Screeching Skaab MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Zombie
Abilities Mill
Power 2
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Screeching Skaab advances self-mill strategies, setting up powerful graveyard synergies and combos.
  2. Precise mana cost and potential high-value card discard represent notable drawbacks of the card.
  3. Its graveyard manipulation makes it a relevant choice in current meta that favors such tactics.

Text of card

When Screeching Skaab enters the battlefield, put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard.

Its screeching is the sound of you losing your mind.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: By placing Screeching Skaab onto the battlefield, you effectively sift through your deck. This self-mill strategy can fill your graveyard quickly, fueling abilities that benefit from having a stocked graveyard, or setting up for powerful reanimation spells.

Resource Acceleration: Screeching Skaab is not typically seen as a direct source of resource acceleration. However, it indirectly accelerates your resources by populating the graveyard, making it easier to leverage cards with delve, flashback, or other graveyard synergies that reduce the cost of casting spells or allow you to play them from the graveyard.

Instant Speed: While Screeching Skaab itself isn’t cast at instant speed, it is a creature that synergizes well with decks that operate largely at instant speed. It can be used effectively after you’ve held mana open for counterspells or removal spells, making sure you develop your board even if you don’t need to react on your opponent’s turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Screeching Skaab’s entrance to the battlefield forces you to put the two top cards from your library into your graveyard. While this fuels graveyard strategies, it can be a negative effect if you’re discarding high-value cards or in need of library resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Screeching Skaab demands a precise mana combination to cast, one blue and one generic mana. This makes it less flexible and sometimes challenging to summon on curve, especially in multicolored or mana-intensive decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Though its mana cost is not exceptionally high, there are creatures of similar or lower cost that may offer better board presence or valuable abilities. Screeching Skaab competes with other two-drops and doesn’t always emerge as the optimal play depending on the deck’s strategy.


Reasons to Include Screeching Skaab in Your Collection

Versatility: Screeching Skaab is a versatile addition to any blue-centered deck, particularly those that play with the graveyard. Its ability to self-mill can fuel a variety of strategies, such as reanimator decks or those that take advantage of spells with the flashback or escape mechanics.

Combo Potential: This card isn’t just a utility player; it’s a combo enabler. The creatures it dumps into your graveyard can be the key components for powerful synergies or devastating combos, assisting in assembling the pieces you need when you need them.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors graveyard strategies or decks that require a critical mass of creatures in the bin, Screeching Skaab shines as a low-cost creature that sets your game plan in motion while providing an early blocker on the field.


How to beat

Screeching Skaab is a notable creature in the realm of graveyard strategies within Magic the Gathering. Its main appeal lies in its ability to self-mill, sending cards directly from your library to your graveyard. This can be an advantageous play for decks focused on delving into graveyard interactions. However, as with all cards, Screeching Skaab has its weaknesses.

To effectively counter this card, graveyard hate cards come into play. By using cards that exile cards from the graveyard such as Relic of Progenitus or Rest in Peace, you remove the fuel that makes Screeching Skaab valuable in the first place. Additionally, due to its low toughness, direct removal spells or damage-dealing cards can easily dispatch this creature without much cost. On top of that, playing proactive creature management through board control spells can ensure that the pesky skaab never becomes a thorn in your side.

It is also crucial to be mindful of your opponent’s graveyard throughout the game, making Screeching Skaab less impactful when the graveyard is kept in check. So play smart, keep their graveyard at bay, and Screeching Skaab won’t stand a chance against your strategy.


Cards like Screeching Skaab

Screeching Skaab emerges as a noteworthy player in the realm of graveyard filling creatures within the game. It’s akin to cards like Armored Skaab, which similarly mills cards from a player’s library into their graveyard. Both creatures not only set up potential graveyard strategies but Armored Skaab offers a hint of durability with its slightly higher toughness. Meanwhile, Screeching Skaab stands out with its more aggressive stat line, allowing for slightly more impactful early game presence.

Another relative in this comparison is Deranged Assistant. This creature shares the trait of milling your own cards, but it also delivers an additional benefit of ramping up your mana. The distinction between them lies in their secondary effects, one amps up the graveyard, while the other accelerates your mana base. Stitcher’s Apprentice might also be compared, though it trades direct milling for the creation of tokens when utilized alongside other creatures.

In sum, while there are several creatures in Magic that interact with the graveyard, Screeching Skaab strikes a balance between an aggressive early creature and enabler for various graveyard-based strategies, making it a versatile choice for players looking to bolster their decks with some early mill capabilities.

Armored Skaab - MTG Card versions
Deranged Assistant - MTG Card versions
Stitcher's Apprentice - MTG Card versions
Armored Skaab - Innistrad (ISD)
Deranged Assistant - Innistrad (ISD)
Stitcher's Apprentice - Innistrad (ISD)

Cards similar to Screeching Skaab by color, type and mana cost

Vodalian Soldiers - MTG Card versions
Zephyr Falcon - MTG Card versions
Giant Albatross - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Sphere - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Condor - MTG Card versions
School of Piranha - MTG Card versions
Coral Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Wu Light Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Sea Eagle - MTG Card versions
Overtaker - MTG Card versions
Hazy Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Darting Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Thought Eater - MTG Card versions
Spellstutter Sprite - MTG Card versions
Sneaky Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Coral Eel - MTG Card versions
Storm Crow - MTG Card versions
Aquamoeba - MTG Card versions
Soratami Cloudskater - MTG Card versions
Minamo Sightbender - MTG Card versions
Vodalian Soldiers - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Zephyr Falcon - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Giant Albatross - Homelands (HML)
Phantasmal Sphere - Alliances (ALL)
Skyshroud Condor - Tempest (TMP)
School of Piranha - Exodus (EXO)
Coral Merfolk - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Wu Light Cavalry - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Sea Eagle - Starter 1999 (S99)
Overtaker - Mercadian Masques Promos (PMMQ)
Hazy Homunculus - Prophecy (PCY)
Darting Merfolk - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Thought Eater - Odyssey (ODY)
Spellstutter Sprite - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Sneaky Homunculus - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Coral Eel - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Storm Crow - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Aquamoeba - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
Soratami Cloudskater - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Minamo Sightbender - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Screeching Skaab MTG card by a specific set like Dark Ascension and Magic Origins, 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 Screeching Skaab and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Screeching Skaab Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2012-02-03 and 2016-06-10. Illustrated by Clint Cearley.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12012-02-03Dark AscensionDKA 472003normalblackClint Cearley
22015-07-17Magic OriginsORI 702015normalblackClint Cearley
32016-02-26Duel Decks: Blessed vs. CursedDDQ 482015normalblackClint Cearley
42016-06-10Eternal MastersEMA 692015normalblackClint Cearley

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Screeching Skaab has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

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