Scaled Herbalist MTG Card


Scaled Herbalist can rapidly accelerate mana availability, optimizing your gameplay and strategic potential. Its instant speed ability grants surprise plays and responses, enhancing the flexibility of your MTG deck. However, the discard requirement and specific mana cost can limit its utility, particularly in multicolor decks.
Scaled Herbalist - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Lizard Druid
Released2021-07-23
Set symbol
Set nameAdventures in the Forgotten Realms
Set codeAFR
Power 1
Toughness 3
Number204
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byApril Prime

Text of card

: You may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield.

"I could help you, or I could eat you for lunch. I haven't decided yet."


Cards like Scaled Herbalist

The Scaled Herbalist is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering, inviting comparisons to other mana-fixing creatures in the game. Like the Scaled Herbalist, Leafkin Druid stands out by providing a mana advantage, but the Druid can generate multiple mana based on the number of creatures you control, making it potentially more powerful in creature-heavy decks. Another similar card is Llanowar Elves, a classic that provides a consistent one mana each turn but lacks the Herbalist’s potential to tap for additional mana of any color your lands could produce.

Diligent Farmhand is also worth mentioning with its symbiotic relationship between mana ramp and its Muscle Burst bonus. Although it doesn’t provide the same level of mana fixing, it does offer a secondary benefit as graveyard fodder for a payoff. Finally, Paradise Druid presents a comparable yet distinct option with its hexproof ability while untapped, safeguarding your mana ramp from targeted removal, making it a resilient choice though at a higher mana value.

When evaluating these options, Scaled Herbalist may not always be the front-runner, yet it provides a unique blend of versatility in fixing mana, which can be vital for multicolored decks in Magic: The Gathering.

Leafkin Druid - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Elves - MTG Card versions
Diligent Farmhand - MTG Card versions
Paradise Druid - MTG Card versions
Leafkin Druid - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Elves - MTG Card versions
Diligent Farmhand - MTG Card versions
Paradise Druid - MTG Card versions

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Scaled Herbalist provides an edge by allowing you to potentially flip a land card from the top of your deck onto the battlefield, increasing the number of resources at your disposal and thinning out your deck for more consistent draws.

Resource Acceleration: The ability to place a land directly onto the battlefield with the Herbalist’s ability can significantly speed up your game, letting you access more mana ahead of your natural land drops. It’s a solid play for ramping up your strategy.

Instant Speed: While Scaled Herbalist itself is a creature, its land-centric ability can be activated at instant speed. This gives you the flexibility to respond to your opponent’s moves by increasing your land count and sets you up for potential surprises during their turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Scaled Herbalist card requires the player to discard another card from their hand to activate its ability. This can be a drawback when you’re already running low on cards, potentially putting you at a disadvantage by decreasing your hand options.

Specific Mana Cost: Scaled Herbalist comes with a specific mana cost that includes green. For players running multicolor decks or those who do not have easy access to green mana, this can restrict the Herbalist’s playability, necessitating a particular mana base to be effective.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For what this card accomplishes, the mana cost can be on the higher side, especially when other cards in the game may offer similar benefits for less mana. This can make Scaled Herbalist a less efficient choice in terms of deck building where mana efficiency and speed are crucial.


Reasons to Include Scaled Herbalist in Your Collection

Versatility: Scaled Herbalist thrives across various deck builds that are mana-hungry or rely on land synergies. Its ability to fetch a basic land ensures that you can smooth out your mana curve and support strategies that depend on landfall triggers.

Combo Potential: This reptilian druid shines when combined with cards that benefit from lands entering the battlefield repeatedly. It works splendidly in conjunction with landfall mechanics or cards that allow you to play additional lands each turn.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the fluctuating demands of the meta, Scaled Herbalist’s role as a mana-facilitator makes it a flexible addition to combat decks centered around attrition and value, ensuring your plays are not hindered by a lack of resources.


How to Beat Scaled Herbalist

The Scaled Herbalist might appear unassuming at first glance, but this mana-focused creature can offer substantial support in land retrieval strategy decks within Magic: The Gathering. Much like Llanowar Scout, the Scaled Herbalist allows players to put lands onto the battlefield, albeit under slightly different conditions. This can potentially accelerate mana availability, thereby enabling more powerful spells and creatures to be played earlier in the game.

Defeating a deck that utilizes a Scaled Herbalist involves disrupting the land-based strategy it supports. Strategies include employing land destruction spells or removing the Scaled Herbalist from play before its ability can be used effectively. Cards like Field of Ruin can hold back an opponent’s land acceleration, upsetting their game plan. Additionally, keeping instant-speed removal spells handy ensures that you can respond to the Herbalist before it becomes a recurring source of advantage for your opponent.

Overall, understanding the pivotal role that the Scaled Herbalist plays in a deck allows players to preemptively counteract potential land-related advantages. By incorporating disruption and removal tactics, players can effectively mitigate the benefits that an opponent might gain from this deceptively strategic creature.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deeper into the strategic depths of MTG with robust cards like Scaled Herbalist and enhance your deck’s performance. Whether you’re ramping up your mana base or looking for that perfect land synergy, this card could be a game-changer in the right setup. Integrating a Scaled Herbalist requires a thoughtful approach to resource management and deck construction, potentially leading to more powerful turns and overwhelming your opponents with sheer mana advantage. If you’re curious about optimizing your deck with the Scaled Herbalist or similar mana-fixing creatures, we’re here to guide you. Learn more about mastering your MTG strategy with us.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Scaled Herbalist MTG card by a specific set like Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, 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 Scaled Herbalist and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Scaled Herbalist has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal