Urborg Skeleton MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Skeleton
Abilities Kicker
Power 0
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. The kicker ability makes Urborg Skeleton a recyclable threat, enhancing graveyard strategy dynamics.
  2. Low mana cost coupled with instant speed regeneration ensures board presence and defensive versatility.
  3. Regeneration cost may be steep, but it’s a valuable trait against prevalent removal spells in MTG.

Text of card

Kicker (You may pay an additional as you cast this spell.) : Regenerate Urborg Skeleton. If Urborg Skeleton was kicked, it enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Urborg Skeleton’s kicker ability gives it versatility. When you pay the kicker cost, it returns from your graveyard to play, effectively providing you with an additional creature without losing a card from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: Being a low-cost creature, Urborg Skeleton can quickly enter the battlefield and doesn’t hinder your mana curve. This can leave your resources open for more significant spells or abilities in the later stages of the game.

Instant Speed: Although Urborg Skeleton itself isn’t an instant, its Regenerate ability can be used at instant speed. This allows you to save it from destruction as a defensive block or during combat, ensuring that you consistently maintain a presence on the board.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Urborg Skeleton prompts players to discard another card, which can be a significant drawback when hand size is crucial for maintaining strategic options.

Specific Mana Cost: Its activation calls for black mana exclusively, potentially restricting deck versatility and increasing complexity for multicolor strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Weighing the value against mana investment, Urborg Skeleton’s regeneration cost might be considered steep, given that similarly priced creatures offer additional abilities or higher stats.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Urborg Skeleton’s kicker ability allows it to be a flexible option in deck-building. Its ability to return from your graveyard to your hand makes it a resilient threat in long-lasting matches.

Combo Potential: As a creature with regenerate, Urborg Skeleton works well with various sacrifice outlets and death-triggered abilities, offering persistent board presence and fueling graveyard-based strategies.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where removal spells are prevalent, having a creature that can easily come back from the graveyard can be a thorn in your opponent’s side. Its skeleton subtype also makes it a suitable choice in tribal decks focused on that creature type.


How to beat

The Urborg Skeleton, a reassembling creature from the multiverse of Magic: The Gathering, poses a unique challenge on the battlefield with its regenerate ability. It’s a resourceful adversary which can keep returning to the fray, but overcoming this resilient foe requires strategic planning. To effectively neutralize the Urborg Skeleton, consider incorporating cards that exile it from the game, thus preventing its regeneration mechanic from triggering.

Removal spells that exile, such as Path to Exile or Leyline of the Void, are particularly potent against it, as they do not give the creature a chance to regenerate. Additionally, controlling the amount of available mana is also a key tactic. With enough disruption to your opponent’s mana base, you can prevent them from paying the regenerate cost, rendering the Urborg Skeleton vulnerable to conventional removal methods.

Therefore, while the Urborg Skeleton has the potential to be a pesky presence, players with the right strategies and cards at their disposal can effectively contain and surpass this undead threat, securing their dominance on the playing field.


Cards like Urborg Skeleton

The Urborg Skeleton is an intriguing card in the vast landscape of MTG. It shares the regenerative ability common to many other skeleton creatures, something its kin like Drudge Skeletons are known for. Urborg Skeleton distinguishes itself by having the “kicker” cost option, allowing players to invest more mana for an expanded effect during the late game. This kicker cost transforms it into a more formidable threat compared to its counterparts that lack this flexible utility.

Cards like Reassembling Skeleton also harness the power of returning from the graveyard to the battlefield, yet Urborg Skeleton boasts versatility with its kicker. Reassembling Skeleton requires mana each time it’s resurrected, whereas investing mana upfront with the Urborg Skeleton’s kicker means it comes back with additional strength. Comparatively, Sanitarium Skeleton has a similar recurring theme but leans heavily into hand utility rather than combat presence.

Ultimately, while Urborg Skeleton might not see as much play as some staple recursive creatures, it holds a unique niche due to its kicker ability, allowing strategic depth and adaptability in the hands of a player who values the potential for an evolving board state within the game of MTG.

Drudge Skeletons - MTG Card versions
Reassembling Skeleton - MTG Card versions
Sanitarium Skeleton - MTG Card versions
Drudge Skeletons - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Reassembling Skeleton - Archenemy (ARC)
Sanitarium Skeleton - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)

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

Stone-Throwing Devils - MTG Card versions
Will-o'-the-Wisp - MTG Card versions
Vampire Bats - MTG Card versions
Bog Rats - MTG Card versions
Sewer Rats - MTG Card versions
Muck Rats - MTG Card versions
Vebulid - MTG Card versions
Carrion Rats - MTG Card versions
Foulmire Knight // Profane Insight - MTG Card versions
Dark Supplicant - MTG Card versions
Bile Urchin - MTG Card versions
Rimebound Dead - MTG Card versions
Plague Beetle - MTG Card versions
Festering Goblin - MTG Card versions
Sleeper Agent - MTG Card versions
Knucklebone Witch - MTG Card versions
Nightshade Stinger - MTG Card versions
Smolder Initiate - MTG Card versions
Kjeldoran Dead - MTG Card versions
Deathgreeter - MTG Card versions
Stone-Throwing Devils - Arabian Nights (ARN)
Will-o'-the-Wisp - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Vampire Bats - Renaissance (REN)
Bog Rats - Chronicles (CHR)
Sewer Rats - Mirage (MIR)
Muck Rats - Portal Second Age (P02)
Vebulid - Urza's Saga (USG)
Carrion Rats - Torment (TOR)
Foulmire Knight // Profane Insight - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Dark Supplicant - Legions (LGN)
Bile Urchin - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Rimebound Dead - Coldsnap (CSP)
Plague Beetle - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Festering Goblin - Tenth Edition (10E)
Sleeper Agent - Tenth Edition (10E)
Knucklebone Witch - Lorwyn (LRW)
Nightshade Stinger - Lorwyn (LRW)
Smolder Initiate - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Kjeldoran Dead - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Deathgreeter - Shards of Alara (ALA)

Where to buy

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

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Printings

The Urborg Skeleton Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2000-10-02 and 2000-10-02. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12000-10-02InvasionINV 134★1997normalblackTom Wänerstrand
22000-10-02InvasionINV 1341997normalblackAlan Pollack
32000-10-02InvasionINV 134s1997normalblackTom Wänerstrand

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Urborg Skeleton has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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