Silumgar Scavenger MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Zombie Bird
Abilities Exploit,Flying
Power 2
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. The Scavenger rewards sacrifice strategies, growing in power with each creature exploited.
  2. While not instant-cast, its exploit mechanic can lead to surprise battlefield interactions.
  3. Demands careful deck construction to balance its resource acceleration and mana costs.

Text of card

Flying Exploit (When this creature enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice a creature.) Whenever another creature you control dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Silumgar Scavenger. It gains haste until end of turn if it exploited that creature.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: This winged predator rewards you for having a strategy based around sacrificing creatures. Each time you exploit a creature, Silumgar Scavenger not only goes onto the battlefield but also gains a +1/+1 counter, essentially replacing the lost creature with added power and utility on the board.

Resource Acceleration: While Silumgar Scavenger itself doesn’t directly accelerate your resources, it is a low-cost flyer that can quickly become a significant threat. Its synergy with sacrifice-centric decks fuels your strategy and allows you to leverage your existing resources more efficiently, especially when you’re sacrificing creatures that have outlived their utility.

Instant Speed: Although Silumgar Scavenger cannot be cast at instant speed, its ability to exploit as it enters the battlefield opens up the potential for instant-speed interaction when combined with other cards. This makes it a flexible component in decks that can create and sacrifice creatures during your opponent’s turn, unexpectedly bolstering your Scavenger.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Silumgar Scavenger requires you to exploit a creature, which means sacrificing one of your own creatures. This can set you back, especially if you’re sacrificing a valuable creature for a less impacting board presence.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s mana cost demands both black and generic mana, making it unsuitable for decks that aren’t built around black mana or a multicolored strategy. This can significantly narrow down the decks it can be played in effectively.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its overall mana cost, one might consider whether Silumgar Scavenger’s potential benefit is worth its position on the curve, particularly when you could deploy other creatures or spells with a more immediate impact on the game state.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Silumgar Scavenger seamlessly integrates into a wide array of decks, particularly those leveraging the graveyard. The creature’s exploit ability offers strategic creature sacrifice options, fostering diverse gameplay.

Combo Potential: This flying creature excels in combo synergies. As creatures are put into the graveyard, it grows stronger, making it a formidable threat in tandem with self-mill or sacrifice-oriented strategies.

Meta-Relevance: Given its potential to swiftly become a significant threat, Silumgar Scavenger is an asset against slower, control-type decks. Its persistent presence on the board can apply pressure to your opponent, disrupting their plans and keeping them on the defensive.


How to beat

Silumgar Scavenger presents a sneaky threat on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This flying creature thrives on the death of others, powering up each time you exploit a creature. However, facing this card doesn’t have to be an uphill battle. Understanding its mechanics is the key to devising a winning strategy against it.

Firstly, consider using graveyard interaction cards to disrupt its growth. By exiling creatures from graveyards with cards like Relic of Progenitus, you eliminate the fuel that powers the Scavenger’s prowess. Removal spells such as Path to Exile or Murder are also highly effective, addressing the threat before it becomes too great to handle.

Counterplay strategies revolve around minimizing the opportunities for exploitation. Without creatures to exploit, the Scavenger can’t gain its +1/+1 counters. Thus, focusing on non-creature spells or creatures that can’t be easily removed from the battlefield can negate its advantage. Moreover, try implementing cards that limit flying creatures or confer reach to your own creatures, thereby negating the Scavenger’s evasion and bringing the battle back to level ground.

Lastly, Silumgar Scavenger, while menacing, is not insurmountable. With thoughtful planning and the right combination of spells, this creature can be reduced to a mere nuisance, allowing you to maintain control of the game’s pace and secure victory.


Cards like Silumgar Scavenger

Within the strategic gameplay of Magic: The Gathering, Silumgar Scavenger makes its mark as an enticing option for decks that capitalize on sacrificing creatures. Its direct comparison is with Carrion Feeder, another creature card that grows in power whenever you sacrifice another creature. Both are efficient in creature-focused strategies, but Silumgar Scavenger brings an additional benefit of flying, offering evasion to reach opponents directly.

Mortician Beetle is another relevant card to consider. While it also grows from sacrifices, it’s not as directly controllable as the Scavenger since it relies on any player’s sacrifices. However, the Beetle is more mana efficient at one mana cost. Then there’s Bloodbriar, which not only grows from sacrificing creatures but also other permanents, although it lacks the immediate board impact and evasion that Silumgar Scavenger provides with its flying ability.

Evaluating these cards, Silumgar Scavenger stands out in tactical scenarios where exploiting the death of creatures is crucial. Its combination of growing power and flying ability makes it a significant asset in the right MTG deck, balancing cost-effectiveness with strategic depth.

Carrion Feeder - MTG Card versions
Mortician Beetle - MTG Card versions
Bloodbriar - MTG Card versions
Carrion Feeder - Scourge (SCG)
Mortician Beetle - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Bloodbriar - Eldritch Moon (EMN)

Cards similar to Silumgar Scavenger by color, type and mana cost

Skyshroud Vampire - MTG Card versions
Entropic Specter - MTG Card versions
Predatory Nightstalker - MTG Card versions
Fallen Angel - MTG Card versions
Stone Catapult - MTG Card versions
Sengir Vampire - MTG Card versions
Hollow Dogs - MTG Card versions
Grotesque Hybrid - MTG Card versions
Earwig Squad - MTG Card versions
Indulgent Tormentor - MTG Card versions
Sootfeather Flock - MTG Card versions
Zombie Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Gluttonous Zombie - MTG Card versions
Vermiculos - MTG Card versions
Woebearer - MTG Card versions
Wei Elite Companions - MTG Card versions
Halo Hunter - MTG Card versions
Malakir Bloodwitch - MTG Card versions
Caustic Crawler - MTG Card versions
Shriekmaw - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Vampire - Tempest (TMP)
Entropic Specter - Exodus (EXO)
Predatory Nightstalker - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Fallen Angel - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Stone Catapult - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Sengir Vampire - Arena Beginner Set (ANB)
Hollow Dogs - Beatdown Box Set (BTD)
Grotesque Hybrid - Torment (TOR)
Earwig Squad - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Indulgent Tormentor - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Sootfeather Flock - Legions (LGN)
Zombie Cutthroat - Scourge (SCG)
Gluttonous Zombie - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Vermiculos - Mirrodin (MRD)
Woebearer - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Wei Elite Companions - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Halo Hunter - Zendikar (ZEN)
Malakir Bloodwitch - Zendikar (ZEN)
Caustic Crawler - Worldwake (WWK)
Shriekmaw - Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Silumgar Scavenger MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons and Double Masters, 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 Silumgar Scavenger and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Silumgar Scavenger Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-06-14 and 2020-08-07. Illustrated by Greg Staples.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-06-14Modern HorizonsMH1 1072015normalblackGreg Staples
22020-08-07Double Masters2XM 1052015normalblackGreg Staples

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Silumgar Scavenger has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-08-07 A creature with exploit “exploited that creature” if the controller of the creature's exploit ability sacrificed a creature as the exploit ability resolved.
2020-08-07 If Silumgar Scavenger is dealt lethal damage at the same time as another creature you control, it won't receive a counter from its last ability in time to save it.
2020-08-07 You can't sacrifice more than one creature to any one exploit ability.
2020-08-07 You choose whether to sacrifice a creature and which creature to sacrifice as the exploit ability resolves. A creature can exploit itself.

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