Scathe Zombies MTG Card

Scathe Zombies shine in undead-themed decks, supporting consistent battlefield pressure against opponents. They lack any flashy abilities but serve well in graveyard-centric strategies with combo potential. Despite simpler creatures available, Scathe Zombies maintain relevance in the MTG meta for certain strategies.
Card setsReleased in 27 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Zombie
Power 2
Toughness 2

Cards like Scathe Zombies

Scathe Zombies occupy a well-known niche in the Magic: The Gathering card pool as a basic black creature. These zombies are akin to other simplistic creatures such as Drudge Skeletons and Walking Corpse. Like Scathe Zombies, both alternatives have straightforward, no-frills designs that help new players get accustomed to the game mechanics without overwhelming complexity.

Scathe Zombies, however, stand out for their sheer vanilla nature, devoid of any abilities save for being a 2/2 creature for three mana. In contrast, Drudge Skeletons bring a regenerative ability to the table, allowing for greater board presence resilience. Walking Corpse also offers a 2/2 body but for one less mana, giving it a slight edge in terms of efficiency and board development speed.

Despite the competition, Scathe Zombies still maintain a nostalgic charm for veteran players and act as an essential stepping stone for novice tacticians learning the strategic depths of Magic: The Gathering, best exemplified through simple yet iconic creature cards.

Drudge Skeletons - MTG Card versions
Walking Corpse - MTG Card versions
Drudge Skeletons - MTG Card versions
Walking Corpse - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Scathe Zombies by color, type and mana cost

Nettling Imp - MTG Card versions
Royal Assassin - MTG Card versions
El-Hajjâj - MTG Card versions
Plague Rats - MTG Card versions
Frozen Shade - MTG Card versions
Sorceress Queen - MTG Card versions
Wall of Bone - MTG Card versions
Lost Soul - MTG Card versions
Mindstab Thrull - MTG Card versions
Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions
Strongarm Thug - MTG Card versions
Razortooth Rats - MTG Card versions
Ghastly Remains - MTG Card versions
Lord of the Undead - MTG Card versions
Deepwood Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Dross Prowler - MTG Card versions
Nim Lasher - MTG Card versions
Nim Abomination - MTG Card versions
Nantuko Husk - MTG Card versions
Vesper Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Nettling Imp - MTG Card versions
Royal Assassin - MTG Card versions
El-Hajjâj - MTG Card versions
Plague Rats - MTG Card versions
Frozen Shade - MTG Card versions
Sorceress Queen - MTG Card versions
Wall of Bone - MTG Card versions
Lost Soul - MTG Card versions
Mindstab Thrull - MTG Card versions
Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions
Strongarm Thug - MTG Card versions
Razortooth Rats - MTG Card versions
Ghastly Remains - MTG Card versions
Lord of the Undead - MTG Card versions
Deepwood Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Dross Prowler - MTG Card versions
Nim Lasher - MTG Card versions
Nim Abomination - MTG Card versions
Nantuko Husk - MTG Card versions
Vesper Ghoul - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Scathe Zombies may not directly contribute to card advantage, they are a reliable creature that can consistently pressurize your opponent. By maintaining a presence on the battlefield, they force your opponent to answer, potentially leading to a two-for-one situation in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: Though Scathe Zombies do not provide direct mana acceleration, the low-cost investment of this card can lead to a more efficient curve, allowing you to deploy other threats or hold mana for responses sooner in the game.

Instant Speed: While Scathe Zombies don’t have flash to utilize instant speed, their presence establishes a steady strategy for a zombie-themed deck, often leaving your mana open to activate various zombie synergies or cast other spells at instant speed.

Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Scathe Zombies require a precise combination of mana—three in total, including two of any color and one black. This specificity can restrict flexibility and may not fit seamlessly into all deck types, particularly those that don’t heavily utilize black mana or multi-colored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana for a simple 2/2 creature, Scathe Zombies are often overshadowed by other creatures. In the contemporary Magic environment, the power and efficiency of creatures have increased, offering more value for the mana spent, making Scathe Zombies less appealing in an optimized deck.

Discard Requirement: While Scathe Zombies themselves do not have a discard requirement, their limited playability may result in them being discarded more often than not. They do not provide the player with any additional benefits or abilities, making them potentially dead draws in critical game moments when utility and versatility are key.

Reasons to Include Scathe Zombies in Your Collection

Versatility: Scathe Zombies are a staple in zombie decks, able to blend perfectly with other undead-themed cards, making them a constant and reliable choice for players looking to build around this archetype.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize with various graveyard mechanics and is an excellent enabler for strategies revolving around creature sacrifice and recursion, amplifying the impact of related combos.

Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, so does the importance of foundational cards. Scathe Zombies remain relevant, offering a dependable creature base that can be used to stave off early aggression in formats where zombies regularly shamble into the fray.

How to beat

Scathe Zombies may seem unassuming, but they are a staple of black’s creature lineup in Magic: The Gathering. These shambling undead provide a straightforward and easily accessible threat on the battlefield. Given their basic nature and the absence of abilities beyond being a vanilla 2/2 creature, overcoming them requires little more than efficient creature management.

Direct removal spells are an excellent countermeasure. Cards like Shock or Lightning Bolt can dispatch Scathe Zombies with speed and efficiency, ensuring they don’t linger to haunt your game plan. In a broader context, keeping a well-rounded strategy with a mix of removal, creatures, and combat tricks allows players to maintain board control and handle creatures like Scathe Zombies with ease. By prioritizing these tactics, the simplicity of Scathe Zombies becomes their downfall, allowing players to capitalize on more versatile and impactful plays.

Remember, always be ready to adapt your tactics based on your opponent’s strategy to maximize your success against any creature, simple or complex. By doing so, Scathe Zombies will pose little threat to your path to victory.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Scathe Zombies MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Scathe Zombies and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Scathe Zombies Magic the Gathering card was released in 21 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-08-05Limited Edition AlphaLEA 1251993NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
21993-10-04Limited Edition BetaLEB 1261993NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
31993-12-01Unlimited Edition2ED 1261993NormalWhiteJesper Myrfors
41993-12-10Collectors' EditionCED 1261993NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
51993-12-10Intl. Collectors' EditionCEI 1261993NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
61994-04-01Foreign Black BorderFBB 1271993NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
71994-04-01Revised Edition3ED 1271993NormalWhiteJesper Myrfors
81994-06-21Summer Magic / EdgarSUM 1271993NormalWhiteJesper Myrfors
91995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 1581993NormalWhiteJesper Myrfors
101995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 1581993NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
111996-07-01Rivals Quick Start SetRQS 221993NormalWhiteJesper Myrfors
121996-12-31Introductory Two-Player SetITP 231993NormalWhiteJesper Myrfors
131997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 1921997NormalWhiteTom Kyffin
141999-04-21Classic Sixth Edition6ED 1541997NormalWhiteJesper Myrfors
151999-07-01Starter 1999S99 871997NormalWhiteTom Kyffin
162001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 161★1997NormalBlackKev Walker
172001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 161★s1997NormalBlackJohn Howe
182001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 161s1997NormalWhiteJohn Howe
192001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 1611997NormalWhiteKev Walker
202003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 1602003NormalWhiteKev Walker
212003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 160★2003NormalBlackKev Walker
222005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 1602003NormalWhiteKev Walker
232005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 160★2003NormalBlackKev Walker
242007-07-13Tenth Edition10E 1752003NormalBlackKev Walker
252020-08-13Arena Beginner SetANB 592015NormalBlackKev Walker
262022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 1222015NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
272022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 4191997NormalBlackJesper Myrfors

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Scathe Zombies has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal