Serrated Arrows MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 14 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeArtifact

Key Takeaways

  1. A strategic tool, Serrated Arrows provides control over the board by distributing counters to multiple creatures.
  2. It offers flexibility in deck-building, playing well with counter manipulation and combo potentials.
  3. Remains relevant against creature-heavy strategies, despite competitive alternatives in MTG.

Text of card

When Serrated Arrows comes into play, put three arrowhead counters on it. During your upkeep, bury Serrated Arrows if there are no arrowhead counters on it. oc T: Remove an arrowhead counter from Serrated Arrows to put a -1/-1 counter on target creature.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Serrated Arrows offers a unique form of card advantage by allowing you to distribute three arrowhead counters that can gradually weaken or eliminate multiple creatures on the battlefield. This can effectively deal with a group of small threats or diminish the effectiveness of larger creatures over time without having to spend additional cards.

Resource Acceleration: While Serrated Arrows doesn’t directly accelerate resources like mana ramp cards, its ability to control the board can save resources that would otherwise be spent on removal spells. By conserving spells and mana, you maintain more options and versatility in hand, which is a strategic form of resource acceleration.

Instant Speed: Although Serrated Arrows itself is not played at instant speed, its activated ability can be used at any time you could cast an instant. This permits reactive play during your opponent’s turn or at the end of their turn, ensuring you’re always making the most informed decisions with your arrowhead counters.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Serrated Arrows does not entail a discard per se, but it does come with the downside of becoming obsolete once its counters are used up. This can lead to a disadvantage as it effectively becomes a card that no longer influences the board state, which can be likened to a form of resource loss, particularly in longer games where every card’s impact is critical.

Specific Mana Cost: While Serrated Arrows doesn’t require a specific color of mana, its total casting cost of four generic mana may restrict its early game playability. This means it can’t always be played on curve, which could be detrimental in formats where tempo plays a significant role.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating removal options, Serrated Arrows may not always come out on top due to its relatively high mana cost for its effect. In competitive play, where efficiency is key, there are alternative cards that remove creatures for less mana or offer additional utility.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Serrated Arrows brings flexibility to the table with its ability to distribute -1/-1 counters across multiple creatures. This feature allows it to serve as a utility card in various deck types, making it a competent choice for those that need to manage the board and weaken opposition.

Combo Potential: While seemingly straightforward, these arrows can be a linchpin in a combo-centric setup. When paired with cards that refresh or multiply counters, Serrated Arrows can become a recurring threat to your opponent’s creatures, getting more mileage out of your counters.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where small, utility creatures dominate, Serrated Arrows shines by being able to remove or diminish the efficacy of multiple threats. This card holds its ground, maintaining relevancy against decks that rely on creature-based strategies for victory.


How to Beat

Serrated Arrows is known for its gradual depletion of creatures on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering, thanks to its deceptively simple ability to place -1/-1 counters on them. Your typical approach against such a persistent artifact might start with cards like Naturalize or Disenchant, neutralizing artifacts and enchantments with ease. Deploying such responses when Serrated Arrows begins to threaten valuable creatures, or preemptively to prevent its use, is a strategic move.

Players also find utility in counter spells, such as Counterspell or Negate, which can prevent the arrows from ever seeing play if timed correctly. Alternatively, cards that provide hexproof or shroud to your creatures can be instrumental, shielding them from the reach of Serrated Arrows’ effect. A classic example is Swiftfoot Boots, which not only confers hexproof but also grants haste, potentially countering the slowdown caused by the arrows.

Considering its cumulative upkeep cost, you might also opt to let Serrated Arrows exhaust itself. Patience backed by creature redundancy or those with ETB (enter the battlefield) effects can exhaust the artifact and turn its presence from a threat into a negligible factor on the board.


Cards like Serrated Arrows

Serrated Arrows is a unique artifact in the world of Magic: The Gathering, valued for its ability to place depletion counters on creatures, essentially weakening them over time. It stands out among other MTG cards that manipulate counters due to its recurring nature until exhausted. Cards like Engineered Plague offer a continuous effect that debilitates certain creature types without the need for counters. Whereas Festering Mummy provides a one-time use counter when it dies, not offering the same control over multiple turns like Serrated Arrows.

Another card worthy of comparison is Thraben Purebloods, which also taps to weaken creatures, but it does so without using counters and requires a creature card itself. Then we look to Incremental Blight, which distributes a trio of -1/-1 counters among creatures when it’s played. However, it lacks the staying power Serrated Arrows boasts, as it’s a single-use sorcery. By evaluating these different aspects, it’s clear that Serrated Arrows holds a special place within its category for the persistent and strategic control it can exert across multiple turns.

Engineered Plague - MTG Card versions
Festering Mummy - MTG Card versions
Thraben Purebloods - MTG Card versions
Incremental Blight - MTG Card versions
Engineered Plague - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Festering Mummy - Amonkhet (AKH)
Thraben Purebloods - Innistrad (ISD)
Incremental Blight - Shadowmoor (SHM)

Cards similar to Serrated Arrows by color, type and mana cost

Jayemdae Tome - MTG Card versions
Juggernaut - MTG Card versions
Jade Monolith - MTG Card versions
Dancing Scimitar - MTG Card versions
Grinning Totem - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Processor - MTG Card versions
Patagia Golem - MTG Card versions
Lodestone Myr - MTG Card versions
Krark-Clan Ironworks - MTG Card versions
Ur-Golem's Eye - MTG Card versions
Jester's Cap - MTG Card versions
Bottled Cloister - MTG Card versions
Rod of Ruin - MTG Card versions
Gnarled Effigy - MTG Card versions
Scrapbasket - MTG Card versions
Magnetic Mine - MTG Card versions
Icy Manipulator - MTG Card versions
Eye of Doom - MTG Card versions
Well of Lost Dreams - MTG Card versions
Tower of Fortunes - MTG Card versions
Jayemdae Tome - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Juggernaut - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Jade Monolith - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Dancing Scimitar - Revised Edition (3ED)
Grinning Totem - Mirage (MIR)
Phyrexian Processor - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Patagia Golem - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Lodestone Myr - Mirrodin (MRD)
Krark-Clan Ironworks - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Ur-Golem's Eye - Commander 2014 (C14)
Jester's Cap - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Bottled Cloister - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Rod of Ruin - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Gnarled Effigy - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Scrapbasket - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Magnetic Mine - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Icy Manipulator - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Eye of Doom - Commander 2013 (C13)
Well of Lost Dreams - The List (PLST)
Tower of Fortunes - Commander 2013 (C13)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Serrated Arrows MTG card by a specific set like Homelands and Pro Tour Collector Set, 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 Serrated Arrows and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Serrated Arrows Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 1995-10-01 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11995-10-01HomelandsHML 1101993normalblackDavid A. Cherry
21996-05-02Pro Tour Collector SetPTC mj110sb1993normalgoldDavid A. Cherry
31996-05-02Pro Tour Collector SetPTC ll1101993normalgoldDavid A. Cherry
41996-05-02Pro Tour Collector SetPTC et110sb1993normalgoldDavid A. Cherry
51996-05-02Pro Tour Collector SetPTC ll110sb1993normalgoldDavid A. Cherry
61996-05-02Pro Tour Collector SetPTC pp110sb1993normalgoldDavid A. Cherry
71996-05-02Pro Tour Collector SetPTC ml110sb1993normalgoldDavid A. Cherry
81996-05-02Pro Tour Collector SetPTC gb110sb1993normalgoldDavid A. Cherry
91997-08-13World Championship Decks 1997WC97 pm110sb1997normalgoldDavid A. Cherry
102002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 351162003normalblackJohn Avon
112006-10-06Time Spiral TimeshiftedTSB 1141997normalblackDavid A. Cherry
122014-12-05Duel Decks Anthology: Garruk vs. LilianaGVL 202015normalblackJohn Avon
132019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 16262003normalblackJohn Avon
142020-09-26The ListPLST DDD-202003normalblackJohn Avon

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Serrated Arrows has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Serrated Arrows card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2008-08-01 The upkeep trigger checks the number of counters at the start of upkeep, and only goes on the stack if there are no arrowhead counters at that time. It will check again on resolution, and will do nothing if you’ve somehow manage to get a new arrowhead counter on the Arrows.

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