Tidehollow Sculler MTG Card
2008-10-03 - Number 202
2013-06-07 - Number 184
2014-05-30 - Number 2
2021-03-19 - Number 388
2002-06-24 - Number 43560
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact Creature — Zombie |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Key Takeaways
- Card advantage and strategic insight gained from exiling opponent’s hand card when Tidehollow Sculler enters the battlefield.
- Synergy with instant-speed effects for responsive plays that disrupt opponents at pivotal moments.
- Requires discerning card choice to maximize its hand-disturbing ability and maintain a strategic edge.
Text of card
When Tidehollow Sculler comes into play, target opponent reveals his or her hand and you choose a nonland card from it. Remove that card from the game. When Tidehollow Sculler leaves play, return the removed card to its owner's hand.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Upon entering the battlefield, Tidehollow Sculler offers a strategic edge by exiling an opponent’s card from their hand. This positional advantage extends beyond simple disruption, depriving the opponent of crucial resources while providing you with information about their strategy.
Resource Acceleration: While Tidehollow Sculler does not directly provide resource acceleration in the form of mana or tokens, its ability to remove a key card from your opponent’s hand can slow them down, effectively giving you a headstart or accelerating your position by comparison.
Instant Speed: Although Tidehollow Sculler itself isn’t an instant, it synergizes well with instant-speed removal or bounce effects, allowing you to permanently exile an opponent’s card if you can remove the Sculler in response to its own triggered ability. This kind of timing allows for flexible, responsive plays, disrupting your opponent at crucial moments.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The ability of Tidehollow Sculler to extract a nonland card from an opponent’s hand forces you to choose wisely, as missing the mark could dampen your strategic advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: One white and one black mana may seem easy at first glance, but in a multicolored deck, ensuring the right mana combination can pose a challenge, potentially delaying your play.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the card offers utility, the two mana cost, especially when aiming for early game pressure, might give similar cost cards with immediate board impact or those that do not require a sacrifice an edge over Tidehollow Sculler.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Tidehollow Sculler offers a unique flexibility that complements a variety of strategies. Its ability to exile a card from an opponent’s hand upon entering the battlefield can disrupt a wide range of game plans, making it a suitable inclusion for both aggressive and control-oriented decks.
Combo Potential: With the right board state, Tidehollow Sculler can create powerful interactions. It’s particularly synergistic with effects that allow it to blink in and out of play, repeatedly exploiting its hand-disturbing ability, while also allowing for interesting interactions with cards that benefit from creatures entering or leaving the battlefield.
Meta-Relevance: In metas saturated with hands-on combo or control decks, Tidehollow Sculler shines by pre-emptively removing key components from opponents’ strategies. This enables the card to remain a persistent threat to a range of popular archetypes, keeping it relevant in various competitive scenes.
How to beat
Tidehollow Sculler presents a unique challenge in the game, deftly plucking a card from an opponent’s hand upon entering the battlefield. This ability can disrupt your game plan, but the key to overcoming this card lies in the timing and understanding of its leaving the battlefield trigger. Swift removal spells after the Sculler’s ability resolves but before it leaves the battlefield can ensure the targeted card is retuned without it being permanently exiled.
Another effective method is to wait it out. The Sculler holds your card hostage only as long as it’s on the battlefield. Once removed, your card will come back to your hand, providing an opportunity to wait for an advantageous moment to eliminate the Sculler. Board wipes also double as a solution to reset the board and retrieve your card simultaneously.
Strategically, playing less crucial cards when you expect a Sculler can minimize its impact, allowing you to safeguard key pieces in your strategy. By effectively planning your plays and holding removals for the right moment, Tidehollow Sculler becomes less of a threat and more of a minor hindrance in your path to victory.
Cards like Tidehollow Sculler
Tidehollow Sculler carves out a unique niche in Magic: The Gathering with its blend of hand disruption and creature presence on the battlefield. When drawing parallels, it’s somewhat akin to Brain Maggot. Both cards allow you to temporarily exile a nonland card from an opponent’s hand. However, Tidehollow Sculler has the advantage of being an artifact in addition to a creature, which can be relevant in decks that care about artifact synergies.
Another card worth mentioning is Kitesail Freebooter, which also targets the opponent’s hand but focuses specifically on noncreature, nonland cards. The Freebooter is also a flying creature, which offers evasion not present in Tidehollow Sculler. Despite these differences, all these creatures share the benefit of disrupting an opponent’s game plan while providing a body on the board.
Analyzing the interplay of these cards, it’s clear that Tidehollow Sculler holds its own within the realm of temporary hand exile effects. Its duality as an artifact creature gives it a flexibility that can be strategically utilized in various MTG deck builds, making it a solid consideration for players who value versatility and control.
Cards similar to Tidehollow Sculler by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Tidehollow Sculler MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Shards of Alara, 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 Tidehollow Sculler 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
Printings
The Tidehollow Sculler Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2008-10-03 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 43560 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Carl Critchlow | ||
| 2 | 2008-10-03 | Shards of Alara | ALA | 202 | 2003 | Normal | Black | rk post | |
| 3 | 2013-06-07 | Modern Masters | MMA | 184 | 2003 | Normal | Black | rk post | |
| 4 | 2014-05-30 | Modern Event Deck 2014 | MD1 | 2 | 2003 | Normal | Black | rk post | |
| 5 | 2021-03-19 | Time Spiral Remastered | TSR | 388 | 1997 | Normal | Black | rk post |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Tidehollow Sculler has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Tidehollow Sculler card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-03-19 | If Tidehollow Sculler leaves the battlefield before its first ability has resolved, its second ability triggers. This ability does nothing when it resolves. Then its first ability resolves and exiles the chosen card indefinitely. |
