Enterprising Scallywag MTG Card

Provides card advantage by drawing cards, crucial for controlling the game’s flow and sustaining momentum. Instant speed enables reactive play, allowing for swift adaptation to opponents’ actions and strategies. Demands careful deck construction given its specific mana requirements and potentially high cost to cast.

Enterprising Scallywag - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Goblin Pirate
Abilities	Treasure
Released	2023-11-17
Set symbol
Set name	The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
Set code	LCI
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	148
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Denman Rooke

Text of card

At the beginning of your end step, if you descended this turn, create a Treasure token. (You descended if a permanent card was put into your graveyard from anywhere.)

"He would've wanted me to have it!"

Cards like Enterprising Scallywag

Enterprising Scallywag is an intriguing card from MTG that finds its niche among creature cards. It shares some traits with other blue creatures, such as Looter il-Kor which has the ability to draw and discard, empowering players with greater hand control. The Scallywag, however, introduces its own twist with an additional feature. Unlike Looter il-Kor, when you draw and discard, Enterprising Scallywag allows you to transform it into a creature with flying, providing a tactical advantage in evasion.

Merfolk Looter is another close relative, granting the power to sift through your deck by drawing and discarding. Still, the Enterprising Scallywag stands out by offering the transformative surprise which the Merfolk Looter lacks. The Scallywag’s ability to become airborne in the midst of the game could be a game-changer.

In analyzing the costs and benefits, Enterprising Scallywag definitely presents a strategic variability that can catch opponents off guard, enhancing its usefulness in decks that benefit from adaptable creatures. This flexibility in both providing card flow and a potential aggressive shift in board presence places it uniquely among its counterparts.

Cards similar to Enterprising Scallywag by color, type and mana cost

Goblin Elite Infantry - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sporting a savvy knack for plunder, Enterprising Scallywag ensures your hand stays replenished by drawing you additional cards as you navigate the high seas of competition. This element of card advantage is pivotal for steering the direction of the game in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: Unearthing hidden treasures is part of what makes this card a cut above the rest. With the ability to boost your resources quickly, the acceleration provided can be the wind in your sails, propelling you ahead of your adversary.

Instant Speed: Agility is the ally of any cunning pirate, and Enterprising Scallywag’s instant speed allows you to adapt swiftly to the changing tides of battle. This flexibility is key in outmaneuvering opponents and charting a course towards victory when they least expect it.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Enterprising Scallywag card necessitates you discard another card, which might deplete your hand quickly, reducing your ability to respond to opponents’ threats or maintain card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires both blue and red mana to cast, making it less flexible for decks that are not built around a dual or multi-color strategy, potentially narrowing its utility across various deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that might be considered steep for the effects provided, this card competes with other options that may offer similar or greater benefits for the same or lower investment, possibly making it a suboptimal choice during deck construction.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Enterprising Scallywag adds value to a broad range of strategies with its flexible cost and ability to shift the board state. It can easily be slotted into aggro decks for early pressure or control decks for utility.

Combo Potential: This card opens up avenues for synergistic play, working exceptionally well with mechanics that reward creature deployment or those that capitalize on tapping and untapping creatures for benefits.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that leans towards creature-based tactics or where incremental advantages are critical, Enterprising Scallywag can play an important role. Its potential to disrupt opponents while advancing your game plan makes it a smart pick.

How to beat

Enterprising Scallywag can be a tricky card to handle in Magic: The Gathering, often challenging players with its dual utility of creating Pirates and ramping up Treasure tokens. Like many of MTG’s multifaceted cards, finding the right way to counter it requires a strategic approach. Firstly, speed is essential; removing the Scallywag swiftly before it can generate value is key. Cards like Shock or Fatal Push offer quick solutions to deal with it early on.

Another effective tactic is to limit how much the card can exploit its abilities by restricting the opponent’s access to Treasures. Artifact removal spells such as Abrade or Nature’s Claim can dismantle the Treasure tokens generated, cutting off the mana ramp and extra utility they provide. Additionally, utilizing board wipes when facing multiple Pirates can also swing the game back into your control, with cards like Wrath of God or Blasphemous Act fitting this role perfectly in clearing the field.

In summary, overcoming the versatility of Enterprising Scallywag in MTG involves quick removal and disrupting the card’s synergy with Treasures. Implementing these strategies can ensure the Scallywag is nothing more than a minor nuisance in your path to victory.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Enterprising Scallywag MTG card by a specific set like 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 Enterprising Scallywag and other MTG cards:

BUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Enterprising Scallywag 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
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Enterprising Scallywag 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	A permanent card is an artifact, battle, creature, enchantment, land, or planeswalker card. Tokens are not cards, and while tokens are put into the graveyard before ceasing to exist, that action doesn't count as a player having descended.
2023-11-10	Abilities that begin with "At the beginning of your end step, if you descended this turn" will trigger only once during your end step, no matter how many times you descended this turn. However, if you haven't descended this turn as your end step begins, the ability won't trigger at all. It's not possible to put a permanent card into your graveyard during the end step in time to have the ability trigger.
2023-11-10	In either case, it doesn't matter if those cards are still in that player's graveyard.
2023-11-10	Multiple cards have abilities that begin with "At the beginning of your end step, if you descended this turn." These cards don't need to have been under your control at the time you descended. For example, if a permanent card is put into your graveyard during your first main phase and you cast Stalactite Stalker your second main phase, its ability will trigger at the beginning of your end step.
2023-11-10	Some cards refer to a player who has "descended this turn." This means that a permanent card has been put into that player's graveyard from anywhere this turn.
2023-11-10	Some cards refer to the number of times a player descended this turn. Those cards care about the number of permanent cards put into that player's graveyard from anywhere this turn.