Goblin Skycutter MTG Card


Goblin Skycutter - Time Spiral
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Goblin Warrior
Released2006-10-06
Set symbol
Set nameTime Spiral
Set codeTSP
Power 2
Toughness 1
Number159
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byClint Langley

Key Takeaways

  1. Goblin Skycutter aids board control by neutralizing flying threats, essential for maintaining an advantageous position.
  2. Its instant speed play enhances flexibility, allowing for strategic surprises and board adaptability.
  3. While powerful, its discard requirement and specific mana cost may limit its utility in some decks.

Text of card

Sacrifice Goblin Skycutter: Goblin Skycutter deals 2 damage to target creature with flying. That creature loses flying until end of turn.

He takes out his fear of heights on anything above his head.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Goblin Skycutter provides a strategic edge as it potentially disrupts opponents’ aerial threats, ensuring you maintain board control and card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: This card fits seamlessly into Goblin tribal decks that are often designed for rapid board development, catapulting you ahead in resource acceleration and pace.

Instant Speed: The ability to deploy Goblin Skycutter at instant speed grants flexibility, allowing you to adapt swiftly to the evolving battlefield and surprise opponents with cunning plays.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Goblin Skycutter often necessitates discarding another card to activate its key abilities. For players already battling to maintain a full hand, this requirement can deplete essential resources and reduce strategic flexibility.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting requirement that includes a precise combination of mana, Goblin Skycutter may not effortlessly fit into multicolored decks. This can restrict deck building options and prevent Goblin Skycutter from seeing play outside of mono-red or heavily red-oriented decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment to get Goblin Skycutter on the board is significant when compared to other creatures in its category. Given this cost, and the fast pace of many games, this card can be considered inefficient, especially if a player is aiming for a quick and aggressive gameplay strategy.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Goblin Skycutter offers a blend of offense and defense, often fitting perfectly into decks requiring quick board presence and aerial threats. Its flying ability allows it to evade many common ground blockers, making it useful in various strategies.

Combo Potential: The card’s ability to sacrifice itself and deal damage to flying creatures creates an opportunity for interesting combos. It can clear the skies for your other attackers or work with cards that benefit from creature death or damage triggers.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where flying creatures can dominate the board, Goblin Skycutter stands out by providing an answer to evasive threats. Its reactive capability ensures it remains a relevant choice for many different MTG game scenarios.


How to Beat Goblin Skycutter

Goblin Skycutter presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its ability to disrupt flying creatures, a common strategy for many MTG decks. Its capacity to grant any creature the ability to block flyers changes the aerial game dramatically. But defeating this card is not insurmountable. Prioritize removal spells that specifically target creatures, like Fatal Push or Path to Exile, which efficiently deal with small threats like Goblin Skycutter.

Another angle to consider is enchantment-based control. Cards like Pacifism or Bound in Gold can neutralize it without having to remove it from the board, effectively preventing it from altering combat dynamics. Always be on the lookout for the opportune moment to play these spells, ideally when your opponent’s mana is tapped out to limit their responses.

Lastly, focus on strategies that bypass creature interactions completely. Going wide with token generation or ramping into larger threats that can withstand Goblin Skycutter’s influence could turn the tide. This way, you’re no longer playing into the hands of a singular creature but building advantages that require more complex answers from your opponent.


Cards like Goblin Skycutter

What makes Goblin Skycutter a clever inclusion in creature-based red decks is its functionality beyond just being a creature. In the realm of flying creature deterrents, Goblin Skycutter shares the skies with cards like Goblin Balloon Brigade, which also gains the ability to fly. Yet, the Skycutter is unique with its capability to specifically target and hinder flying creatures an opponent controls.

Examining other goblin kin, such as the Tuktuk Scrapper, reveals its allegiance to dealing damage to artifacts upon entering the battlefield, differing from the Skycutter’s focus on airborne threats. Additionally, Embermage Goblin offers a tunable damage output, yet its mana-intensive activation contrasts with the Skycutter’s convenient one-time sacrifice mechanism. As a flying adversary, Skycutter has a direct impact, seamlessly fitting into gameplay where flying creatures present a substantial obstacle.

Assessing the attributes of these similar creature cards, Goblin Skycutter offers strategic versatility for players building decks with a keen eye on maintaining aerial control. The card’s straightforward yet strategic tactical option can make it an unexpected game-changer in battles for aerial supremacy in Magic: The Gathering.

Goblin Balloon Brigade - MTG Card versions
Tuktuk Scrapper - MTG Card versions
Embermage Goblin - MTG Card versions
Goblin Balloon Brigade - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Tuktuk Scrapper - Worldwake (WWK)
Embermage Goblin - Onslaught (ONS)

Cards similar to Goblin Skycutter by color, type and mana cost

Rock Hydra - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Weaponsmith - MTG Card versions
Goblin Rock Sled - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Lieutenant - MTG Card versions
Goblin Recruiter - MTG Card versions
Heart Sliver - MTG Card versions
Mogg Flunkies - MTG Card versions
Goblin Elite Infantry - MTG Card versions
Fireslinger - MTG Card versions
Skittish Kavu - MTG Card versions
Rage Weaver - MTG Card versions
Minotaur Explorer - MTG Card versions
Sparksmith - MTG Card versions
Goblin Lookout - MTG Card versions
Skirk Marauder - MTG Card versions
Hellspark Elemental - MTG Card versions
Storm Entity - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Soldier - MTG Card versions
Mogg War Marshal - MTG Card versions
Stigma Lasher - MTG Card versions
Rock Hydra - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Dwarven Weaponsmith - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Goblin Rock Sled - The Dark (DRK)
Dwarven Lieutenant - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Goblin Recruiter - Visions (VIS)
Heart Sliver - Tempest (TMP)
Mogg Flunkies - Stronghold (STH)
Goblin Elite Infantry - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Fireslinger - Duel Decks Anthology: Jace vs. Chandra (JVC)
Skittish Kavu - Invasion (INV)
Rage Weaver - Invasion (INV)
Minotaur Explorer - Odyssey (ODY)
Sparksmith - Onslaught (ONS)
Goblin Lookout - Legions (LGN)
Skirk Marauder - Legions (LGN)
Hellspark Elemental - DCI Promos (PDCI)
Storm Entity - Future Sight (FUT)
Dwarven Soldier - Masters Edition (ME1)
Mogg War Marshal - Duel Decks: Elves vs. Goblins (DD1)
Stigma Lasher - Eventide (EVE)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Goblin Skycutter MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral, 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 Goblin Skycutter and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Goblin Skycutter has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks