Scavenger Drake MTG Card

Shards of Alara (ALA)
2008-10-03 - Number 85

Scavenger Drake - Modern Masters 2015 (MM2)

Modern Masters 2015 (MM2)
2015-05-22 - Number 93

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Drake
Abilities	Flying
Power	1
Toughness	1

Key Takeaways

Grows stronger with each creature death, making it a rising threat in creature-heavy battles.
Ability triggers instantly, surprise factor can swing combat phases in your favor.
Limited to black or multicolored decks due to specific mana cost, affecting versatility.

Text of card

Flying Whenever another creature is put into a graveyard from play, you may put a +1/+1 counter on Scavenger Drake.

Dragons consider drakes to be mockeries of their perfection, destroying them on sight.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Scavenger Drake thrives in a deck teeming with creature interactions. Each time another creature dies, it gains a +1/+1 counter, effectively growing stronger with each demise on the battlefield. This continuous strengthening can lead to a significant card advantage, as a well-fed Drake can become an insurmountable threat to your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: While Scavenger Drake itself does not directly accelerate resource production, its ever-increasing power from fallen creatures can pressure your opponent into unfavorable trades or resource commitment. This indirect effect can put you ahead in the resource game as your adversary scrambles to deal with the threat.

Instant Speed: Scavenger Drake’s ability triggers at instant speed, meaning the +1/+1 counters are placed upon it whenever a creature dies—on your turn or your opponent’s. This surprise factor can quickly turn the tides of combat, transforming the Drake into a formidable blocker or an unexpected powerhouse on the attack.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To utilize Scavenger Drake’s ability to the fullest, you need creatures to die, which can sometimes translate into a need to sacrifice your own creatures. This can be a setback if your hand is already running low on creature cards, or if you rely on a strong board presence.

Specific Mana Cost: Scavenger Drake comes with a mana cost that includes black mana, which means its inclusion is mainly meant for black or multicolored decks. Players running other colors may find it challenging to integrate Scavenger Drake into their strategies, potentially limiting its overall utility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The four mana needed to cast Scavenger Drake might be a bit steep for its 1/1 stats, especially when there are alternative creatures or spells that can provide more immediate impact or advantage on the battlefield for the same or less mana investment.

Reasons to Include Scavenger Drake in Your Collection

Versatility: Scavenger Drake is a flexible card that can improve various deck archetypes, notably those leaning on creature deaths such as aristocrats or graveyard-based strategies. Its ability to grow quickly makes it a threat on any board.

Combo Potential: This card excels in decks built around sacrificing creatures or tokens, synergizing well with persist or undying mechanics. Each creature’s demise becomes an opportunity to empower the Drake.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta packed with creature-heavy decks, Scavenger Drake can be a formidable force, gaining power with each creature killed, which often happens in game formats like Commander or Modern where board wipes and combat are prevalent.

How to beat Scavenger Drake

Scavenger Drake is a creature card with a unique ability that comes into play in decks focused on creature death and graveyard strategies. When a creature dies, Scavenger Drake gets a +1/+1 counter, potentially growing into a sizable threat. Despite its growing power, strategies do exist to keep Scavenger Drake in check.

One effective way is to use exile effects. Cards like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares can permanently remove Scavenger Drake from the game before it becomes too large. Another approach is to use bounce spells such as Unsummon or Vapor Snag, which send the Drake back to the hand, thereby removing all the accumulated +1/+1 counters.

Additionally, countering Scavenger Drake when it’s initially cast is also a solid option. Permission spells like Counterspell or Mana Leak prevent the Drake from ever entering the battlefield. Finally, since Scavenger Drake relies on other creatures dying, controlling the board with sweepers or preventing creatures from hitting the graveyard by using Rest in Peace can nullify the Drake’s advantage.

Cards like Scavenger Drake

Scavenger Drake steps into the world of Magic: The Gathering as a distinctive option among creatures that capitalize on death triggers. Similar to the well-known Blood Artist, Scavenger Drake gains strength from other creatures’ demise. While Blood Artist redirects life from the opponent to you whenever a creature dies, Scavenger Drake builds its own prowess by accumulating +1/+1 counters, potentially becoming a formidable attacker or blocker.

The card Falkenrath Noble follows a parallel concept, reaping benefits from creatures hitting the graveyard, yet instead of growing in size like Scavenger Drake, it chips away at opponents’ life totals. Then there’s Mortician Beetle, a modest one-drop that, similar to our Drake, acquires +1/+1 counters as other creatures are sacrificed, offering a more gradual advantage, but starting the accumulation earlier in the game.

Each of these cards provides unique strategic advantages within Magic: The Gathering, but Scavenger Drake emerges as a creature that can potentially spiral out of control in size, offering an ever-growing threat that opponents must quickly answer or risk facing its soaring power.

Cards similar to Scavenger Drake by color, type and mana cost

Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions

Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Scavenger Drake MTG card by a specific set like Shards of Alara and Modern Masters 2015, 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 Scavenger Drake and other MTG cards: