Sultai Scavenger MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Bird Warrior
Abilities	Delve,Flying
Released	2014-09-26
Set symbol
Set name	Khans of Tarkir
Set code	KTK
Power	3
Toughness	3
Number	91
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Anthony Palumbo

Key Takeaways

Card advantage through graveyard utilization strengthens board presence with Sultai Scavenger.
Resource acceleration from delve allows for swift and strategic play, optimizing tempo.
Despite its power, being graveyard-dependent adds a layer of vulnerability to Sultai Scavenger.

Text of card

Delve (Each card you exile from your graveyard while casting this spell pays for .) Flying

Since they guard armies of walking carrion, Sultai aven are never far from a meal.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sultai Scavenger aids in maintaining card flow by converting graveyard resources into an active threat on the battlefield. This grants you an economical benefit by effectively drawing from a resource pool that might otherwise remain untapped during play.

Resource Acceleration: Delve mechanic utilization in Sultai Scavenger offers a form of resource acceleration since you can potentially cast it for less than its actual mana cost. This allows you to utilize your graveyard as an alternative resource, speeding up your gameplay and letting you deploy threats or additional resources ahead of schedule.

Instant Speed: While Sultai Scavenger itself doesn’t have an instant-speed ability, it fits well into decks that operate at instant speed. Its flexible casting cost and efficient framework make it a surprising drop post countering or at the end of an opponent’s turn, keeping the pressure consistent and unexpected.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Sultai Scavenger necessitates discarding a card, which might deplete your hand and leave you at a strategic loss.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting formula demands a trifecta of mana types, potentially complicating its integration into a deck that doesn’t routinely run Sultai colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value that is on the higher end for its effects, it may face competition from other cards that deliver a similar impact at a lower cost.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Sultai Scavenger effortlessly slides into various decks, offering a reliable flying creature that can be utilized in both offensive and defensive strategies.

Combo Potential: Leveraging its delve mechanic, this card synergizes well with self-mill and graveyard strategies, becoming an efficient play that supports and benefits from other graveyard interactions.

Meta-Relevance: In a format where the graveyard is a resource, Sultai Scavenger stands out as an accessible and impactful card, especially against decks that are unprepared to handle recurring threats from the graveyard.

How to beat

Sultai Scavenger is a versatile creature in MTG that brings value and adaptability to a deck with its delve ability, allowing you to cast it for a potentially low mana cost by exiling cards from your graveyard. This graveyard interaction can be pivotal in games, making it vital to understand how to counter this card effectively. One effective strategy is to control the graveyard. Using cards like Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze can hinder the Scavenger’s delve ability, increasing its casting cost and limiting its impact.

Additionally, since Sultai Scavenger relies on accumulating cards in the graveyard to be efficient, incorporating graveyard shuffling effects into your deck can be a tactical move. Cards like the Eldrazi Titans, which shuffle the graveyard back into the library when they hit the graveyard, can unexpectedly disrupt your opponent’s strategy. Moreover, instant-speed removal spells remain highly useful against Sultai Scavenger. Despite its evasion and cost efficiency, it’s no match for a well-timed Path to Exile or Fatal Push, which can target and eliminate the Scavenger before it becomes a significant threat.

Overall, utility spells and graveyard management are key to hedging against Sultai Scavenger’s advantages, ensuring that your opponent’s graveyard-fueled plans don’t take flight. By preparing your deck with these strategic elements, you stand a strong chance of neutralizing the benefits that come with this resourceful bird.

Cards like Sultai Scavenger

Sultai Scavenger is a unique creature in the pantheon of MTG cards, especially for its delve ability which allows players to exile cards from the graveyard to help pay for the mana cost. This card echoes the mechanics of Gurmag Angler, one of the most renowned creatures exploiting the delve ability. While Gurmag Angler boasts more power and toughness, Sultai Scavenger gains the advantage of flying, enabling it to soar over ground-based defenses.

Understanding the strategic value of Sultai Scavenger, Tasker’s Apprentice also comes into play. Although lacking the delve ability, Tasker’s Apprentice shares the flying feature with an additional condition-based mechanic that transforms it into a considerably more potent creature. Conversely, Tombstalker is another comparable card with flying and delve; it demands a higher mana investment but compensates with increased power.

In the realm of graveyard-utilizing cards, Sultai Scavenger provides a fine balance between cost-efficiency and board impact. Its ability to convert graveyard cards into a valuable evasive creature makes it an attractive option for players looking to maximize resource usage in their decks.

Cards similar to Sultai Scavenger by color, type and mana cost

Chittering Harvester - MTG Card versions

Crossway Troublemakers - MTG Card versions

Geth, Lord of the Vault - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sultai Scavenger MTG card by a specific set like Khans of Tarkir, 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 Sultai Scavenger and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sultai Scavenger has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sultai Scavenger card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2014-09-20	Because delve isn’t an alternative cost, it can be used in conjunction with alternative costs.
2014-09-20	Delve doesn’t change a spell’s mana cost or converted mana cost. For example, Dead Drop’s converted mana cost is 10 even if you exiled three cards to cast it.
2014-09-20	The rules for delve have changed slightly since it was last in an expansion. Previously, delve reduced the cost to cast a spell. Under the current rules, you exile cards from your graveyard at the same time you pay the spell’s cost. Exiling a card this way is simply another way to pay that cost.
2014-09-20	You can’t exile cards to pay for the colored mana requirements of a spell with delve.
2014-09-20	You can’t exile more cards than the generic mana requirement of a spell with delve. For example, you can’t exile more than nine cards from your graveyard to cast Dead Drop.