Scrounger of Souls MTG Card

Scrounger of Souls - Hour of Devastation (HOU)

Hour of Devastation (HOU)
2017-07-14 - Number 76

Scrounger of Souls - Mystery Booster (MB1)

Mystery Booster (MB1)
2019-11-07 - Number 763

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number HOU-76

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Horror
Abilities	Lifelink
Power	3
Toughness	4

Key Takeaways

Lifelink ability of Scrounger of Souls provides vital health gain during combat, aiding player survival.
Requires strategic mana management and creature sacrifice to maximize its board impact and utility.
A niche pick for decks seeking reliable lifegain and a solid defensive presence on the battlefield.

Text of card

Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)

Yell for help, and that may answer.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Scrounger of Souls doesn’t directly contribute to card draw but provides a reusable asset on the battlefield which can indirectly affect the flow of resources throughout the game.

Resource Acceleration: Although not specifically designed for accelerating resources, the essence of Scrounger of Souls in a well-crafted deck can put pressure on opponents, potentially forcing them to trade more resources to deal with it than you spent playing it, tipping the balance in your favor.

Instant Speed: While Scrounger of Souls is a creature and not an instant, the key to its strength lies in its Lifelink ability. This allows you to strategically block and gain life during your opponent’s turn, which can be a game-changer at crucial moments.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Scrounger of Souls brings the benefit of life leech to the battlefield, its utility can be overshadowed by the need for a steady stream of creatures to sacrifice. If your hand is running empty or your board presence is weak, this discard mechanic can turn from a minor inconvenience into a major setback, hindering your ability to maintain pressure on your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: Scrounger of Souls demands a specific mana alignment with its black mana cost. Players looking to integrate this card into a deck will have to consider the mana base carefully. Multicolored decks may experience difficulties with this requirement, possibly leading to a delay in getting Scrounger of Souls into play and affecting the overall tempo of your game plan.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When you summon Scrounger of Souls, its impact on the game must justify the investment of five mana. With a plethora of options available across the MTG universe, players may find that for the same cost, there are cards that could offer more immediate board presence or strategic flexibility. Hence, this creature might not always be the optimal choice for efficient deck building.

Reasons to Include Scrounger of Souls in Your Collection

Versatility: Scrounger of Souls can be a flexible addition to black decks, providing a reliable creature with both lifesteal to sustain your gameplay and a solid body for defensive plays.

Combo Potential: This card can work seamlessly within strategies focused on life gain and incremental advantage, pairing well with other cards that reward you for gaining life or having a high life total.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where aggro decks are common, Scrounger of Souls offers the sustain needed to survive early onslaughts and pivot into a winning mid-game position.

How to beat

Scrounger of Souls is a creature that can test the mettle of many players with its lifelink ability, steadily earning life points with every strike. When finding a strategy to overcome this persistent threat, removal spells can be a player’s best ally. Efficient removal like Fatal Push can dispatch Scrounger of Souls without much fuss, and for red mages, Lightning Strike offers a direct and swift solution.

Another robust approach involves using creatures with deathtouch, as they can remove Scrounger of Souls regardless of its power. Deathtouch creatures can serve as a line of defense, deterring attacks or ensuring its fall in combat. In addition, utilizing spells that exile creatures, such as Path to Exile, is particularly effective, as it handles the threat permanently, nullifying any chance of recursion and offering no quarter.

Board wipes like Wrath of God also pose a clean slate against such creatures, leaving the Scrounger with no board to dominate. A carefully concocted game plan that includes these elements can manage this lifelinking threat and keep it from draining your chances of victory in the game.

Cards like Scrounger of Souls

Scrounger of Souls has a distinct presence in Magic the Gathering as a creature card with lifelink, a valuable ability that turns damage into health gain. Its kinship can be seen with cards like Child of Night, another creature with lesser power and toughness but sharing the lifelink trait. While the Child of Night requires less mana to play, Scrounger of Souls offers a stronger board presence.

Vampire Nighthawk is another lifelink card to consider, yet it elevates the game with flying and deathtouch, making it a versatile threat. This card, albeit at a slightly higher mana cost, brings more to the table with its additional abilities. Comparatively, the Scrounger may lack such prowess but remains a solid option for straightforward lifelink strategies.

When it comes to evaluating creature cards with lifelink in your deck, consider the trade-offs in mana cost, power, and additional abilities. Scrounger of Souls stands its ground as a hardy lifelink creature, suitable for various lifegain themed decks looking to fortify their lines while chipping away at the opponent’s life total.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Scrounger of Souls MTG card by a specific set like Hour of Devastation and Mystery Booster, 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 Scrounger of Souls and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Scrounger of Souls Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2017-07-14 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Zezhou Chen.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2017-07-14	Hour of Devastation	HOU	76	2015	Normal	Black	Zezhou Chen
2	2019-11-07	Mystery Booster	MB1	763	2015	Normal	Black	Zezhou Chen
3	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST	HOU-76	2015	Normal	Black	Zezhou Chen