Skulking Fugitive MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Horror Mercenary
Released	1999-10-04
Set symbol
Set name	Mercadian Masques
Set code	MMQ
Power	3
Toughness	4
Number	161
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Scott M. Fischer

Key Takeaways

Evasion allows Skulking Fugitive to pressure opponents and shape the board state in your favor.
It pairs effectively with instant-speed spells to create surprising strategic plays during gameplay.
Casting cost and discard requirements need careful consideration when integrating into your deck.

Text of card

When Skulking Fugitive becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice Skulking Fugitive.

In the Cateran guild, being caught is a capital offense.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Skulking Fugitive doesn’t directly provide a way to draw additional cards, it can subtly influence card advantage by pressuring opponents. Forcing removal or block decisions, the card can indirectly lead to a more favorable board state for you.

Resource Acceleration: Skulking Fugitive may not offer resource acceleration in the traditional sense of providing extra mana or artifacts. However, its low casting cost means you can deploy this creature early in the game without setting back your mana curve, allowing you to allocate resources to other plays sooner.

Instant Speed: Although Skulking Fugitive is not an instant itself, it pairs well with cards that operate at instant speed. Because it’s a creature that can establish board presence and has evasion, it complements strategies that rely on waiting for the right moment to play spells during the opponent’s turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To play Skulking Fugitive, you must sacrifice a bit of your hand advantage. This necessity to discard can be particularly taxing when your hand is already dwindling, leaving you at a potential strategic shortfall.

Specific Mana Cost: The mana requirement for Skulking Fugitive is not very flexible, demanding two black mana. This means it integrates less easily into multicolored decks that may struggle with generating the necessary mana consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, players might find it costly for its stats and abilities. There are other creatures in MTG with similar or even lower mana costs that could offer more utility or have a stronger board presence.

Reasons to Include Skulking Fugitive in Your Collection

Versatility: Skulking Fugitive is a flexible card, well-suited for decks that aim to manage and manipulate life totals. Its ability to slip past defenses makes it a crafty addition to various strategies.

Combo Potential: When paired with cards that benefit from creature deaths or sacrifices, this card can become a key component of a powerful combo, turning its demise into an advantage.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where players vie for board presence, Skulking Fugitive can offer surprise offensive capabilities, especially if bigger threats overshadow its presence on the board.

How to Beat

Skulking Fugitive can be a thorn in the side of many MTG players, with its menace ability making it difficult to block. This creature card demands more strategic thinking to be effectively countered. One reliable tactic is to use removal spells that do not require targeting like “Wrath of God” or “Damnation” which can clear the board irrespective of any evasion abilities.

Alternatively, consider using spells that force the owner to sacrifice a creature. Since these do not target, menace does not protect Skulking Fugitive. “Diabolic Edict” and “Liliana’s Triumph” are classic examples that can bypass the menace feature. Lastly, increasing your creature count so you can block it with two or more creatures can also neutralize this cunning card. Resources like “Raise the Alarm” or “Spectral Procession” generate multiple tokens, giving you ample blockers to handle threats like Skulking Fugitive.

Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your opponent’s cards is key, and with the right approach, Skulking Fugitive’s ability to slip past defenses can be mitigated. Combat it with game sense and a well-prepared deck, ensuring it never gets the upper hand.

Cards like Skulking Fugitive

Skulking Fugitive finds its niche in the stealthy realm of evasion creatures within Magic: The Gathering. In this domain, it shares the battlefield with cards such as Dauthi Mercenary, which also possesses the formidable shadow ability, making it impossible to block for most creatures. Nevertheless, Skulking Fugitive differentiates itself with a punitive clause that forces its controller to pay life if it becomes the target of a spell, which Dauthi Mercenary eludes with its more flexible pump ability.

Comparably, there’s the subtle yet effective Looter il-Kor, another creature card that dodges conventional defense lines through shadow. While it doesn’t push damage as reliably as Skulking Fugitive, it provides card selection, helping refine your hand with each successful attack. Then there’s the notorious Thalakos Seer, which grants card advantage upon departure from the field, a benefit that Skulking Fugitive lacks. It’s crucial to weigh these abilities, as they could majorly impact the course of the game.

Overall, Skulking Fugitive presents a useful option for MTG combat strategies focused on evasion. Despite some setbacks, its decent power for its cost can be a determining factor in the right deck, especially if opponents lack the means to block or handle shadow creatures effectively.

Cards similar to Skulking Fugitive by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Skulking Fugitive MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques, 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 Skulking Fugitive and other MTG cards: