Manor Skeleton MTG Card


Manor Skeleton - Innistrad
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Skeleton
Abilities Haste
Released2011-09-30
Set symbol
Set nameInnistrad
Set codeISD
Power 1
Toughness 1
Number106
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byEric Deschamps

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides card longevity with its ability to recur from the graveyard, thus offering consistent board presence.
  2. Regenerating at instant speed disrupts opponents’ combat math, making it a versatile combatant.
  3. Despite resilience, requires careful resource management due to the mana and card costs of its abilities.

Text of card

Haste : Regenerate Manor Skeleton.

Lungs dried to parchment wheeze blasphemies within a cage of bleached bone.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Manor Skeleton might seem like a modest creature, but it holds its own in terms of card longevity. Its ability to return to the battlefield from the graveyard gives you a persistent threat that can deter enemy attacks or be a consistent blocker, effectively reducing the need to draw additional creature cards.

Resource Acceleration: While Manor Skeleton itself may not directly accelerate your resources, its low casting cost and undemanding color requirement make it an affordable addition to your board. This allows you to utilize your mana for more complex plays or larger threats throughout the game.

Instant Speed: The key attribute that lends Manor Skeleton strategic depth is the instant speed at which you can regenerate it. You can leverage this ability to surprise an opponent who might not account for its return during combat calculations, allowing for advantageous blocks or attacks that can turn the tide of the game in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The utility of Manor Skeleton hinges on its ability to resurrect from the graveyard, which necessitates discarding another card. This could deplete your hand and compromise your position if your card pool is already running low.

Specific Mana Cost: Manor Skeleton demands black mana for both casting and utilizing its regeneration ability. This specificity can be restrictive, tying the card to a mono-black or limited-color deck build where mana diversity can afford less flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the regeneration ability provides Manor Skeleton with a form of resilience, the cumulative cost of consistently reanimating it can be steep when compared to other equivalent creatures or spells that may offer more impact or versatility for the same, if not lower, mana investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Manor Skeleton offers great flexibility in deck building. Its ability to regenerate allows it to persist through board wipes and combat, making it a reliable blocker in a variety of deck archetypes.

Combo Potential: As a creature card with a low mana cost and a self-regenerating capability, Manor Skeleton enhances graveyard-based strategies or interacts well with sacrifice mechanics, boosting synergy in combo-oriented decks.

Meta-Relevance: With the recurring need for resilient creatures in gameplay, Manor Skeleton holds its place in the meta. Its presence can deter attackers and force opponents to reconsider their strategy, making it a worthwhile addition in a constantly evolving competitive environment.


How to beat

Manor Skeleton is an intriguing card that finds its way into Magic: The Gathering decks, especially those with a focus on reusability and resilience. It holds an ability that can be a thorn in an opponent’s side – the power to return to its owner’s hand from the graveyard. This trait makes it a persistent threat that tends to stick around longer than most creatures.

To effectively counter Manor Skeleton, it’s important to deploy removal spells that exile rather than destroy, as this will permanently remove it from the game, bypassing its regenerative capability. Graveyard hate cards, like Relic of Progenitus or Scavenging Ooze, which can exile cards from graveyards, also prove to be critical in hampering Manor Skeleton’s return. In addition, leveraging sacrificial effects forces the Manor Skeleton’s controller to make tough decisions, potentially sacrificing more valuable creatures to protect their investment in the Skeleton.

In essence, dealing with Manor Skeleton requires a strategy that limits its opportunities to return. Through exile effects and strategic pressure, one can mitigate the advantage Manor Skeleton brings to the battlefield, ensuring it stays buried in the graveyard, unable to trouble your march to victory.


Cards like Manor Skeleton

Manor Skeleton is a card that offers players in Magic: The Gathering a resilient creature, capable of returning from the graveyard. Comparable to the infamous Reassembling Skeleton, both cards share the ability to rise from the graveyard back to the battlefield. Manor Skeleton, however, distinguishes itself with a touch of versatility, allowing it to come back with haste at the cost of slightly more mana.

Another analog worth mentioning is Bloodsoaked Champion, which also boasts a form of recursive power. Bloodsoaked Champion can also return to the battlefield, albeit at a lower upfront cost and a specific attack-phase condition. This sets it apart from the flexibility of Manor Skeleton which doesn’t require a combat trigger for its resurrection. Then there’s Tenacious Dead, which also deals with the graveyard return mechanic, yet with a restriction of being returned only when it dies and for an additional black mana.

Ultimately, Manor Skeleton may be a solid choice for strategic decks focusing on undying creatures or those utilizing graveyard tactics. It aligns neatly with alternatives yet stands out due to its unique conditions for revival, offering players a creature that’s always ready to bounce back into action.

Reassembling Skeleton - MTG Card versions
Bloodsoaked Champion - MTG Card versions
Tenacious Dead - MTG Card versions
Reassembling Skeleton - Archenemy (ARC)
Bloodsoaked Champion - Khans of Tarkir Promos (PKTK)
Tenacious Dead - Magic 2014 (M14)

Cards similar to Manor Skeleton by color, type and mana cost

Drudge Skeletons - MTG Card versions
Erg Raiders - MTG Card versions
Cuombajj Witches - MTG Card versions
Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions
Bog Imp - MTG Card versions
Wall of Corpses - MTG Card versions
Blighted Shaman - MTG Card versions
Rabid Rats - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Bat - MTG Card versions
Ravenous Rats - MTG Card versions
Flesh Reaver - MTG Card versions
Bloodcurdler - MTG Card versions
Nantuko Shade - MTG Card versions
Piper of the Swarm - MTG Card versions
Undead Augur - MTG Card versions
Shepherd of Rot - MTG Card versions
Swarm of Rats - MTG Card versions
Skullsnatcher - MTG Card versions
Nezumi Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Nezumi Graverobber // Nighteyes the Desecrator - MTG Card versions
Drudge Skeletons - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Erg Raiders - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Cuombajj Witches - Chronicles (CHR)
Order of the Ebon Hand - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Bog Imp - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Wall of Corpses - Mirage (MIR)
Blighted Shaman - Mirage (MIR)
Rabid Rats - Stronghold (STH)
Dakmor Bat - Portal Second Age (P02)
Ravenous Rats - Invasion (INV)
Flesh Reaver - Urza's Saga (USG)
Bloodcurdler - Odyssey (ODY)
Nantuko Shade - Commander 2014 (C14)
Piper of the Swarm - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Undead Augur - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Shepherd of Rot - Onslaught (ONS)
Swarm of Rats - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Skullsnatcher - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Nezumi Cutthroat - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Nezumi Graverobber // Nighteyes the Desecrator - Commander Anthology Volume II (CM2)

Where to buy

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

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Manor Skeleton has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PennyLegal

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