Skeleton Scavengers MTG Card


Skeleton Scavengers - Stronghold
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Skeleton
Released1998-03-02
Set symbol
Set nameStronghold
Set codeSTH
Power 0
Toughness 0
Number70
Frame1997
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byBrian Snõddy

Key Takeaways

  1. Grants sustained card advantage through its regeneration ability, thwarting attempts to weaken your board.
  2. Regeneration at instant speed bolsters defense and outmaneuvers opponents, augmenting your game plan.
  3. Limited by precise mana demands and loss of hand cards, affecting its adaptability across decks.

Text of card

Skeleton Scavengers comes into play with one +1/+1 counter on it. Pay o1 for each +1/+1 counter on Skeleton Scavengers: Regenerate Skeleton Scavengers and put a +1/+1 counter on it.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Skeleton Scavengers stands out by providing ongoing card advantage through its unique regeneration mechanic. By successfully regenerating this creature, you effectively deter your opponent’s attempts to diminish your board presence without losing card resources, potentially leading to attrition in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: Although Skeleton Scavengers doesn’t directly produce mana or treasure, its low initial casting cost combined with its regeneration ability allows for efficient allocation of mana resources over multiple turns. This in itself can result in a form of resource acceleration as you’re able to dedicate more mana to other spells and strategies.

Instant Speed: This creature’s regeneration ability can be activated at instant speed, providing flexibility in response to threats. Use it to skillfully navigate the combat phase or outmaneuver removal spells, thereby maintaining a resilient board state and keeping your opponents guessing.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Skeleton Scavengers forces you to give up another card in your hand to bring it back from the graveyard. This can be a steep price when you’re trying to maintain card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Activating the abilities of the Skeleton Scavengers requires a precise combination of mana colors, which may not align with every deck strategy, potentially limiting its viability in multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: To get the most out of Skeleton Scavengers, investing multiple mana is necessary, which could be seen as costly when comparing to other creatures that may provide more immediate board presence or impact.


Reasons to Include Skeleton Scavengers in Your Collection

Versatility: Skeleton Scavengers can be a solid addition to any deck focused on resilience. Its ability to regenerate by paying for each regeneration shield gives it longevity in prolonged games, making it a persistent blocker or attacker.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with decks that capitalize on self-sacrificing creatures and graveyard retrieval mechanics. Utilizing the death and return of Skeleton Scavengers can be part of a broader strategy, fueling more significant, more potent combos.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that heavily features creature-based strategies, Skeleton Scavengers can be a recurring nuisance. Given its capacity to return to the battlefield without spending a card slot from hand, it can offer continuous pressure and force opponents to deal with it repeatedly, making it a strategic asset against certain matchups.


Understanding the Counterplay

Skeleton Scavengers steps into the battlefield from the world of MTG as a unique creature card with a self-recurring ability. At a glance, it might seem challenging due to its potential to come back after being destroyed. Yet, like any card in MTG, there are strategies to effectively neutralize its presence.

How to beat

Overcoming Skeleton Scavengers requires an understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. Since its return hinges on paying mana equal to its regeneration cost, it’s ideal to attack your opponent’s mana base. Land destruction or mana disruption cards can prevent them from having the resources necessary to pay the cost of bringing back Skeleton Scavengers. Additionally, employing graveyard hate cards can remove it from the game entirely, as it sidesteps the need to deal with the regeneration process. Cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void are superb tools to ensure that once Skeleton Scavengers is dealt with, it stays gone for good.

Conclusively, while Skeleton Scavengers can be a persistent nuisance, a plan that either targets the opponent’s mana or removes creatures from the graveyard can prove effective. These tactics are instrumental in turning the tide against this relentless undead threat in MTG.


Cards like Skeleton Scavengers

Skeleton Scavengers stands out in the vast assortment of reanimation spells and creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. As a creature that can resurrect itself, Skeleton Scavengers shares some characteristics with Reassembling Skeleton, which can also come back from the graveyard. What makes Skeleton Scavengers unique, however, is its cumulative upkeep cost that allows it to grow stronger with each revival. Unlike the Reassembling Skeleton, which returns as a 1/1 creature every time, Skeleton Scavengers has the potential to become an ever-increasing threat.

Another peer in this category is Tenacious Dead. This creature returns to the battlefield when it dies for a single black mana. While this card doesn’t demand a growing upkeep like Skeleton Scavengers, it lacks the scalability that makes Skeleton Scavengers an intriguing option for long-term strategies.

Assessing these similar cards, Skeleton Scavengers offers a unique blend of resilience and power increase, carving its niche among self-recurring creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Its distinctive mechanics provide players with a strategic advantage that can accumulate over the course of a game, making it a noteworthy consideration for decks that capitalize on graveyard synergy and incremental value.

Reassembling Skeleton - MTG Card versions
Tenacious Dead - MTG Card versions
Reassembling Skeleton - MTG Card versions
Tenacious Dead - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Skeleton Scavengers MTG card by a specific set like Stronghold, 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 Skeleton Scavengers and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Skeleton Scavengers has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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