Midnight Scavengers // Chittering Host MTG Card
2016-07-22 - Number 96a
2023-03-21 - Number 123
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Rogue |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Midnight Scavengers recovers creatures, multiplying your hand’s potency by reviving valuable assets.
- Chittering Host’s presence on the board can force opponents into unfavorable blocking decisions.
- Surprise melding of the pair into Chittering Host can flip the game’s momentum in your favor.
Text of card
When Midnight Scavengers enters the battlefield, you may return target creature card with converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard to your hand. (Melds with Graf Rats.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Midnight Scavengers allows you to retrieve a creature card from your graveyard to your hand when it enters the battlefield. This can lead to a significant card advantage, as it effectively turns one card into two, giving you more options and ways to pressure your opponent.
Resource Acceleration: Chittering Host, the merged form of Midnight Scavengers and Graf Rats, brings to the table an immediate board presence that can accelerate your resource advantage. By giving other creatures you control +1/+0 and making opponents’ creatures block if able, you can swing the tide of the game, forcing resource-depleting decisions from your opponent.
Instant Speed: While neither Midnight Scavengers nor Chittering Host itself is an instant, the ability to meld into Chittering Host can be done at the end of your opponent’s turn if you set up the preceding turns correctly. This means you have the potential to surprise your opponent with a sudden and impactful creature at a time when they may not be able to respond effectively.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: To meld Midnight Scavengers with Graf Rats to form the transformative Chittering Host, you’re asked to meet a particular condition that might strain your hand. This could leave you vulnerable, especially if your play strategy requires maintaining a variety of options.
Specific Mana Cost: Midnight Scavengers demands a precise mana arrangement with three generic and two black. This can impede your deck’s fluidity if you’re not properly aligned with a dedicated black mana base, potentially stalling the Chittering Host emergence.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The five total mana for casting Midnight Scavengers can feel weighty compared to other options in your deck. Ensuring enough resources to efficiently play it and benefit from its creature returning ability can be a delicate balance that doesn’t always tip in your favor.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Midnight Scavengers // Chittering Host duo adapts to various deck themes, given its duality. It’s a fascinating choice for those who appreciate transformative cards that provide a unique edge in creature-based strategies. The ability to become Chittering Host gives it inherent flexibility on the battlefield.
Combo Potential: As cards with meld capabilities, Midnight Scavengers and Chittering Host can significantly turn the tide during gameplay. They offer a surprise element by enhancing each other when combined, adding to the depth of your in-game strategies with an unexpected combo that opponents must respect.
Meta-Relevance: Considering the current gameplay environment that highly values synergy and impactful creatures, the Midnight Scavengers // Chittering Host pair holds its ground. It can catch unprepared opponents off guard, making it a relevant addition particularly for a meta that doesn’t heavily prioritize graveyard hate or exile effects.
How to beat
Midnight Scavengers // Chittering Host are two halves of a meld card from Magic: The Gathering that bring a unique set of challenges to the battlefield. Discovering the pathway to overpower this distinctive creature requires an understanding of its mechanics. To thwart the transformation into Chittering Host, focus on controlling the board early in the game. Managing creatures like the Midnight Scavengers through removal spells or effects that exile before they can combine is crucial.
Countering the spells as they are cast is another effective strategy, using blue spells that are designed to neutralize threats the moment they appear. Keep an eye on graveyard activities as well, since recurring creatures from the graveyard is a common strategy with such meld cards. Utilize graveyard hate cards to prevent your opponent from bringing back pieces of the amalgamation. If the Chittering Host does make an appearance, it’s not invincible. Targeted removal or board wipes can take care of the combined creature, as long as timing is precise to avoid the hostile effects of the melded monster.
In essence, striking swiftly with disruption and maintaining board control are key to overcoming the synergy-driven power of Midnight Scavengers // Chittering Host in your Magic: The Gathering matches.
Cards like Midnight Scavengers // Chittering Host
Midnight Scavengers // Chittering Host offers players a unique dual-card mechanic and transformative gameplay in MTG. This combination can be linked to cards like Grappling Hook, which enables another level of engagement with creatures. Midnight Scavengers alone is akin to Grave Digger, as both return a creature card from the graveyard to your hand, although Grappling Hook gives creatures double strike, diverging in function.
When examining other meld cards, Hanweir Garrison // Hanweir, the Writhing Township serves as a comparison point, especially with its ability to create tokens and transform into a massive, offensive threat. Midnight Scavengers // Chittering Host transitions into a being of horror with its meld, not unlike the threat posed by Hanweir’s transformation. Additionally, the mechanics bear resemblance to the likes of Gisela, the Broken Blade // Brisela, Voice of Nightmares, which also melds but steers towards a different power dynamic centered on life gain and impressive stats.
To conclude, the transformative and versatile nature of Midnight Scavengers // Chittering Host situates it as a robust option for synergy-seeking deckbuilders in MTG, boasting both creature revival and a potential for a formidable creature combination.
Cards similar to Midnight Scavengers // Chittering Host by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Midnight Scavengers // Chittering Host MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon and Shadows over Innistrad Remastered, 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 Midnight Scavengers // Chittering Host 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
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Printings
The Midnight Scavengers // Chittering Host Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by Jason Felix.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-07-22 | Eldritch Moon | EMN | 96a | 2015 | Meld | Black | Jason Felix | |
| 2 | 2023-03-21 | Shadows over Innistrad Remastered | SIR | 123 | 2015 | Meld | Black | Jason Felix |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Midnight Scavengers // Chittering Host has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Midnight Scavengers // Chittering Host card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2016-07-13 | For more information on meld cards, see the Eldritch Moon mechanics article (https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/eldritch-moon-mechanics-2016-06-27). |
| 2016-07-13 | If a card in a player’s graveyard has in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0. |
| 2016-07-13 | The set of creatures affected by Chittering Host’s triggered ability is determined as the ability resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won’t get +1/+0 or gain menace. |