Cenote Scout MTG Card

Cenote Scout - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan (LCI)

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan (LCI)
2023-11-17 - Number 178

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan (LCI)
2023-11-17 - Number 408

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Merfolk Scout
Abilities	Explore
Power	1
Toughness	1

Key Takeaways

Cenote Scout’s ability to sift the deck ensures valuable card draws, enhancing strategic play.
Its low-cost and instant speed actions provide tactical advantages during gameplay.
The Scout’s integral role in ramp strategies aids in executing higher-cost plays efficiently.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cenote Scout MTG card by a specific set like The Lost Caverns of Ixalan and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, 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 Cenote Scout and other MTG cards:

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Text of card

When Cenote Scout enters the battlefield, it explores. (Reveal the top card of your library. Put that card into your hand if it's a land. Otherwise, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature, then put the card back or put it into your graveyard.)

"If you're afraid to dive into the unknown, how will you ever find anything new?"

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cenote Scout’s ability to sift through the top cards of your library aids in securing valuable draws, pitching cards that aren’t immediately useful while keeping your hand stocked with options.

Resource Acceleration: As a low-cost creature, Cenote Scout can contribute to ramp strategies by making land drops more consistent, thus allowing you to execute higher-cost plays ahead of schedule.

Instant Speed: The Scout’s abilities can be activated at instant speed, offering flexibility during gameplay to respond to the evolving board state without locking you into a play prematurely.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In the world of Magic the Gathering, maintaining a healthy hand size is crucial for strategic flexibility. The Cenote Scout requires the player to discard a card when using its ability. This mandatory discard can be a significant drawback, especially when a player’s hand is already dwindling or when the discarded card could have been more beneficial if played.

Specific Mana Cost: Deck construction is an art that balances various mana requirements. Cenote Scout’s specific mana cost means it can only be seamlessly integrated into decks that support its color identity. This limitation can make it challenging to fit the Cenote Scout into more diverse or color-flexible decks, potentially narrowing its playability across various MTG formats.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Mana efficiency is key in Magic the Gathering. The casting cost of Cenote Scout, when compared to other creatures or spells with similar effects, may be considered high. This could make the card less appealing, as players often look for the most efficient way to use their mana resources. Cards that provide similar advantages at a lower mana cost might be preferred over the Cenote Scout in competitive play.

Reasons to Include Cenote Scout in Your Collection

Versatility: Cenote Scout offers a flexible role in various deck archetypes, adapting effortlessly to both offensive and defensive strategies. Its ability to survey the top card of your library and permit a land drop ensures consistent mana flow—a fundamental aspect for any successful deck.

Combo Potential: As a creature with a land-related ability, Cenote Scout aligns well with landfall mechanics and can set the stage for powerful plays. It can become an integral part of combos that capitalize on putting lands into play, triggering multiple effects that can swing the game in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: The evolving MTG meta often revolves around efficient resource management and synergistic play. In a game where tempo is king, a low-cost card like Cenote Scout that maintains your land drops and thins the deck can be instrumental in keeping up with the most competitive of environments.

How to beat

The Cenote Scout is often a subtle yet impactful card found in many MTG decks, known for its ability to manipulate the deck’s top card. This can set the stage for advantageous plays, enabling players to strategize and draw critical spells or creatures when most needed. To efficiently counter the effects of a Cenote Scout, consider incorporating instant-speed removal spells into your deck. These allow you to eliminate the Scout before it can significantly impact your opponent’s game plan.

Another strategy entails utilizing creature abilities that can bypass the Scout’s influence, such as flying or trample, which can apply pressure regardless of a controlled draw sequence. Additionally, cards with the “Scry” ability can be particularly effective against Cenote Scout, as they help you to filter through your deck and maintain card quality, ultimately diluting the Scout’s utility in managing the top-deck order.

Keeping a steady pace and disrupting your opponent’s strategic setup can turn the tide against a Cenote Scout. A focused approach that addresses the wider strategy the Scout belongs to, rather than the Scout alone, is the key to overcoming this crafty card in battle.

Cards like Cenote Scout

Cenote Scout is an intriguing creature that offers a mix of abilities for MTG deckbuilders. It’s akin to other low-cost creatures with exploit, such as Jeskai Sage, which adds card draw upon death. Both promote strategic play but while Jeskai Sage rewards you directly with another card, Cenote Scout allows for a more flexible benefit upon sacrificing another creature.

Comparatively, Sultai Emissary shares the exploit theme and provides a slightly different advantage. Instead of the scouting ability, it leaves behind a valuable 2/2 token creature upon demise, potentially providing a greater presence on the board. It’s a slight deviation in playstyle where Sultai Emissary can affect the board state more tangibly post-exploit.

Another card to consider is Dutiful Attendant, which returns a creature card from your graveyard to your hand. This perpetuates resourcefulness, similar to Cenote Scout’s ability. However, the Scout’s option to venture into a dungeon offers a broader set of potential outcomes, making it versatile in various game scenarios.

Ultimately, while there’s a rich tapestry of cards with exploit and death-triggered abilities, Cenote Scout stands out for its ability to potentially transform the game from the early turns, making it a valuable consideration for players building around exploit mechanics or dungeon synergy.

Cards similar to Cenote Scout by color, type and mana cost

Printings

The Cenote Scout Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-11-17 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by Caroline Gariba.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2023-11-17	The Lost Caverns of Ixalan	LCI		178	2015	Normal	Black	Caroline Gariba
2	2023-11-17	The Lost Caverns of Ixalan	LCI		408	2015	Normal	Black	Caroline Gariba

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cenote Scout has restrictions

Format	Legality
Standard	Legal
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Future	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Cenote Scout 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 a resolving spell or ability instructs a specific creature to explore but that creature has left the battlefield, the creature still explores. If you reveal a nonland card this way, you won't put a +1/+1 counter on anything, but you may put the revealed card into your graveyard. Effects that trigger "whenever a creature explores" trigger as appropriate.
2023-11-10	If an ability instructs a creature to explore, its controller reveals the top card of their library. If it's a land card, they'll put it into their hand. Otherwise, they'll put a +1/+1 counter on that creature, then choose to either leave that card on top of their library or put it into their graveyard.
2023-11-10	If no card is revealed, most likely because that player's library is empty, the exploring creature receives a +1/+1 counter.
2023-11-10	In some unusual cases, noncreature permanents may explore. For example, if the creature card returned by Defossilize is somehow not a creature once it's on the battlefield, it can still explore. You'll take all the same actions, and you may end up putting a +1/+1 counter on the permanent. (Note that some effects target a creature, and those effects would still require a legal target to have it explore.)
2023-11-10	Once an ability that causes a creature to explore begins to resolve, no player may take any other actions until it's done. Notably, opponents can't try to remove the exploring creature after you reveal a nonland card but before it receives a counter.
2023-11-10	Some spells or abilities might cause a creature to explore multiple times in a row. If you reveal a nonland card when a creature explores and leave it on top of your library, then the creature explores again immediately afterwards, you'll reveal the same card again.