Skyclave Squid MTG Card

Skyclave Squid’s low cost and pressure ability indirectly lead to card advantage through opponent resource depletion. Defensive versatility and combo potential make the Squid a suitable blocker and surprise attacker in blue decks. While potent, its requirement for specific mana and reliance on Landfall can be manipulated by savvy opponents.

Zendikar Rising (ZNR)
2020-09-25 - Number 296

Zendikar Rising (ZNR)
2020-09-25 - Number 82

Skyclave Squid - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Magic Online Promos (PRM)
2002-06-24 - Number 83684

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Squid
Abilities	Defender,Landfall
Power	3
Toughness	2

Text of card

Defender Landfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, Skyclave Squid can attack this turn as though it didn't have defender.

Cards like Skyclave Squid

Skyclave Squid emerges as a unique creature in the realm of two-drop creatures within Magic: The Gathering. It often gets compared to cards like Coral Merfolk, which also provides a two-mana blue creature without any additional abilities. Skyclave Squid distinguishes itself by possessing defender, but with the added ability to attack as if it didn’t have defender whenever you play a land. This subtle landfall trigger provides a strategic advantage, offering unexpected combat potential.

Similarly, we find Gomazoa in the mix, another sea creature with defensive capabilities. Gomazoa, although costing one mana more, offers a jellyfish’s unique defensive mechanism, allowing you to remove attackers from combat. While Gomazoa excels in defense, it lacks Skyclave Squid’s surprise offensive ability.

Omenspeaker is yet another comparison point, though this two-mana creature leans more towards utility with its enter the battlefield scry ability, it doesn’t promise the same level of combat power that Skyclave Squid does when a land enters your battlefield. Embodied in Skyclave Squid is the potential for both a resilient line of defense and a swift attacker, a versatile blend appealing to blue deck players.

Cards similar to Skyclave Squid by color, type and mana cost

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Skyclave Squid presents a tactical advantage in blue-based decks, as it necessitates an immediate response from your opponents. It may not grant direct card draw, but its ability to exert pressure can often lead your opponent to expend resources prematurely, indirectly contributing to your card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Although the Skyclave Squid does not directly provide mana acceleration like some green ramp cards, its low casting cost complements a strategy that seeks to deploy threats early and efficiently. This allows you to allocate resources to other spells sooner, indirectly speeding up your game plan.

Instant Speed: While the squid itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its synergies with numerous blue instant spells mean you can play it as a reliable blocker and still have mana available for counterspells or instant card draw, ensuring you’re maximising your turns and maintaining a solid defense.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Skyclave Squid lacks any inherent card advantage, which makes its position on the board rely heavily on other cards for support, potentially leading to a disadvantage if your hand is already depleted.

Specific Mana Cost: The Squid requires blue mana to cast. This necessity can limit deck-building options, as it may not seamlessly integrate into multicolor strategies without sufficient mana fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its two mana investment, Skyclave Squid’s impact may not measure up to other two-drops that offer more utility or power, potentially making it a less desirable choice in a tightly curated deck.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Skyclave Squid proves its adaptability by being an efficient early blocker with its 2/3 body, suitable for blue-based control or midrange decks that value defensive capabilities.

Combo Potential: With its landfall ability, Skyclave Squid can become an unexpected aggressor, synergizing well with decks designed to consistently play lands and switch from defense to offense.

Meta-Relevance: In a gameplay environment where aggressive red and green decks proliferate, Skyclave Squid offers a cost-effective creature capable of holding the line, making it a relevant choice for players seeking balance against such strategies.

How to Beat Skyclave Squid

Skyclave Squid is a unique creature in Magic: The Gathering with its defender abilities allowing it to block flying creatures—a trait not common for blue spells without additional costs. Its Landfall ability also permits it to attack as if it did not have defender, provided you land a land onto the battlefield. To outmaneuver Skyclave Squid, the strategy involves preventing Landfall triggers or circumventing its defender status.

Relying on removal spells that surpass creature abilities is essential. Cards like Murder, which outright destroy a creature, or board wipes such as Wrath of God can clear the way irrespective of the Squid’s Landfall activations. Additionally, using bounce spells like Unsummon can reset your opponent’s progress and force them to replay the Squid, costing them valuable tempo.

Moreover, taking advantage of the Squid’s defender status when Landfall isn’t triggered helps too. Attacking during your turn ensures the creature can’t block unless your opponent plays a land every turn. Utilizing these tactics will bring squelching the Skyclave Squid within reach and turn the tides of the game in your favor.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Skyclave Squid MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Zendikar Rising, 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 Skyclave Squid and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Skyclave Squid Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-09-25 and 2020-09-25. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	~~2002-06-24~~	Magic Online Promos	PRM	83684	2015	Normal	Black	Tyler Smith
2	2020-09-25	Zendikar Rising	ZNR	296	2015	Normal	Black	Tyler Smith
3	2020-09-25	Zendikar Rising	ZNR	82	2015	Normal	Black	Livia Prima

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Skyclave Squid has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2020-09-25	A landfall ability doesn’t trigger if a permanent already on the battlefield becomes a land.
2020-09-25	A landfall ability triggers whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control for any reason. It triggers whenever you play a land, as well as whenever a spell or ability puts a land onto the battlefield under your control.
2020-09-25	Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, each landfall ability of the permanents you control will trigger. You can put them on the stack in any order. The last ability you put on the stack will be the first one to resolve.