Sarkhan's Scorn MTG Card

Sarkhan's Scorn - Jumpstart: Historic Horizons

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2021-08-26
Set symbol
Set name	Jumpstart: Historic Horizons
Set code	J21
Number	23
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Daarken

Key Takeaways

Provides card advantage by filtering your library, crucial for maintaining a steady resource flow.
Reduces Dragon spell costs, accelerating your game tempo and allowing for impactful plays.
Instant speed casting enhances strategic depth, giving players the edge in response timing.

Text of card

Sarkhan's Scorn deals damage equal to the number of turns you have begun to target creature or planeswalker.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sarkhan’s Scorn provides a significant upper hand by granting you the power to sift through your library, potentially securing the cards you need when you need them. This can be pivotal in maintaining a steady flow of resources and options within your grasp.

Resource Acceleration: By offering a reduction in cost for your Dragon spells, Sarkhan’s Scorn can place you ahead of the curve, allowing you to cast more impactful spells sooner than usual. This acceleration can be a game-changer in matches where tempo plays a crucial role.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Sarkhan’s Scorn at instant speed gives you the flexibility to respond to threats or opportunities at a moment’s notice. This responsiveness enhances your strategic depth, affording you the chance to adapt to the evolving game state without missing a beat.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Sarkhan’s Scorn necessitates discarding a card as part of its casting process. This can be a hindrance especially when your hand is nearly empty or when every card is a crucial piece of your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: The spell’s casting cost is restricted to a Red mana requirement, making it less versatile in multicolored decks that may not always have red mana readily available.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment for Sarkhan’s Scorn might seem steep considering that other spells with similar effects might be available at lower costs. This can affect your tempo and possibly put you behind your opponents.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Sarkhan’s Scorn has the flexibility to be integrated into a wide variety of dragon-themed decks as well as control strategies that require robust removal options. Its ability to effectively manage the board by dealing with problematic creatures or planeswalkers makes it a valuable addition to any deck that prioritizes maintaining a clear battlefield.

Combo Potential: This card shines in combination with decks that capitalize on spells with a high casting cost or that trigger upon casting dragon spells. Utilizing Sarkhan’s Scorn can lead to game-changing plays, setting up favorable interactions with other dragon synergy cards and paving the way for a dominating board presence.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where creature-heavy strategies are common, having access to Sarkhan’s Scorn could tilt the scales in your favor. It offers relevance in a shifting meta where the incarnation of powerful dragons and dragon-related spells can be the deciding factor between victory and defeat.

How to beat

Sarkhan’s Scorn is an intriguing spell that can work wonders in shaping the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This card is designed to take advantage of a deck built with plenty of Dragon creatures, allowing you to essentially negate a spell unless your opponent pays the additional cost, which can be tough if timed correctly. The key to overcoming Sarkhan’s Scorn is through strategic spell timing and maintaining mana availability.

One approach to besting this card is to bait it out. Play less crucial spells first to draw out Sarkhan’s Scorn, keeping your vital spells safe. Another strategy is to keep an eye on your opponent’s mana. Since they need a Dragon and an available mana to activate Sarkhan’s Scorn’s ability, capitalizing on moments when their resources are low can leave their defenses open. Lastly, instant speed removals or counterspells targeting the Dragons can also render the Scorn ineffective, so keep those handy.

Effectively, tackling Sarkhan’s Scorn involves understanding your opponent’s potential to exploit it while astutely managing your own plays. A calm, calculated approach can ensure that this formidable card doesn’t derail your game plan.

Cards like Sarkhan's Scorn

Surveying the landscape of removal spells in Magic: The Gathering, Sarkhan’s Scorn stands out with its dragon-centric utility. This card offers a tailored solution for decks that harness the power of these mythical creatures, allowing you to counter a spell unless its controller pays an extra cost that scales with the number of dragons you control. A parallel can be drawn to classic counters like Mana Leak, which universally taxes an opponent’s spell for three mana regardless of the board state. However, Sarkhan’s Scorn can potentially demand a higher cost in dragon-heavy decks.

Looking at Silumgar’s Scorn, we notice a resemblance in the dragon theme but with a stricter requirement, demanding you reveal a dragon or control one to be fully effective. Draconic Roar, too, serves as an excellent comparison. Though not a counterspell, it mirrors dragon synergy by dealing damage to both a creature and a player if a dragon is revealed or controlled. However, Draconic Roar lacks the ability to disrupt opponent spells.

Comparatively, Sarkhan’s Scorn adeptly carves its niche within MTG’s array of counterspells and dragon-themed cards, finding a balance between strategic depth and the raw power dragons are renowned for.

Cards similar to Sarkhan's Scorn by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sarkhan's Scorn MTG card by a specific set like Jumpstart: Historic Horizons, 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 Sarkhan's Scorn and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sarkhan's Scorn has restrictions

Format	Legality
Gladiator	Legal
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Timeless	Legal