Scute Swarm MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Insect
Abilities Landfall
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Scute Swarm excels in creating card advantage and overwhelming creature tokens through consistent land plays.
  2. Proper synergy with landfall mechanics turns Scute Swarm into a powerful engine for resource acceleration.
  3. Despite its potential, Scute Swarm faces challenges with mana costs and immediate board impact.

Text of card

Landfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, create a 1/1 green Insect creature token. If you control six or more lands, create a token that's a copy of Scute Swarm instead.

"Survival rule 782: There are *always* more scute bugs." —Zurdi, goblin shortcutter


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Scute Swarm is designed to leverage card advantage through its token-generating ability. Each land drop has the potential to put an additional creature token on the battlefield, significantly increasing your board presence without drawing extra cards.

Resource Acceleration: The true power of Scute Swarm lies in its synergy with landfall. It can spiral into overwhelming resource acceleration, as every land not only adds to your mana base but could also create a new token, leading to exponential growth.

Instant Speed: While Scute Swarm itself does not operate at instant speed, it interacts favorably with instant speed land drops from effects like fetch lands or instant-speed ramp spells. This interaction allows for unexpected multiplication of tokens, catching opponents off guard during their turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Scute Swarm doesn’t make you discard cards but its presence in a deck could lead to a hand full of lands without much action. Holding onto lands to ensure landfall triggers can be a disadvantage if your deck lacks sufficient draw power leaving you vulnerable to more aggressive strategies.

Specific Mana Cost: This card necessitates a blend of generic and green mana, which could constrain its incorporation into multi-colored decks. Having a green mana requirement means it’s easily slotted into mono-green or green-focused decks, but others might struggle to reliably meet the mana condition.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three, Scute Swarm’s impact isn’t immediate compared with lower-cost creatures. It’s an investment that pays off over multiple turns which can be a setback in fast-paced games where early board presence is crucial.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Scute Swarm is a dynamic card that can be incorporated into a wide array of deck types. Its ability to create copies of itself means it’s as useful in landfall decks as it is in token strategies.

Combo Potential: When paired with land ramp spells or effects that allow multiple lands to be played in a turn, Scute Swarm’s capability to multiply can quickly overwhelm opponents, making it a key component in explosive combo decks.

Meta-Relevance: Given the current landscape where board presence and overwhelming numbers can turn the tide of a game, Scute Swarm’s ability to create an army of tokens makes it a potent addition for any player looking to stay ahead in creature-heavy metas.


How to beat

Scute Swarm is an MTG card that can quickly snowball, creating an overwhelming board state with its landfall ability to clone itself. To counteract this resilient army, efficient removal spells are crucial. Having multiple spells like “Wrath of God” or “Damnation” can clear the board regardless of the number of tokens. Cards with exile effects, such as “Swords to Plowshares” or “Path to Exile,” will permanently remove Scute Swarm before it has the chance to replicate, nipping the problem in the bud.

Targeted land destruction or cards that limit land plays like “Ghost Quarter” or “Mindcensor” respectively, slow down the Swarm’s landfall triggers, while graveyard hate like “Rest in Peace” can prevent the Swarm from ever returning. Anticipating and responding to this card is key in competitive play. Keeping a well-thought-out deck with appropriate answers ready can make the difference between a win and being crushed under a tide of insects.

In essence, staying ahead of Scute Swarm demands strategic planning and having the right counters at hand. Understanding when to time your removals and when to apply pressure prevents Scute Swarm from becoming an insurmountable threat in games of MTG.


BurnMana Recommendations

Scute Swarm is a game-changer, a card that, when played strategically, can shift the battlefield in your favor with an ever-growing army of tokens. For players looking to harness the power of landfall and build a deck that thrives on generating massive token numbers, this card is a must-have. But remember, owning Scute Swarm is just the beginning. To truly dominate, you need to construct your deck with synergy and counters in mind. Check out more strategies, deck-building tips, and ways to maximize your Scute Swarm plays by delving further into our content. Your next match could be the ultimate swarm victory.


Cards like Scute Swarm

The allure of Scute Swarm lies in its capacity to rapidly multiply your creature count on the battlefield. This mechanic mirrors what players can achieve with cards such as Avenger of Zendikar, which also generates a legion of plant tokens. These tokens, however, are static unlike the inexhaustible potential army created by Scute Swarm’s landfall ability.

Exploring further, we encounter Rampaging Baloths which provides a similar landfall token-making effect. While the Baloths produce 4/4 beast tokens, offering more immediate board presence, Scute Swarm’s tokens are initially smaller but possess the capability for a geometric explosion in number, given sufficient land drops. Another landfall contender is Tireless Tracker which, instead of creatures, begets Clue tokens that allow for card advantage while still growing stronger with each land played. While not directly amassing a battlefield presence, this incremental card draw and growth can be just as formidable.

Ultimately, for those seeking a powerful and potentially game-ending mechanic, Scute Swarm stands out. The card’s low initial mana cost and synergy with landfall mean that with the right strategy, it can vastly outnumber and overwhelm similar cards that produce tokens in MTG.

Avenger of Zendikar - MTG Card versions
Rampaging Baloths - MTG Card versions
Tireless Tracker - MTG Card versions
Avenger of Zendikar - Worldwake (WWK)
Rampaging Baloths - Zendikar Promos (PZEN)
Tireless Tracker - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)

Cards similar to Scute Swarm by color, type and mana cost

Cat Warriors - MTG Card versions
Lurker - MTG Card versions
Rysorian Badger - MTG Card versions
Sabertooth Cobra - MTG Card versions
Quirion Druid - MTG Card versions
Uktabi Orangutan - MTG Card versions
Spike Feeder - MTG Card versions
Hungry Hungry Heifer - MTG Card versions
Titania's Chosen - MTG Card versions
Taoist Mystic - MTG Card versions
Femeref Archers - MTG Card versions
Verduran Enchantress - MTG Card versions
Fyndhorn Elder - MTG Card versions
Lydari Druid - MTG Card versions
Steel Leaf Champion - MTG Card versions
Realmwalker - MTG Card versions
Topiary Stomper - MTG Card versions
Territorial Scythecat - MTG Card versions
Wirewood Savage - MTG Card versions
Shizuko, Caller of Autumn - MTG Card versions
Cat Warriors - Legends (LEG)
Lurker - The Dark (DRK)
Rysorian Badger - Homelands (HML)
Sabertooth Cobra - Mirage (MIR)
Quirion Druid - Visions (VIS)
Uktabi Orangutan - World Championship Decks 1997 (WC97)
Spike Feeder - Stronghold (STH)
Hungry Hungry Heifer - Unglued (UGL)
Titania's Chosen - Urza's Saga (USG)
Taoist Mystic - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Femeref Archers - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Verduran Enchantress - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Fyndhorn Elder - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Lydari Druid - Sega Dreamcast Cards (PSDG)
Steel Leaf Champion - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Realmwalker - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)
Topiary Stomper - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Territorial Scythecat - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Wirewood Savage - Onslaught (ONS)
Shizuko, Caller of Autumn - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Scute Swarm MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Resale Promos, 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 Scute Swarm and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Scute Swarm Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2007-01-01 and 2022-04-29. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 837182015normalblackRoman Kuteynikov
22007-01-01Resale PromosPRES 2032015normalblackAlex Konstad
32020-09-25Zendikar RisingZNR 2032015normalblackAlex Konstad
42020-09-25Zendikar RisingZNR 3082015normalblackRoman Kuteynikov
52020-09-25Zendikar Rising PromosPZNR 203p2015normalblackAlex Konstad
62020-09-25Zendikar Rising PromosPZNR 203s2015normalblackAlex Konstad
72022-04-29New Capenna CommanderNCC 3102015normalblackAlex Konstad

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Scute Swarm has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
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 If Scute Swarm leaves the battlefield before its triggered ability resolves, the token will still enter the battlefield as a copy of Scute Swarm, using Scute Swarm's copiable values from when it was last on the battlefield.
2020-09-25 The token copy will have Scute Swarm's ability. It will also be able to create copies of itself.
2020-09-25 The token copy won't copy counters or damage marked on Scute Swarm, nor will it copy other effects that have changed Scute Swarm's power, toughness, types, color, and so on. Normally, this means the token will simply be a Scute Swarm, but if any copy effects have affected the original Scute Swarm, the token will take those into account.
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.

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