Skemfar Avenger MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Elf Berserker
Power 3
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides consistent card advantage by replacing fallen non-token Elves or Berserkers.
  2. Can be a resource accelerator in synergistic tribal decks, though at a cost.
  3. Flexible triggered ability activated during either player’s turn for strategic advantage.

Text of card

Whenever another nontoken Elf or Berserker you control dies, you draw a card and you lose 1 life.

Stripped of their divinity, the elves of Skemfar channeled their rage and sorrow into bloody brutality.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Skemfar Avenger is stellar when it comes to pulling ahead in terms of card advantage. By granting you the ability to draw a card whenever another nontoken Elf or Berserker you control dies, it ensures that you maintain a healthy hand size, crucial for continuous play and keeping up with your opponents.

Resource Acceleration: This card stands out as it can speed up your gameplay significantly, especially in an Elf or Berserker-focused deck. While it doesn’t directly produce mana or Treasure tokens, its ability indirectly accelerates your resources by helping replenish your hand, allowing for more plays and potential mana utilization through additional creatures and spells.

Instant Speed: Skemfar Avenger might not be played at instant speed, but its triggered ability works at any time, allowing you to benefit during your turn or your opponent’s. This flexibility to draw cards even on your opponent’s turn can be as disruptive as an instant, giving you more opportunities to find answers or threats right when you need them.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Activating the abilities of Skemfar Avenger requires you to lose a creature, which could set you back, particularly if your board presence is already low.

Specific Mana Cost: Necessitating both black and green mana, Skemfar Avenger can’t smoothly fit into mono-colored decks or those that don’t support Golgari (black/green) combinations.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value of three, including two specific mana symbols, it competes with other three drops that could potentially have a more immediate impact on the game state.


Reasons to Include Skemfar Avenger in Your Collection

Versatility: Skemfar Avenger is an asset for decks that capitalize on Elves or Berserkers due to its ability to provide card advantage whenever a nontoken Elf or Berserker you control dies. This makes it a flexible inclusion in tribal strategies as well as multicolor decks focusing on these creature types.

Combo Potential: Its draw ability sings in combos, granting the potential to refuel your hand as you sacrifice or trade creatures in battle. It particularly shines in synergistic playstyles that are based on creatures entering and leaving the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that’s filled with aggressive creature strategies, Skemfar Avenger helps maintain card parity, ensuring that every creature lost can potentially become a new opportunity. This relevance in creature-heavy environments guarantees that it remains a potent choice for many games.


How to beat

Skemfar Avenger presents a unique challenge in the MTG realm, being particularly formidable when allied with Elves or Berserkers. Its ability to draw a card upon an allied creature’s death ensures constant hand replenishment, making it indispensable in aggressive tribal decks. To effectively counter it, removal spells that bypass death triggers or exile effects are key strategies. Examples include spells such as Path to Exile or Dire Tactics, which circumvent death triggers altogether, preventing any card advantage the Avenger might provide.

Utilizing board wipes can also serve as a robust response. A well-timed Doomskar or Shatter the Sky can clear the board and limit Skemfar Avenger’s utility. It’s vital to time these actions after the Avenger hits the battlefield but before the opponent can amass a significant tribal presence. Don’t underestimate the power of hand disruption either; Thoughtseize or Agonizing Remorse can preemptively remove Skemfar Avenger from your opponent’s hand, disrupting their game plan early on.

Overall, dealing with Skemfar Avenger requires preemptive measures and strategic removal to prevent it from becoming the centerpiece of your opponent’s strategy. When taking these aspects into account, devising a plan to beat Skemfar Avenger becomes a manageable task for seasoned players.


BurnMana Recommendations

The ability of Skemfar Avenger to boost your card advantage makes it a must-have for players who champion Elf or Berserker strategies. Its unique synergy with tribal decks cannot be understated, and the potential for card draw acts as a lifeline, providing resilience in the face of creature losses. If you’re looking to harness the power of Golgari combinations or simply want to enhance your deck’s reaction speed to battlefield events, the Avenger is a card that demands consideration. We encourage you to dive deeper into its strategic uses and learn how it can be a game-changer in your collection. Discover more insights and tactics with us and gain the edge you need in your MTG encounters.


Cards like Skemfar Avenger

In the vast realm of MTG, Skemfar Avenger is a noteworthy card for players who favor Elves or Berserkers. Much like the card Harald, King of Skemfar, the Avenger provides a valuable draw mechanism. Though Harald doesn’t offer card replacement on death, Skemfar Avenger compensates for fallen comrades by refilling the player’s hand, fostering a continuous stream of resources.

Another card worthy of comparison is Midnight Reaper. Both cards share the ability to offer card advantage upon the demise of creatures. However, the Avenger excels by drawing cards without the life loss penalty that the Reaper incurs. This creates an essential tactical advantage in maintaining a high life total. Furthermore, unlike Poison-Tip Archer, which also thrives on creatures dying, the Avenger restricts the benefit to Elves and Berserkers, but compensates with its lower casting cost and immediacy in card advantage.

To sum up, Skemfar Avenger delivers reliable advantages for specific tribal strategies in MTG, optimizing the Elves and Berserkers’ potential by providing an efficient draw engine that sustains the player’s momentum throughout the game without the detrimental effects found in similar cards.

Harald, King of Skemfar - MTG Card versions
Midnight Reaper - MTG Card versions
Poison-Tip Archer - MTG Card versions
Harald, King of Skemfar - Kaldheim (KHM)
Midnight Reaper - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)
Poison-Tip Archer - Core Set 2019 (M19)

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Skemfar Avenger MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Kaldheim, 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 Skemfar Avenger and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Skemfar Avenger Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-02-05 and 2021-02-06. Illustrated by Randy Vargas.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 882742015normalblackRandy Vargas
22021-02-05KaldheimKHM 1092015normalblackRandy Vargas
32021-02-05KaldheimKHM 3552015normalblackRandy Vargas
42021-02-06Kaldheim PromosPKHM 109p2015normalblackRandy Vargas
52021-02-06Kaldheim PromosPKHM 109s2015normalblackRandy Vargas

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Skemfar Avenger has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

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