Scavenged Blade MTG Card


Scavenged Blade - Zendikar Rising
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeArtifact — Equipment
Abilities Equip
Released2020-09-25
Set symbol
Set nameZendikar Rising
Set codeZNR
Number157
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byAntonio José Manzanedo

Key Takeaways

  1. Efficiently equips upon entry, enhancing card economy and advancing your aggressive gameplay.
  2. Can be restrictive with specific red mana needs and potentially high combined mana costs.
  3. Immediate battlefield impact makes Scavenged Blade a tempo-defining addition to any collection.

Text of card

When Scavenged Blade enters the battlefield, attach it to target creature you control. Equipped creature gets +2/+0. Equip (: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Scavenged Blade card efficiently equips when it enters the battlefield, attaching to a creature without the need for additional mana spent, potentially giving you an edge in card economy versus opponents.

Resource Acceleration: By increasing a creature’s power, Scavenged Blade can accelerate your game plan, allowing you to apply pressure sooner and take down opponents more quickly.

Instant Speed: Although Scavenged Blade itself isn’t an instant, it synergizes well with creatures that have flash, seamlessly integrating into strategies that operate at instant speed and catching opponents off guard.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Scavenged Blade does not have a discard requirement per se, but it does require something to be sacrificed—a creature—when the supposed creature it’s attached to leaves the battlefield. This aspect could potentially set you back, especially if your game plan relies on maintaining a presence on the board.

Specific Mana Cost: While this artifact requires colorless mana to cast, which is flexible across all decks, attaching Scavenged Blade to a creature through its Equip ability necessitates a specific red mana. This could restrict its integration into multicolored or non-red decks, possibly making it less desirable for those not running red mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an initial casting cost and an additional equip cost, the total mana investment to fully utilize Scavenged Blade can be steep compared to other equipment cards. Its requirement for red mana for the Equip ability, although potentially manageable, could be costly in a deck where mana optimization is crucial.


Reasons to Include Scavenged Blade in Your Collection

Versatility: Scavenged Blade is a flexible card that can be fitted into various aggressive and equipment-focused decks. Its ability to attach immediately to a creature upon entering the battlefield can help strengthen your early game presence.

Combo Potential: When used in tandem with creatures that have synergistic abilities or double strike, Scavenged Blade can be a key component in powerful combinations, potentially turning a modest attacker into a significant threat.

Meta-Relevance: In a metagame where tempo plays a crucial role, the immediate impact of Scavenged Blade can give players an edge by speeding up their clock and demanding answers from opponents sooner, hence impacting the course of a match.


How to Beat

Scavenged Blade is an equipment artifact that gives Magic: The Gathering players an edge by boosting a creature’s power. When you’re facing an adversary wielding this card, the key is to limit its impact by targeting and removing the equipped creature or the equipment itself. Swift removal spells like Disenchant or Abrade can dismantle your opponent’s strategy by sending Scavenged Blade to the graveyard before it becomes a significant threat. If your deck is loaded with countermeasures such as Naturalize or even bounce effects like Unsummon, you can keep the blade at bay and maintain control of the battlefield.

Having versatile removal in your deck is essential, as it provides answers to not only Scavenged Blade but a myriad of other potential threats as well. Prioritize cards that offer flexibility, capable of dealing with both creatures and artifacts. Negate, for instance, is a counter spell that, when timed correctly, can prevent your opponent from ever equipping the Scavenged Blade in the first place, preserving your resources for more pivotal moments. It’s all about anticipation and preparedness, so adjust your deck accordingly and the Scavenged Blade won’t cut your chances of victory.


Cards like Scavenged Blade

Scavenged Blade is an interesting Equipment card that adds a layer of strategy to decks in Magic: The Gathering. This card bears resemblance to other Equipment pieces like Short Sword, both offering a boost in power to the equipped creature. However, Scavenged Blade diverges with its ability to enter the battlefield already attached to a creature, effectively skipping the equip cost for that initial use. Short Sword lacks this functionality, requiring a mana payment to attach it to a creature.

Another comparable card would be Bone Saw, which also equips for zero mana, offering a quick and easy power increase. Scavenged Blade shines by providing a more significant power boost than Bone Saw, though at a higher initial casting cost. Comparatively, Trusty Machete offers similar stat enhancements, with a higher cost but better overall boost to the creature’s power and toughness without the auto-equip feature that sets Scavenged Blade apart.

Overall, when exploring the variety of Equipment cards available, Scavenged Blade presents itself as a valuable option for those looking to maximize the impact of their deployment turns and gain an immediate advantage on the battlefield.

Short Sword - MTG Card versions
Bone Saw - MTG Card versions
Trusty Machete - MTG Card versions
Short Sword - Dominaria (DOM)
Bone Saw - Conflux (CON)
Trusty Machete - Zendikar (ZEN)

Cards similar to Scavenged Blade by color, type and mana cost

Fire Diamond - MTG Card versions
Chandra's Regulator - MTG Card versions
Toralf, God of Fury // Toralf's Hammer - MTG Card versions
Orb of Dragonkind - MTG Card versions
Ogre-Head Helm - MTG Card versions
Lizard Blades - MTG Card versions
Iron Myr - MTG Card versions
Sparring Collar - MTG Card versions
Trigon of Rage - MTG Card versions
Immolating Souleater - MTG Card versions
Fireforger's Puzzleknot - MTG Card versions
Welder Automaton - MTG Card versions
Mask of Immolation - MTG Card versions
Crystal Slipper - MTG Card versions
Blazing Sunsteel - MTG Card versions
Lightning Spear - MTG Card versions
Goblin Morningstar - MTG Card versions
Fiendlash - MTG Card versions
Sanguine Statuette - MTG Card versions
Dragonspark Reactor - MTG Card versions
Fire Diamond - Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate (CLB)
Chandra's Regulator - Core Set 2020 Promos (PM20)
Toralf, God of Fury // Toralf's Hammer - Kaldheim Promos (PKHM)
Orb of Dragonkind - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (AFR)
Ogre-Head Helm - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Promos (PNEO)
Lizard Blades - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO)
Iron Myr - The List (PLST)
Sparring Collar - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Trigon of Rage - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Immolating Souleater - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Fireforger's Puzzleknot - Kaladesh Remastered (KLR)
Welder Automaton - Game Night (GNT)
Mask of Immolation - Core Set 2020 (M20)
Crystal Slipper - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Blazing Sunsteel - Commander Legends (CMR)
Lightning Spear - Jumpstart: Historic Horizons (J21)
Goblin Morningstar - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (AFR)
Fiendlash - Commander Masters (CMM)
Sanguine Statuette - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)
Dragonspark Reactor - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Scavenged Blade MTG card by a specific set like 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 Scavenged Blade and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Scavenged Blade has restrictions

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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Scavenged Blade 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 Attaching an Equipment with its enters-the-battlefield triggered ability isn’t the same as using its equip ability. You don’t pay mana for the attachment, and if the Equipment enters at a time you couldn’t cast a sorcery, you can still attach it to a creature you control.
2020-09-25 If the target creature becomes an illegal target, the Equipment remains on the battlefield unattached.

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