Skirsdag Flayer MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Cleric |
| Released | 2012-02-03 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Dark Ascension |
| Set code | DKA |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
| Number | 74 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Austin Hsu |
Key Takeaways
- Excels at controlling the battlefield by eliminating key threats, using instant speed for strategic plays.
- Demands creature sacrifice which can be costly if struggling to maintain board presence.
- Versatile and meta relevant, synergizes with decks utilizing Morbid and token strategies.
Text of card
, , Sacrifice a Human: Destroy target creature.
Certain initiates into the Skirsdag cult take a vow of blindness, pledging obedience to none but demonkind.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Skirsdag Flayer gives players a tactical edge by offering a repeatable method to control the battlefield. With its ability to destroy creatures, it helps thin out opponents’ threats while maintaining your own creature count.
Resource Acceleration: This card works well in decks focused on sacrifice mechanics, indirectly accelerating your resources. By removing key pieces of opponents’ strategies, you pave the way for faster game dominance.
Instant Speed: The Flayer’s activated ability can be used at instant speed, which allows you to strategically navigate through your turns by holding up mana for surprise interactions, potentially disrupting your opponents’ plans at crucial moments.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Skirsdag Flayer necessitates that you sacrifice a creature to utilize its ability. This can be a steep price, especially if you’re struggling to maintain board presence.
Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that demands both black and generic mana, this card can be less flexible, fitting primarily into black-centered or multicolor decks with sufficient mana fixing.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sporting a three-mana investment upfront and an additional mana and sacrifice for its ability, Skirsdag Flayer may fall behind in tempo compared to other removal options available.
Reasons to Include Skirsdag Flayer in Your Collection
Versatility: Skirsdag Flayer offers a level of flexibility, finding its place in decks that focus on creature control. Its ability to destroy target creatures suits various playstyles from aggressive to defensive strategies.
Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with decks centered around Morbid abilities or those that generate tokens, allowing for tactical sacrifices that could turn the tide of the game.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment where small to medium creatures dominate the scene, Skirsdag Flayer emerges as a useful tool, providing an efficient removal option tied directly to board presence and creature management.
How to Beat Skirsdag Flayer
Overcoming Skirsdag Flayer in Magic: The Gathering hinges on disrupting its morbid ability, which hinges on creatures dying. One efficient tactic is to maintain a board state that limits creature deaths on your side. This can be achieved through instant-speed removals or spells that grant indestructibility or regenerate your creatures. By minimizing opportunities for the Flayer to trigger its morbid ability, the card becomes significantly less potent.
Employing graveyard disruption is another strategy. Tools like Scavenging Ooze can systematically remove creatures from graveyards, preventing the Flayer from reaping benefits from death triggers. Other, more traditional control methods include countering creature-based strategies or using hexproof to shield your creatures from being targeted by the Flayer’s ability. In essence, focusing on preventative measures and strategic control of the board curtails Skirsdag Flayer’s potential impact on the game, shielding your creatures from its grim influence.
Ultimately, while Skirsdag Flayer can be a menacing card to face, understanding the methods to circumvent its strengths goes a long way in your Magic: The Gathering confrontations. Employing disruption and strategic board control can diminish the Flayer’s threat, allowing you to maintain an advantageous position throughout the match.
Cards like Skirsdag Flayer
Skirsdag Flayer takes its rightful place within the niche of creature removal cards in Magic: The Gathering. It finds kinship with other cards like Fleshbag Marauder, which also enforces a sacrifice upon the field. However, Skirsdag Flayer demands a specific allegiance to Morbid – the ability which activates when a creature has died this turn, enabling the destruction of targeted creatures. Meanwhile, Fleshbag Marauder requires no such condition but affects all players equally by its edict effect.
Darkblast is another card that enters the comparison, offering a repeatable removal option thanks to its dredge ability. Its initial impact is lesser, targeting only creatures with low toughness. But unlike the one-time activation of Skirsdag Flayer’s Morbid ability, Darkblast can be used multiple times, potentially aiding in setting up the graveyard for further strategic plays.
Ultimately, Skirsdag Flayer stands out with its selective removal for sacrificial decks that can consistently satisfy its Morbid condition. Each card carries certain advantages and strategic fits within the diverse gameplay of MTG, highlighting the importance of context in the evaluation of similar cards. Skirsdag Flayer holds a unique role in the removal category, particularly for players leveraging death-triggered abilities.
Cards similar to Skirsdag Flayer by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Skirsdag Flayer MTG card by a specific set like Dark Ascension, 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 Skirsdag Flayer and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Skirsdag Flayer has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Skirsdag Flayer card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2011-01-22 | Because targets are chosen before costs are paid, you can activate Skirsdag Flayer’s ability targeting itself and then sacrifice Skirsdag Flayer to pay the cost. |
| 2011-01-22 | You can sacrifice any Human you control, including Skirsdag Flayer itself. |