Mardu Scout MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Goblin Scout |
| Abilities | Dash |
| Released | 2015-01-23 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Fate Reforged |
| Set code | FRF |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 1 |
| Number | 108 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Zoltan Boros |
Key Takeaways
- Dash mechanic allows Mardu Scout to avoid sorcery-speed removal, maintaining it as a constant battleground threat.
- Cost-efficient for aggressive decks, Mardu Scout accelerates resource usage and pressurizes opponents early on.
- Though Mardu Scout is powerful, instant-speed interaction and board control are effective strategies against it.
Text of card
Dash (You may cast this spell for its dash cost. If you do, it gains haste, and it's returned from the battlefield to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.)
The Mardu all enjoy war, but only the goblins make a game of it.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The dash mechanic on Mardu Scout offers a considerable tactical advantage. By paying its dash cost, you can potentially avoid sorcery-speed removal, ensuring that Mardu Scout remains a recurring threat that demands an answer from your opponent. This can lead to indirect card advantage as your opponent is forced to use their resources inefficiently to deal with the Scout each turn it’s dashed onto the battlefield.
Resource Acceleration: Mardu Scout’s low casting cost makes it a nimble addition to aggressive strategies, promoting resource acceleration by posing an early threat. It synergizes well with cards that benefit from early combat or other creatures entering the battlefield, allowing you to apply pressure and capitalize on a swift tempo to outpace your opponent’s resource development.
Instant Speed: While Mardu Scout itself is not an instant, its dash mechanic allows it to be played at instant speed, giving it pseudo-flash. This ability allows players to wait until the optimal moment during their turn to cast the Scout, potentially dodging sorcery-speed removal and making it harder for your opponent to plan their defenses. Also, you can keep your mana untapped for other instants or abilities, retaining the element of surprise and adaptability in the match.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Mardu Scout, while having the dash ability allowing for immediate combat readiness, necessitates a discard if chosen to be cast this way. This can deplete your hand quickly and leave you vulnerable without a clear card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both red and white mana narrows down integration options, making Mardu Scout less flexible for a variety of deck builds. It shines in a Mardu-themed deck but struggles to find a place outside it.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Mardu Scout carries a somewhat elevated mana cost for its 3/1 stats. Other creatures in its casting range offer more resilience or impactful abilities, which could make better use of your mana investment during a game.
Reasons to Include Mardu Scout in Your Collection
Versatility: Mardu Scout’s Dash ability allows it to seamlessly integrate into aggressive deck strategies, offering a repeatable means of dealing direct damage without the worry of being caught in sorcery-speed removal.
Combo Potential: As a Goblin, Mardu Scout aligns well with other cards that synergize with the tribe. Its Dash ability can be exploited in tandem with cards that manipulate or benefit from creatures entering and leaving the battlefield each turn.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where speed and resilience to removal are key, Mardu Scout proves its worth. Being able to reliably pressure your opponent’s life total while sidestepping many control mechanisms can give you the edge needed to dominate the game.
How to beat
Mardu Scout, a formidable aggro creature, lands on the battlefield ready to swing. This card shines in Magic: The Gathering with its Dash ability, allowing it to dart into play unexpectedly and evade sorcery-speed removal. But how can you outmaneuver this swift Scout?
One strategy to defeat Mardu Scout is through instant-speed interaction. Spells like Shock or Fatal Push can take it out before it deals damage, mitigating its initial impact. Ensnaring it with countermagic such as Essence Scatter when it’s cast also ensures it never touches the field. Moreover, board control tools specifically designed to corral multiple creatures are also highly effective. By stabilizing your board and keeping resources for instant-speed responses, Mardu Scout’s advantage wanes.
Overall, the key to beating this Scout lies in readiness and a measured playstyle. Responsive spells and clever timing play crucial roles in countering the momentum that Mardu Scout attempts to build. Keep your shields up, and this scout will soon find itself out of the battle.
Cards like Mardu Scout
Mardu Scout adds a dynamic edge to the roster of swift creatures in Magic: The Gathering. It draws a parallel to cards like Goblin Guide, which is also recognized for its hasty entrance on the battlefield. Mardu Scout, being a 3/1 creature, can be dashed onto the field, offering tactical flexibility. Whereas Goblin Guide consistently attacks from the get-go, it provides a potential advantage to the opponent by revealing and drawing them cards.
Another card vying for attention is the Monastery Swiftspear. This card thrives in prowess-focused decks, amplifying its power with each noncreature spell cast. Mardu Scout doesn’t boast the prowess mechanic, but compensates with its dash capability, ensuring your mana is spent efficiently. Comparably, Rakdos Cackler presents itself as an early aggressive play option. Although it lacks haste, it offers the same power toughness ratio, and the upside of becoming a 2/2 creature if unleashed.
Ultimately, Mardu Scout holds its ground among aggressive hasteful threats in the game. Its unique dash ability makes it a versatile and unpredictable component to any aggressive strategy in Magic: The Gathering, presenting a valuable asset for players who prefer swift and tactical maneuvers.
Cards similar to Mardu Scout by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Mardu Scout MTG card by a specific set like Fate Reforged, 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 Mardu Scout and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Mardu Scout has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Mardu Scout card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2014-11-24 | If a creature enters the battlefield as a copy of or becomes a copy of a creature whose dash cost was paid, the copy won’t have haste and won’t be returned to its owner’s hand. |
| 2014-11-24 | If you choose to pay the dash cost rather than the mana cost, you’re still casting the spell. It goes on the stack and can be responded to and countered. You can cast a creature spell for its dash cost only when you otherwise could cast that creature spell. Most of the time, this means during your main phase when the stack is empty. |
| 2014-11-24 | If you pay the dash cost to cast a creature spell, that card will be returned to its owner’s hand only if it’s still on the battlefield when its triggered ability resolves. If it dies or goes to another zone before then, it will stay where it is. |
| 2014-11-24 | You don’t have to attack with the creature with dash unless another ability says you do. |
