Scaled Hulk MTG Card


Scaled Hulk - Betrayers of Kamigawa
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Spirit
Released2005-02-04
Set symbol
Set nameBetrayers of Kamigawa
Set codeBOK
Power 4
Toughness 4
Number143
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byArnie Swekel

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides card advantage by creating tokens, establishing board dominance, and fueling synergies.
  2. Accelerates resources, key in ramp strategies, and complements high-cost spell casting.
  3. Offers instant-speed adaptability, surprising opponents with reactive play capabilities.

Text of card

Whenever you play a Spirit or Arcane spell, Scaled Hulk gets +2/+2 until end of turn.

"Say, what rhymes with 'run for your lives'?" —Ku-Ku, akki poet


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Scaled Hulk enables players to assemble overwhelming board presence by potentially creating multiple token copies of itself. These additional creatures are not just a force in combat but also provide material for synergistic interactions and sacrifices.

Resource Acceleration: This card is a key element in ramp strategies, often paving the way for casting high-cost spells earlier than usual. Whether it’s by creating expendable blockers that can be transformed into mana or by synergy with enhancements that benefit from creature counts, Scaled Hulk sets the stage for accelerated resource development.

Instant Speed: With Scaled Hulk, the element of surprise is on your side. Activating its ability at instant speed allows players to adapt to the evolving battlefield, dodging sorcery-speed removals or disrupting opponent tactics by unexpectedly bolstering your creature line-up post-combat or during your opponent’s turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Players must discard a card to harness Scaled Hulk’s capabilities. When your hand is already sparse, this precondition can put you at a strategic disadvantage, stripping you of crucial plays for future turns.

Specific Mana Cost: Scaled Hulk demands a particular blend of mana to cast, including both green and colorless, which requires a tailored mana base. This can be limiting for decks that favor a wider color palette or run on a strict mana curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that is substantial when weighed against its on-board impact, Scaled Hulk often competes with other creatures in your deck that might offer a more immediately impactful presence for a similar mana investment.


Reasons to Include Scaled Hulk in Your Collection

Versatility: Scaled Hulk’s design enables it to fit seamlessly into a variety of green-centric decks. Its ability to grow under certain conditions makes it a force that can adapt to the evolving board state, irrespective of your deck’s overarching strategy.

Combo Potential: This card can work in tandem with mechanics that bolster the number of +1/+1 counters, potentially interacting with other cards to unlock powerful synergies or even infinite combos, depending on your deck’s build.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta defined by creature-based combat, the Scaled Hulk can become a significant threat that opponents must answer. Its scalability ensures it remains a relevant choice for decks that aim to outpace the opposition through creature growth and board presence.


How to beat Scaled Hulk

The Scaled Hulk card presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its ability to grow stronger whenever a player cycles a card or a land enters the battlefield under your control. This growth potential makes it a formidable foe in prolonged games. To effectively counter this giant, players need to adopt strategies that can either bypass its strengths or negate its abilities altogether.

One such tactic involves utilizing removal spells that can dispatch the creature before it becomes too large to handle. Cards like Fatal Push, Path to Exile, or even board wipes such as Damnation serve this purpose well, especially if used early. Another approach is to prevent the Hulk from scaling up by restricting land play or cycling abilities using cards like Drannith Magistrate or Ashiok, Dream Render. Additionally, keeping a check on your own cycling and land drops can minimize the power boosts Scaled Hulk receives.

Lastly, taking the fight to the air can be an effective measure. Since Scaled Hulk doesn’t have flying, creating a strong lineup of flying creatures can help you maintain pressure and focus on dealing direct damage, circumventing the need to engage it directly. By combining these tactics, players can tilt the odds in their favor, turning the tide against the Scaled Hulk.


Cards like Scaled Hulk

Within the diverse world of MTG, Scaled Hulk emerges as a unique piece in decks that favor growth mechanics. It goes hand in hand with creatures like Scute Mob, where the potential for exponential growth is similar. Scute Mob increases in power as your land count rises, a facet Scaled Hulk echoes, albeit through +1/+1 counters amassed with land plays. Both cards depend substantially on the landfall mechanic.

Vinelasher Kudzu is yet another comparable card, flourishing with every new land you bring into play. While it shares the land-based power increase with Scaled Hulk, it lacks the flexibility of gaining multiple counters from numerous land plays in a single turn. Then we have Rampaging Baloths, offering a different approach by creating 4/4 beasts with every landfall. It capitalizes on land plays but focuses on amassing a creature army, contrasting Scaled Hulk’s self-growth strategy.

Evaluating these comparisons, Scaled Hulk finds its niche as a formidable card in MTG, especially in strategies maximizing land deployments. Its ability to grow during each landfall without tapping makes it a solid contender in the arena of evolving creatures.

Scute Mob - MTG Card versions
Vinelasher Kudzu - MTG Card versions
Rampaging Baloths - MTG Card versions
Scute Mob - Zendikar (ZEN)
Vinelasher Kudzu - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Rampaging Baloths - Zendikar Promos (PZEN)

Cards similar to Scaled Hulk by color, type and mana cost

Craw Wurm - MTG Card versions
Gaea's Liege - MTG Card versions
Wiitigo - MTG Card versions
Autumn Willow - MTG Card versions
Ancient Silverback - MTG Card versions
Sulam Djinn - MTG Card versions
Verdeloth the Ancient - MTG Card versions
Nemata, Grove Guardian - MTG Card versions
Gang of Elk - MTG Card versions
Kavu Howler - MTG Card versions
Crashing Centaur - MTG Card versions
Giant Warthog - MTG Card versions
Rhox - MTG Card versions
Kodama of the East Tree - MTG Card versions
Terra Stomper - MTG Card versions
Feral Throwback - MTG Card versions
Brontotherium - MTG Card versions
Elvish Aberration - MTG Card versions
Force of Nature - MTG Card versions
Fangren Pathcutter - MTG Card versions
Craw Wurm - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Gaea's Liege - Revised Edition (3ED)
Wiitigo - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Autumn Willow - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Ancient Silverback - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Sulam Djinn - Invasion (INV)
Verdeloth the Ancient - Modern Masters (MMA)
Nemata, Grove Guardian - The List (PLST)
Gang of Elk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Kavu Howler - Apocalypse (APC)
Crashing Centaur - Odyssey (ODY)
Giant Warthog - Judgment (JUD)
Rhox - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Kodama of the East Tree - Commander Legends (CMR)
Terra Stomper - Zendikar (ZEN)
Feral Throwback - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Brontotherium - Legions (LGN)
Elvish Aberration - Masters 25 (A25)
Force of Nature - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Fangren Pathcutter - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Scaled Hulk MTG card by a specific set like Betrayers of Kamigawa, 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 Scaled Hulk and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Scaled Hulk has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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