Hoof Skulkin MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Artifact Creature — Scarecrow
Released	2008-07-25
Set symbol
Set name	Eventide
Set code	EVE
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	169
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Joshua Hagler

Key Takeaways

Provides card advantage through creature enhancement without requiring extra card draws.
Accelerates resource advantage by cheaply boosting green creatures’ power at instant speed.
Introduces strategic depth with its synergy with certain creatures and deck types.

Text of card

: Target green creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

It hunts with the memory of a long lost herd.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: In the realm of MTG, every card in hand counts, and Hoof Skulkin ensures that you maintain the upper hand. While Hoof Skulkin doesn’t directly allow you to draw more cards, it works seamlessly to enhance the creatures you control, making each creature card in your hand potentially more valuable on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: This colorless creature can be an asset in any deck, providing resource acceleration by efficiently boosting your creature’s power. For a mere two colorless mana, you can give a green creature +1/+1 until the end of turn, a resourceful way to accelerate your board presence without committing additional cards.

Instant Speed: With its ability to be activated at instant speed, Hoof Skulkin allows for flexible play. This gives you the opportunity to surprise opponents during combat by enhancing a creature’s stats on-the-fly, which can turn the tide of battle or save your creatures from otherwise lethal damage.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Hoof Skulkin doesn’t directly require a discard, but its synergy with certain decks can inadvertently pressure players into discarding valuable cards to capitalize on its ability, potentially depleting hand resources faster than desired.

Specific Mana Cost: Hoof Skulkin requires a dedicated investment of three colorless mana, which may not always be readily available depending on the deck’s mana base and can impact the fluidity of your mana curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the initial cost is moderate, the ability’s repetitive activation cost can add up. With a dynamic MTG meta, alternatives may offer better utility or power for a similar cumulative mana investment, meaning Hoof Skulkin can fall short in terms of efficiency.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Hoof Skulkin has a unique place in decks that focus on creature synergies, especially with those that share its creature type or are looking to capitalize on repeatable pump effects. Its ability to give a +1/+1 boost can be a game-changer in tight combat scenarios.

Combo Potential: This card works wonders with mechanics that untap creatures, allowing for multiple uses of its ability in a single turn. It can also be part of intricate combos, acting as a reliable source of boosting creatures’ power round after round.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where small boosts in creature strength can tip the scales, Hoof Skulkin can prove to be a sleeper hit. Its capacity to consistently increase creature size makes it a subtle but impactful choice when faced with decks that struggle against steadily growing threats.

How to beat

Hoof Skulkin is a unique artifact creature card that offers a strategic boost to green creatures on the battlefield. What sets this card apart in the Magic: The Gathering ecosystem is its ability to buff a single green creature for just two mana, providing them with a decent temporary power-up. However, its utility can be mitigated with smart gameplay.

One effective approach is to limit green creatures’ presence on your opponent’s side. By focusing on removal spells that efficiently dispatch green creatures, you can negate the Skulkin’s impact. Consider using board wipes or single-target removals like Doom Blade or Path to Exile to keep the battlefield clear. You could also employ counterspells to address the Skulkin itself or the spells that summon formidable green creatures.

An alternative strategy is to bypass the Hoof Skulkin’s enhancements by using flying or unblockable creatures, which can evade the beefed-up ground forces. In essence, beating Hoof Skulkin involves a combination of preemptive control of the board and circumventing its power buff/effects. This way, you can maintain the upper hand and render Hoof Skulkin a non-issue in the match.

Cards like Hoof Skulkin

If you’ve played with Hoof Skulkin, you’ll know it’s a part of an interesting cycle of Skulkins in Magic: The Gathering. These creature cards share a common trait – they belong to the subtype Skulkin and cost three mana. What makes Hoof Skulkin notable is its ability to give a +1/+1 buff to green creatures until the end of the turn.

Looking at its counterparts, like Scarecrone and Wingrattle Scarecrow, there’s a distinct difference in flexibility and utility. Scarecrone offers both a card draw and recursion ability, but it comes at a higher mana cost and a sacrifice. Wingrattle Scarecrow has persist which can keep it on the board longer, albeit, it does not bolster other creatures.

However, when we examine Steel Overseer, a card that also boosts creatures, we see a broader potential impact with its ability to put a +1/+1 counter on each artifact creature you control with every activation. This lasting effect contrasts with Hoof Skulkin’s temporary boost. Although not a Skulkin, Steel Overseer showcases a higher utility in the right deck, emphasizing the unique space that Hoof Skulkin inhabits in terms of creature enhancement in Magic: The Gathering.

Wingrattle Scarecrow - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Hoof Skulkin by color, type and mana cost

Arena of the Ancients - MTG Card versions

Scale of Chiss-Goria - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hoof Skulkin MTG card by a specific set like Eventide, 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 Hoof Skulkin and other MTG cards: