Scavenging Scarab MTG Card


Scavenging Scarab - Darksteel
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Insect
Released2004-02-06
Set symbol
Set nameDarksteel
Set codeDST
Power 3
Toughness 3
Number51
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byJeff Easley

Key Takeaways

  1. Scavenging Scarab enables card cycling and graveyard filling, pivotal for delirium and threshold tactics.
  2. Its demand for black mana and card discarding can limit its inclusion in varied deck types.
  3. Graveyard synergy and versatility against meta decks make Scavenging Scarab a worthy collection addition.

Text of card

Scavenging Scarab can't block.

The beetles feed not on the flesh of corpses but on the metal, grinding out the iron and steel to add to their own bulky shells.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Scavenging Scarab card excels in giving players an edge by cycling itself, which means you can pay a small cost to discard it and draw a new card. This can be a decisive play to pull you ahead when you’re looking for specific answers or when drowning in an excess of lands.

Resource Acceleration: This creature can be a key component in strategies focused on delirium or threshold, as it contributes to filling the graveyard faster, thereby unlocking potent abilities of other cards that rely on a stocked graveyard to ramp up your game.

Instant Speed: Despite not being an instant itself, Scavenging Scarab offers synergy with instant speed graveyard interactions. For instance, it enables graveyard-based mechanics to trigger on your opponent’s turn, maintaining the element of surprise and providing a tactical advantage by maximizing the utility of your mana each turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Scavenging Scarab demands that players discard a card to activate its ability. This can put players at a disadvantage, especially when hand resources are scarce and each card in hand counts towards future strategic plays.

Specific Mana Cost: This card has a deck-building restriction due to its black mana requirement. Not all MTG decks can accommodate black mana efficiently, thus potentially limiting the Scarab’s integration into diverse strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that isn’t negligible, Scavenging Scarab may not always be the optimal choice. Players must weigh whether its abilities justify the mana investment, especially when considering alternatives that might deliver similar benefits for a lower cost.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Scavenging Scarab is a flexible addition to any deck that grapples with graveyard strategies or needs a reliable blocker. Its ability to exile cards from opponents’ graveyards can disrupt their plans while keeping your defenses up.

Combo Potential: This creature can work well in tandem with other cards that benefit from graveyard interaction. Whether it’s enhancing delirium mechanics or fueling delve costs, Scavenging Scarab provides the utility to build powerful synergies.

Meta-Relevance: With graveyard-based decks often making waves in the meta, having Scavenging Scarab can be a smart countermeasure. It can be particularly useful in formats where recurring threats and graveyard manipulation are common, thus keeping your deck competitive.


How to beat

Scavenging Scarab can be a tricky card to navigate in the world of Magic: The Gathering. This pesky creature gets stronger as it feeds off the graveyard, making it imperative to disrupt this process. The key to overcoming Scavenging Scarab lies in graveyard control. Tools like Relic of Progenitus or Tormod’s Crypt can purge the graveyard, stripping the Scarab of its power source. Alternatively, cards that exile creatures directly, such as Path to Exile or Direct Current, can bypass the graveyard altogether, preventing the Scarab from growing stronger. It is also effective to manage your battles wisely, only engaging the Scarab when you are confident in overcoming its bolstered state or when you have sufficient removal at your disposal.

Maintaining board control with a careful strategy will ensure that Scavenging Scarab doesn’t get out of hand. Having answers to it in your deck, or even sideboard, is essential in a meta where graveyard interaction is prevalent. Keeping these tactics in mind will greatly improve your chances of dealing with this creature and maintaining an advantage on the battlefield.


Cards like Scavenging Scarab

Scavenging Scarab is an intriguing creature in the world of Magic: The Gathering, reminiscent of cards like Carrion Beetles and Scavenging Ghoul. These creatures share the thematic element of utilizing the graveyard to their advantage. Scavenging Scarab, with its specific set of skills, can play a vital role in decks that excel in manipulating the graveyard for strategic gains.

Looking at Nantuko Husk, a creature card with a similar sacrifice mechanic, we see a disparity in mana cost and effect. Scavenging Scarab might not grow stronger as Nantuko Husk does, but it serves a unique purpose in clearing the graveyard of potential threats or resources for the opponent. Then, there’s the Desecrated Tomb, which also interacts with the graveyard but in a different capacity, creating Bat tokens every time a creature leaves your graveyard. While not a direct competitor in function, it exemplifies the versatility found among graveyard-utilizing cards.

Examining the card’s utility and synergy within graveyard-centric decks, Scavenging Scarab can definitely hold its own. It’s the subtle interactions and potential graveyard disruption that could tip the scales in a close match, making it a card to consider for players keen on exploiting every angle of their graveyard strategy.

Carrion Beetles - MTG Card versions
Scavenging Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Nantuko Husk - MTG Card versions
Desecrated Tomb - MTG Card versions
Carrion Beetles - Urza's Saga (USG)
Scavenging Ghoul - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Nantuko Husk - Onslaught (ONS)
Desecrated Tomb - Core Set 2019 Promos (PM19)

Cards similar to Scavenging Scarab 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
Dirty Wererat - MTG Card versions
Faceless Butcher - MTG Card versions
Crowd of Cinders - MTG Card versions
Nimana Sell-Sword - 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)
Dirty Wererat - Hachette UK (PHUK)
Faceless Butcher - Time Spiral Timeshifted (TSB)
Crowd of Cinders - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Nimana Sell-Sword - Zendikar (ZEN)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Scavenging Scarab MTG card by a specific set like Darksteel, 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 Scavenging Scarab and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Scavenging Scarab has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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