Skeleton Ship MTG Card

Ice Age (ICE)
1995-06-03 - Number 301

Skeleton Ship - Masters Edition II (ME2)

Masters Edition II (ME2)
2008-09-22 - Number 197

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Rare
Type	Legendary Creature — Skeleton
Power	0
Toughness	3

Key Takeaways

Provides board control through -1/-1 counters, essential for maintaining an advantage over opponents.
Requires specific mana and discard, potentially limiting versatility and strategic options.
Unique abilities make it a valuable asset for control strategies and combo interactions.

Text of card

If at any time you control no islands, bury Skeleton Ship. oc T: Put a -1/-1 counter on target creature.

"The sea gives up her dead as easily as the soil." —Lim-Dûl, the Necromancer

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Skeleton Ship, you get an ability that can potentially clear your opponent’s board of creatures. This incremental advantage lets you maintain board control and whittle down your opponent’s defenses over several turns.

Resource Acceleration: Skeleton Ship itself may not directly accelerate resources, but in a deck built around proliferate mechanics or with cards enabling additional counters, it can be a key piece setting the pace to outmaneuver your opponent and accelerate your game plan.

Instant Speed: The power to use Skeleton Ship’s ability at instant speed provides significant strategic versatility. You can respond to your opponents’ actions on their turn, efficiently using your mana each round and preserving the mystery of your tactics until the most impactful moment.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Piloting the Skeleton Ship to its full potential hinges on the ability to discard from your hand. The need to sacrifice your own resources can put you at a disadvantage, particularly when your hand size is dwindling and each card holds significant value.

Specific Mana Cost: Summoning the eerie vessel of the undead seas requires a precise blend of mana, specifically blue and black. This requirement confines the Skeleton Ship to decks that can reliably produce both types of mana, potentially restricting its compatibility with a broad range of strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With the need to invest five mana to call forth the Skeleton Ship, one must consider the opportunity cost. In a game where tempo can be critical, allocating such a substantial amount of mana to a single card that offers a relatively modest impact may hinder your momentum, especially when there are more mana-efficient options available.

Reasons to Include Skeleton Ship in Your Collection

Versatility: Skeleton Ship provides a unique advantage as a commander or inclusion in blue-black control decks due to its ability to place -1/-1 counters. This ability allows it to fit seamlessly into strategies focusing on creature control and attrition.

Combo Potential: The ability to dol out -1/-1 counters makes Skeleton Ship a perfect pairing for proliferate mechanics or cards like “Crumbling Ashes.” It also serves as a reusable source for counter manipulation, excelling in decks that capitalize on weakening opposing forces.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment filled with resilient creatures, Skeleton Ship can be a recurring nuisance, slowly distorting combat math in your favor. This can be particularly effective in local metas that haven’t adapted to such incremental strategies, elevating the perceived utility of the card.

How to beat

Skeleton Ship stands out in the MTG universe as a card that can prove tricky to handle due to its ability to place -1/-1 counters on creatures with its tap effect. When preparing to counter this pesky ship, remember staying versatile in your strategy is key. Focus on cards that grant hexproof or indestructible effects to protect your creatures from being targeted. Consider using instant-speed removal spells that can take out the Skeleton Ship before it gets a chance to use its ability. Another effective technique is to apply pressure with fast, aggressive creatures, compelling your opponent to use the Skeleton Ship’s ability defensively rather than offensively.

Additionally, keep an eye out for artifact destruction spells in your deck that can deal with the Skeleton Ship directly. Swift tactics and strategic planning can turn the tide against this thematic undead vessel. Ensuring you have a variety of answers in your deck will not only help you beat the Skeleton Ship but will also generally make your deck more resilient against other controlling strategies.

Navigating around the Skeleton Ship’s power requires a blend of speed, protective measures, and direct answers. Incorporate these elements into your play style, and the control of the high seas will soon be back in your favor.

Cards like Skeleton Ship

The Skeleton Ship card sails into the Magic: The Gathering arena as an intriguing commander for blue-black decks. It shares the same waterways with other Legendary Creature – Skeletons like Dralnu, Lich Lord. Both command the dead with a steep casting cost, but whereas Dralnu imperils you by sacrificing lands when dealt damage, Skeleton Ship skates by unscathed thanks to its evasion abilities.

Moving to a different tack, we discover the Lich Lord of Unx, another zombie commander that also dabbles in the graveyard realm. This creature leans heavily on token generation, contrasting with the Skeleton Ship’s ability to pick off creatures with -1/-1 counters. And then, amidst the briny deep, we encounter the nefarious pirate captain, Admiral Beckett Brass. The admiral differs by rallying pirates instead of skeletal cohorts and thrives on treasure hoarding rather than the direct control offered by Skeleton Ship’s targeted sinking effect.

When evaluated for their ability to captain a deck, Skeleton Ship may not be the most powerful vessel at sea, but its unique blend of control and evasion offers strategic depth worthy of a pirate’s treasure map in the varied tapestry of Magic: The Gathering commanders.

Admiral Beckett Brass - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Skeleton Ship MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age and Masters Edition II, 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 Ship and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Skeleton Ship Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1995-06-03 and 2008-09-22. Illustrated by 3 different artists.