Grave Scrabbler MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Zombie
Abilities Madness
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Enables card advantage by bringing creatures back from the graveyard, which can enhance your hand and strategy.
  2. Offers flexibility with instant speed madness casting, allowing strategic plays in response to game events.
  3. Demands card discard and precise mana, which can challenge resource management and deck construction.

Text of card

Madness (If you discard this card, you may play it for its madness cost instead of putting it into your graveyard.) When Grave Scrabbler comes into play, if its madness cost was paid, you may return target creature card in a graveyard to its owner's hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Grave Scrabbler ensures you come out ahead by enabling you to return a creature from your graveyard to your hand when you use its madness cost, effectively replenishing your hand and preserving your in-game resources.

Resource Acceleration: By getting creatures back into your hand, Grave Scrabbler can accelerate your game plan. This can be especially beneficial in decks that thrive on repeatedly casting creatures or that use the graveyard as a resource.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Grave Scrabbler for its madness cost at instant speed allows you to wait for the perfect moment to maximize its impact, potentially during the discard phase or in response to an opponent’s action.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Grave Scrabbler necessitates discarding a card to activate its madness ability. This can thwart your game plan by depleting your hand, particularly if you are already struggling with card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a specific mana arrangement to cast — one black mana and three generic mana. This can be restrictive, limiting the card’s inclusion to decks that can reliably produce black mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total casting cost of four mana, Grave Scrabbler enters a category where players expect impactful effects on the game state. Many cards at a similar mana cost can provide more immediate or potent board presence or advantages.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Grave Scrabbler can adapt to various deck styles, notably those that capitalize on graveyard mechanics. As a creature with the madness keyword, it has flexible casting options and can fit seamlessly into strategies that utilize discard triggers.

Combo Potential: With its ability to return a creature card from your graveyard to your hand, Grave Scrabbler works well in combos that hinge on recurring creatures for repeated effects or sacrificing them for greater gains.

Meta-Relevance: In game environments where graveyard interaction is prevalent, having Grave Scrabbler in your collection means you can quickly adjust your deck to harness or disrupt such strategies, keeping you competitive in an evolving meta.


How to Beat Grave Scrabbler

Grave Scrabbler presents a unique challenge with its madness ability, enabling it to play unorthodox roles in graveyard-based decks. However, conquering this card requires an understanding of timing and disruption. As a formidable tool in graveyard synergy decks, Grave Scrabbler thrives on cards being discarded and cycling to the graveyard, setting up potential for recursion and card advantage.

To counter this, grave hate cards are exceptionally effective. Leveraging cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void can completely nullify the Scrabbler’s ability by removing the graveyard as a resource. Additionally, employing instant speed removal in response to the madness trigger can prevent your opponent from gaining the upper hand, ensuring that the Scrabbler does not fulfill its purpose of returning a crucial creature to their hand.

Ultimately, understanding your opponent’s strategy and preparing sideboard cards that disrupt graveyard mechanics is key. By doing so, you maintain the upper hand against Grave Scrabbler, ensuring it becomes more of a liability to your adversary than an asset.


BurnMana Recommendations

Grave Scrabbler is a multifaceted card that promises to amplify your MTG deck’s dynamics, especially when delving into the realm of graveyard synergy and madness strategies. As we’ve dissected its pros and cons, it’s clear that this card can act as a game-changer in the right setup. Bringing creatures back from the graveyard isn’t just a tactic—it’s a powerful stride towards victory. For those avid deck builders and graveyard tacticians, mastering the intricacies of Grave Scrabbler could be the jolt your strategy needs. Embark on a deeper exploration with us and discover how to turn Grave Scrabbler into your secret weapon.


Cards like Grave Scrabbler

Grave Scrabbler fits into the fascinating world of zombie cards in MTG. This creature bears a resemblance to other cards that facilitate card advantage through graveyard interaction. An apt comparison can be found with Cadaver Imp, which also offers a way to return creatures from the graveyard to your hand. While Cadaver Imp brings back creatures directly upon entering the battlefield, Grave Scrabbler requires madness to be triggered—a challenge that is rewardingly offset by its potential for card advantage.

Liliana’s Standard Bearer is another card that draws upon the undead theme, allowing players to draw cards equal to the number of creatures that died under their control this turn. Unlike Grave Scrabbler, which requires setup to optimize its use, the Standard Bearer provides an instantaneous benefit after a board wipe or combat losses. Additionally, Gravedigger serves a similar purpose by directly bringing a creature back from the graveyard to your hand upon its entry to the battlefield, a simple and reliable effect without the condition of madness.

When looking at these interactions, Grave Scrabbler shines as a strategic addition to decks that exploit the madness keyword and thrive on graveyard synergy. Its flexibility can lead to card advantage and the reanimation of key creatures, essential for zombie-themed or graveyard-centric decks in MTG.

Cadaver Imp - MTG Card versions
Liliana's Standard Bearer - MTG Card versions
Gravedigger - MTG Card versions
Cadaver Imp - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Liliana's Standard Bearer - Core Set 2021 Promos (PM21)
Gravedigger - Portal (POR)

Cards similar to Grave Scrabbler by color, type and mana cost

Hell's Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Rag Man - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Debaser - MTG Card versions
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions
Slinking Skirge - MTG Card versions
Gravedigger - MTG Card versions
Scandalmonger - MTG Card versions
Urborg Shambler - MTG Card versions
Whispering Shade - MTG Card versions
Filth - MTG Card versions
Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions
Bold Plagiarist - MTG Card versions
Toxin Sliver - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Spirit - MTG Card versions
Nim Shambler - MTG Card versions
Scourge of Numai - MTG Card versions
Deathgazer - MTG Card versions
Dirty Wererat - MTG Card versions
Faceless Butcher - MTG Card versions
Crowd of Cinders - MTG Card versions
Hell's Caretaker - Chronicles (CHR)
Rag Man - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Phyrexian Debaser - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Slinking Skirge - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Gravedigger - The List (PLST)
Scandalmonger - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Urborg Shambler - Invasion (INV)
Whispering Shade - Odyssey (ODY)
Filth - Judgment (JUD)
Demon of Catastrophes - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Bold Plagiarist - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Toxin Sliver - Legions (LGN)
Vampiric Spirit - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Nim Shambler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Scourge of Numai - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Deathgazer - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Dirty Wererat - Hachette UK (PHUK)
Faceless Butcher - Time Spiral Timeshifted (TSB)
Crowd of Cinders - Shadowmoor (SHM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Grave Scrabbler MTG card by a specific set like Future Sight and Ultimate Masters, 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 Grave Scrabbler and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Grave Scrabbler Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2007-05-04 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12007-05-04Future SightFUT 86futurenormalblackDave Allsop
22018-12-07Ultimate MastersUMA 1002015normalblackLivia Prima
32019-08-23Commander 2019C19 1172015normalblackLivia Prima
42021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 1182015normalblackDave Allsop

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Grave Scrabbler has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Grave Scrabbler 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 Grave Scrabbler’s madness cost was paid if you cast it using its madness ability, even if an effect changed the amount of mana you paid for that cost.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks