Rogue Skycaptain MTG Card

Can pressure opponents to use removal inefficiently, creating indirect card advantage for the player. Flexible mana cost of upkeep helps manage resources in multi-color decks efficiently. Flying ability provides combat advantages, acting similarly to instant speed combat tricks.

Alliances (ALL)
1996-06-10 - Number 79

Rogue Skycaptain - Masters Edition II (ME2)

Masters Edition II (ME2)
2008-09-22 - Number 149

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Human Rogue Mercenary
Abilities	Flying
Power	3
Toughness	4

Text of card

Flying At the beginning of your upkeep, put a wage counter on Rogue Skycaptain. During your upkeep, pay for each wage counter on Rogue Skycaptain, or remove all wage counters from Rogue Skycaptain and target opponent gains control of Rogue Skycaptain.

Cards like Rogue Skycaptain

Rogue Skycaptain carves a niche amongst the flying creatures in Magic: The Gathering. As an aerial threat, it shares the skies with cards like Skyship Plunderer. Both are capable of dealing damage from above, but Rogue Skycaptain offers a unique upkeep cost that can increase its longevity in play. The Plunderer, by contrast, can bolster your other permanents or energy reserves but lacks the staying power that Rogue Skycaptain’s upkeep dynamic provides.

Another comparable card is the Stormchaser Mage. This creature boasts prowess and haste, offering a different kind of speed and power scaling. However, what makes Rogue Skycaptain stand out is its potential for a steady presence, as opposed to the Mage’s flashier, but more ephemeral impact. Furthermore, Aven Fleetwing presents a hexproof alternative, ensuring some protection that Rogue Skycaptain does not possess, but without the unique payment mechanic that can potentially keep that Skycaptain in play indefinitely.

Assessing these cards, Rogue Skycaptain remains a versatile option for players who value a mix of aggression and resilience in their flying forces. Even though MTG offers a variety of creatures with the gift of flight, Rogue Skycaptain demands a particular strategy that can make it an asset in the right deck.

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Rogue Skycaptain can offer a repeated resource in the form of aerial attacks. Its presence on the battlefield potentially pressures your opponent to deal with it, indirectly leading to a form of card advantage as your opponent may be forced to use their removal spells on it rather than on more critical threats you control.

Resource Acceleration: The cumulative upkeep cost of Rogue Skycaptain can be paid with any color of mana, giving you a form of resource acceleration by helping to diversify your mana expenditure. In multi-color decks, this flexibility can be particularly valuable, allowing you to allocate your mana resources more efficiently.

Instant Speed: Although Rogue Skycaptain itself does not function at instant speed, its flying ability gives you an advantage during combat on your turns. The ability to participate in combat seemingly ‘out of nowhere’ can catch an opponent unprepared, functioning much like a combat trick that could be played at instant speed.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Rogue Skycaptain’s upkeep cost demands a card discard, a significant downside that could deplete your hand quickly and weaken your strategic position if unable to maintain a healthy card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting requirement includes both generic and red mana which ties it closely to red-centered or compatible color decks, thus deterring its integration into a wider variety of deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a requirement of three mana, including two red, Rogue Skycaptain’s activation in the early game is a challenge, while its overall impact might not justify the cost when stacked against other options with similar or lower mana investments.

Reasons to Include Rogue Skycaptain in Your Collection

Versatility: Rogue Skycaptain offers a flexible playstyle for deck builders. As a flying creature, it provides a reliable way to deal damage from the air, an advantage in both offensive and defensive situations.

Combo Potential: When paired with cards that allow you to manipulate or circumvent upkeep costs, the Rogue Skycaptain becomes a steadfast presence on the battlefield. Its ability to accrue time counters opens up interesting synergies with cards that interact with counters of any kind.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where the aerial battlefield control is paramount, owning a Rogue Skycaptain can tip the scales. Given its resilience and compatibility with various deck types, it can serve an important role in many strategies that call for a persistent flying threat.

How to beat

Rogue Skycaptain presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its unusual upkeep cost that demands a strategic approach to overcome. This aerial threat can quickly become a dominating force if left unchecked, requiring prompt responses to neutralize the advantage it grants to your opponent. Considering its relatively high mana value, countering it with affordable removal spells is an effective strategy. Disposal options such as Swords to Plowshares or Doom Blade allow a player to manage their resources efficiently while dealing with the Skycaptain.

Another viable tactic is leveraging bounce spells like Unsummon to return the creature to its owner’s hand, disrupting their mana investment and potentially forcing them to repay the Echo cost. Employing such spells can buy crucial time and tilt the resource balance in your favor. Ensnaring the Rogue Skycaptain in a Pacifism aura or neutralizing it with a card like Icy Manipulator are also ways to render this troublesome flyer ineffective without exhausting vital spells from your hand.

Ultimately, preserving card advantage while dealing with Rogue Skycaptain is key. By choosing the right moment and method to address this flying adversary, a player can minimize the impact on their own game plan and maintain control over the match.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rogue Skycaptain MTG card by a specific set like Alliances and Masters Edition II, 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 Rogue Skycaptain and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Rogue Skycaptain Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1996-06-10 and 2008-09-22. Illustrated by Randy Asplund-Faith.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1996-06-10	Alliances	ALL		79	1993	Normal	Black	Randy Asplund-Faith
2	2008-09-22	Masters Edition II	ME2		149	1997	Normal	Black	Randy Asplund-Faith

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Rogue Skycaptain has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2008-10-01	If you can’t pay the entire payment, none of it is paid.
2008-10-01	No choices are made when this ability triggers. After the wage counter is put on Rogue Skycaptain, then you choose whether to pay mana and, if you don’t, which opponent gains control of it.