versatility: Wasteland Scorpion is a flexible card that can slide into various decks, ideal for those seeking effective blockers with deathtouch. It’s particularly useful for strategies requiring creatures that can consistently remove larger threats on the battlefield.

Combo Potential: The Scorpion synergizes well with cards that capitalize on death triggers or require sacrifices, as its deathtouch makes it a prime candidate for strategic trades and enables graveyard-based strategies.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta teeming with aggressive creature-based strategies, Wasteland Scorpion serves as a deterrent, dissuading opponents from attacking or forcing unfavorable trades, thus making it a solid defensive addition to maintain board stability.


How to beat

Wasteland Scorpion is a resilient creature card that can pose a significant threat in the desert-themed decks of MTG. With deathtouch, it has the capacity to take down even the mightiest of creatures, making it a menacing defender. Its combat strength comes from the inevitability that any block or attack could be fatal to the opposition. However, overcoming this card can be simpler than one might think. Employing flying creatures is an effective strategy, circumventing the Scorpion’s ground-based defense. Additionally, spells that exile or bounce creatures can negate deathtouch entirely, nullifying the Scorpion’s main advantage. If combat is unavoidable, using expendable tokens or creatures with abilities that trigger upon death can help preserve more valuable cards in your array. Lastly, countering Wasteland Scorpion before it hits the board is a direct and efficient approach, ensuring the battlefield remains under your control.


Cards like Wasteland Scorpion

Wasteland Scorpion stands as a sturdy creature card in the desert of Magic: The Gathering’s Amonkhet. With its deathtouch ability, it’s a force that can destroy any creature it engages with, no matter the size. This scorpion finds its peers among other deathtouch creatures, such as Sedge Scorpion and Typhoid Rats, both of which share the lethal power to outmatch mightier beasts in combat.

However, Wasteland Scorpion has an edge with its 3/2 stats – it’s able to survive longer than the Typhoid Rats with only 1/1. While it is not as mana-efficient as the one-mana Sedge Scorpion, its cycling ability allows a player to discard it in exchange for drawing a new card, making it a versatile option in the late game. On another note, Baleful Ammit enters the battlefield with not only deathtouch but also lifelink, giving its controller an additional layer of utility in form of life gain, although at a higher mana cost compared to the Wasteland Scorpion.

Overall, Wasteland Scorpion is comparable to many in the deathtouch family but carries unique benefits with its cycling ability and solid stats, heightening its appeal in creature-focused strategies within Magic: The Gathering.

Sedge Scorpion - MTG Card versions
Typhoid Rats - MTG Card versions
Baleful Ammit - MTG Card versions
Sedge Scorpion - Theros (THS)
Typhoid Rats - Innistrad (ISD)
Baleful Ammit - Amonkhet (AKH)

Cards similar to Wasteland Scorpion by color, type and mana cost

Nettling Imp - MTG Card versions
Royal Assassin - MTG Card versions
El-Hajjâj - MTG Card versions
Plague Rats - MTG Card versions
Frozen Shade - MTG Card versions
Scathe Zombies - MTG Card versions
Sorceress Queen - MTG Card versions
Wall of Bone - MTG Card versions
Lost Soul - MTG Card versions
Mindstab Thrull - MTG Card versions
Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions
Strongarm Thug - MTG Card versions
Razortooth Rats - MTG Card versions
Ghastly Remains - MTG Card versions
Lord of the Undead - MTG Card versions
Deepwood Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Dross Prowler - MTG Card versions
Nim Lasher - MTG Card versions
Nim Abomination - MTG Card versions
Vesper Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Nettling Imp - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Royal Assassin - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
El-Hajjâj - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Plague Rats - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Frozen Shade - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Scathe Zombies - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Sorceress Queen - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Wall of Bone - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Lost Soul - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Mindstab Thrull - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Mischievous Poltergeist - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Strongarm Thug - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Razortooth Rats - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Ghastly Remains - Legions (LGN)
Lord of the Undead - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Deepwood Ghoul - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Dross Prowler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Lasher - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Abomination - Darksteel (DST)
Vesper Ghoul - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wasteland Scorpion MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and Amonkhet Remastered, 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 Wasteland Scorpion and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Wasteland Scorpion Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Yeong-Hao Han.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-04-28AmonkhetAKH 1162015normalblackYeong-Hao Han
22020-08-13Amonkhet RemasteredAKR 1352015normalblackYeong-Hao Han

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wasteland Scorpion has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

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