Skittering Monstrosity MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Horror
Power 5
Toughness 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Its ability to draw cards creates a self-replenishing threat that can sway resource control in your favor.
  2. Instant speed reaction provides strategic flexibility, crucial for maintaining board control and advantage.
  3. The discard mechanic and mana cost may hinder its playability, urging careful deck planning and strategy.

Text of card

When you play a creature spell, sacrifice Skittering Monstrosity.

Most living things were weakened and stunted in the ruinous aftermath of the Phyrexian invasion, but a few grew more horrid than ever.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Skittering Monstrosity provides a distinct advantage by potentially drawing cards when it becomes the target of a spell or ability. This makes it a threat that can replace itself in your hand, maintaining your resources.

Resource Acceleration: This card, when played strategically, can lead to resource acceleration. Its ability to potentially draw you additional cards can help ramp up your actions per turn, giving you a leverage in resource availability compared to your opponent.

Instant Speed: Skittering Monstrosity’s capacity to act at instant speed gives you the flexibility to respond swiftly to your opponent’s moves. This level of reactivity can be crucial in maintaining control of the game and ultimately leading you to victory.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Skittering Monstrosity’s unique ability asks you to discard a card when a player casts a spell, which could put you at a card disadvantage especially if you’re already behind in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: With its color identity deeply rooted in black, incorporating Skittering Monstrosity into your deck demands a commitment to not just black mana but also enough support to consistently cast it on curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Priced at a sizable chunk of your mana pool, Skittering Monstrosity may not always provide an optimal cost-to-effect ratio, especially when compared to other creatures available in the MTG universe that might fill your board with more efficiency.


Reasons to Include Skittering Monstrosity in Your Collection

Versatility: Skittering Monstrosity is a flexible creature card that can slide into various decks. Its ability to unsettle opponents and take control of the board makes it an asset in games demanding strategic creature management.

Combo Potential: This card’s inherent synergy with graveyard mechanics can be leveraged to set up combos in decks that favor recursion or benefit from having creatures in the graveyard, significantly enhancing your game plan.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-heavy decks are commonplace, Skittering Monstrosity can serve as a valuable tool to thwart your opponent’s strategies. Its presence on the field is significant in a creature-centric meta, making it a worthy addition to your collection if you aim to keep pace or counter prevalent decks.


How to beat

Skittering Monstrosity has crept into the metagame as a formidable creature, often overwhelming opponents with its powerful presence on the battlefield. Tackling a card such as this requires a strategic approach. First, look towards removal spells that can bypass its potential hexproof ability. Cards like Terminate or Path to Exile can dispatch the Monstrosity before it becomes a bigger threat. Additionally, board wipes such as Wrath of God remain unaffected by hexproof, clearing the path to victory.

Counterspells also offer a line of defense, with Mana Leak and Dovin’s Veto providing a safety net during early turns. Moreover, if Skittering Monstrosity’s controller is relying on graveyard synergies, graveyard hate cards like Relic of Progenitus can disrupt those plans smoothly. Lastly, cards that force a sacrifice, like Diabolic Edict, can evade hexproof, making them excellent choices for your arsenal. It becomes clear that even the most daunting creatures have their Achilles’ heel, and with these tactics, Skittering Monstrosity’s reign can be effectively countered.


Cards like Skittering Monstrosity

Exploring the dark corners of your deckbuilding options, Skittering Monstrosity emerges as an interesting creature card with the ability to intimidate your opponent. Looking at creatures with evasive abilities, we can draw parallels with cards like Dauthi Marauder. Both provide an element of unpredictability, owing to their mechanisms that help to slip past defenses. Skittering Monstrosity, specifically, demands a sacrifice to maintain its presence on the battlefield when you have no other cards in hand, aligning with the discard theme prevalent in black’s segment of the color pie.

Considering the synergy with setups that benefit from empty-handed strategies, we might also consider Abyssal Nocturnus. This card gains power and becomes harder to block as your hand depletes, though it operates without the sacrifice requirement of Skittering Monstrosity. In the dance of advantages and drawbacks, both creatures cater to players who like to live dangerously, leveraging the lack of cards in hand for potent effects.

When we assess the niche role each card fills, Skittering Monstrosity carves out its space within the MTG creature spectrum. It’s a card that thrives under conditions that would normally weaken a player’s position, turning a potential vulnerability into a veiled strength.

Dauthi Marauder - MTG Card versions
Abyssal Nocturnus - MTG Card versions
Dauthi Marauder - Tempest (TMP)
Abyssal Nocturnus - Guildpact (GPT)

Cards similar to Skittering Monstrosity by color, type and mana cost

Skyshroud Vampire - MTG Card versions
Predatory Nightstalker - MTG Card versions
Fallen Angel - MTG Card versions
Stone Catapult - MTG Card versions
Grotesque Hybrid - MTG Card versions
Earwig Squad - MTG Card versions
Indulgent Tormentor - MTG Card versions
Sootfeather Flock - MTG Card versions
Zombie Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Gluttonous Zombie - MTG Card versions
Vermiculos - MTG Card versions
Woebearer - MTG Card versions
Wei Elite Companions - MTG Card versions
Halo Hunter - MTG Card versions
Malakir Bloodwitch - MTG Card versions
Caustic Crawler - MTG Card versions
Shriekmaw - MTG Card versions
Reaper of Sheoldred - MTG Card versions
Dementia Bat - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Plaguelord - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Vampire - Tempest (TMP)
Predatory Nightstalker - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Fallen Angel - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Stone Catapult - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Grotesque Hybrid - Torment (TOR)
Earwig Squad - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Indulgent Tormentor - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Sootfeather Flock - Legions (LGN)
Zombie Cutthroat - Scourge (SCG)
Gluttonous Zombie - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Vermiculos - Mirrodin (MRD)
Woebearer - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Wei Elite Companions - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Halo Hunter - Zendikar (ZEN)
Malakir Bloodwitch - Zendikar (ZEN)
Caustic Crawler - Worldwake (WWK)
Shriekmaw - Magic Online Theme Decks (TD0)
Reaper of Sheoldred - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Dementia Bat - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Phyrexian Plaguelord - Duel Decks: Mirrodin Pure vs. New Phyrexia (TD2)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Skittering Monstrosity MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral and Time Spiral Remastered, 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 Skittering Monstrosity and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Skittering Monstrosity Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2006-10-06 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by rk post.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12006-10-06Time SpiralTSP 1292003normalblackrk post
22021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 1372015normalblackrk post

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Skittering Monstrosity has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-03-19 An ability that triggers when a player casts a spell resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered.

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