Scythe of the Wretched MTG Card

Transforms fallen creatures into your assets, enhancing board control and combat outcomes significantly. Demands strategic mana allocation and creature availability to leverage its full potential. Its ability to reanimate makes it a robust addition to certain MTG deck archetypes.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Rare
Type	Artifact — Equipment
Abilities	Equip
Released	2003-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Mirrodin
Set code	MRD
Number	239
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Matt Cavotta

Text of card

Equipped creature gets +2/+2. Whenever a creature dealt damage by equipped creature this turn is put into a graveyard, return that card to play under your control. Attach Scythe of the Wretched to that creature. Equip

Cards like Scythe of the Wretched

Scythe of the Wretched is an intriguing artifact equipment in Magic the Gathering, similar in function to other cards that grant creatures a bonus upon vanquishing their foes. It shares qualities with Nightmare Lash, which also boosts a creature’s power based on a specific condition. While Nightmare Lash increases power based on the number of Swamps you control, Scythe of the Wretched offers a unique resurrection mechanic, allowing you to seize control of creatures you defeat.

Comparatively, Grafted Wargear is another equipment card that provides a significant power and toughness increase. Though Grafted Wargear lacks the reanimation ability of Scythe of the Wretched, it compensates with a cheaper equip cost, facilitating a quicker power surge for your creatures. Loxodon Warhammer is notable as well for its life gain effect and trample addition, yet it does not manipulate the board state through creature control like Scythe of the Wretched can.

Each equipment card presents distinct strategic advantages, whether through power boosts, life gain, or control of the battlefield. When selecting the right card for a deck, the revival prowess and control dynamics of Scythe of the Wretched often make it a formidable choice for players looking to turn the tide of combat in their favor.

Cards similar to Scythe of the Wretched by color, type and mana cost

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Scythe of the Wretched not only has the potential to swing combat in your favor but also turns each defeated creature into an army for you. Every time a creature equipped with this artifact takes down an opponent’s minion, that creature comes back under your control, effectively providing a two-for-one deal with each successful encounter.

Resource Acceleration: While it doesn’t provide mana or treasure tokens directly, the Scythe offers a different kind of resource acceleration. By commandeering your opponent’s best creatures, it rapidly accelerates your board presence and resource allocation, allowing you to focus your mana elsewhere.

Instant Speed: Although Scythe of the Wretched itself must be equipped at sorcery speed, its transformative power can come into effect at any time you can engage in combat. This means it can unexpectedly turn a blocking situation at instant speed into a moment of surprise advantage, shifting the battlefield dramatically in your favor when timed right.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Scythe of the Wretched doesn’t directly force you to discard cards, it necessitates having creatures to sacrifice. Losing your own creatures can be a costly price to pay, especially in strategies that don’t benefit from self-sacrifice.

Specific Mana Cost: Scythe of the Wretched requires two specific black mana in its cost. This can strain mana bases that aren’t heavily weighted towards black, making it less versatile in multicolored decks or those that cannot reliably generate double black mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of two black and two generic mana, plus the need to equip for another two mana, Scythe of the Wretched has a considerable setup investment. Cards with lower equip costs can be more efficient in terms of mana management and allow for more flexibility in gameplay.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Scythe of the Wretched offers flexibility in gameplay, as it’s a potent equipment card that can turn any creature into a serious threat. Its ability to reanimate defeated creatures serves multiple deck types, including those based around sacrifice strategies or creature recursion.

Combo Potential: This card can be combined with creatures that have powerful enter the battlefield effects or with damage-dealing creatures. This creates opportunities for complex plays that can swing the game in your favor by reclaiming and reusing your own or your opponent’s creatures.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where creature-based strategies are prevalent, Scythe of the Wretched can be incredibly effective. It provides resilience against removal, thins out opponents’ boards, and represents a recurring value engine for maintaining board presence.

How to beat

The Scythe of the Wretched is an intriguing equipment card that can potentially shift the tide of a Magic: The Gathering match. This artifact has the unique ability to not only grant a boost in power to the creature it equips but also reanimate any creature that the equipped creature kills. This dynamic adds a layer of strategy for opponents trying to navigate around its effects.

Overcoming the Scythe’s advantage requires a careful approach. Strategies could include using instant-speed removal spells to dispose of the equipped creature before it deals lethal combat damage, thus preventing the reanimation trigger. Board wipes are another effective countermeasure, as they can clear all creatures at once, including the equipped creature, without specifically targeting it—often circumventing the Scythe’s effect.

In addition, exiling creatures rather than destroying them is a solid tactic, as this bypasses the Scythe’s ability entirely. Utilizing cards with hexproof or shroud can also provide protection, as they prevent the equipped creature from targeting them with combat damage, making them safe from the Scythe’s potent reanimation feature. Effective countering involves anticipating and disrupting synergy before it becomes insurmountable.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Scythe of the Wretched MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin, 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 Scythe of the Wretched and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Scythe of the Wretched has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2004-12-01	If the card isn’t a creature when it comes back onto the battlefield, then Scythe of the Wretched won’t move onto it.
2004-12-01	Scythe of the Wretched needs to equip your creature when the other creature goes to the graveyard for the ability to trigger, but it doesn’t matter whether the Scythe equipped your creature when the damage was actually dealt.
2004-12-01	The Scythe’s ability triggers even if something other than the damage dealt by the equipped creature causes the creature to be put into a graveyard that turn.