Cephalid Scout MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Cephalid Wizard Scout
Abilities	Flying
Released	2001-10-01
Set symbol
Set name	Odyssey
Set code	ODY
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	74
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Alan Pollack

Key Takeaways

Enables strategic milling, indirectly offering card advantage and graveyard synergy for player strategy.
Its instant-speed ability facilitates flexible gameplay, allowing opportunistic play and resource acceleration.
Demands player discretion, as the discard requirement can impact hand resources, affecting overall strategy.

Text of card

Flying o U, Sacrifice a land: Draw a card.

The more they survey the dreadful dry expanses, the more the cephalids thirst to tame them.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cephalid Scout has the potential to mill cards from the top of your library into your graveyard, which can be a strategic way to set up for future plays or enable graveyard synergies, thus providing indirect card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Through its tapping ability, Cephalid Scout allows you to sift through your deck and potentially find the resources you need more quickly. This acts as a form of resource acceleration by smoothing out the draws and increasing the consistency of getting the necessary cards for your strategy.

Instant Speed: Cephalid Scout’s activated ability can be used at instant speed, offering flexibility in gameplay. You can decide to use the ability at the most opportune times, such as during the end step of your opponent’s turn, keeping your options open and reacting to the evolving state of the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Cephalid Scout requires players to discard a card upon use. This can deplete hand resources rapidly, making it less desirable in decks that don’t benefit from or utilize graveyard strategies.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that demands both blue and generic mana, it might be restrictive for multicolor decks that struggle with mana consistency, especially early in the game.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment needed for Cephalid Scout could be deemed excessive when considering its ability. Players often weigh this against other cards that might provide more impact or value for the same or lower mana cost.

Reasons to Include Cephalid Scout in Your Collection

Versatility: Cephalid Scout’s ability to unblockably send itself into combat allows for consistent deck and graveyard manipulation, vital for those strategies that hinge on card selection and graveyard synergy.

Combo Potential: Its tap ability synergizes well with effects that care about card draw or discarding, such as reanimation decks or those that capitalize on drawing multiple cards in a single turn.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where information warfare is key, Cephalid Scout offers unparalleled reliability. It’s a card that subtly shapes games by filtering draws and stocking the graveyard, potentially tipping the scales in your favor against a variety of opposing strategies.

How to beat

Cephalid Scout is a unique creature card known for its capability to untap each time you cast a spell. When you’re strategizing to counter this creature, think control and removal. Instant-speed removal spells are crucial since they can disrupt your opponent’s flow by removing the Scout before it can use its ability. Consider cards like Fatal Push or Path to Exile for an efficient solution.

Another approach is to use counter magic. If you’re playing blue, keep a Counterspell or Mana Leak handy to neutralize the Cephalid Scout as it hits the stack, preventing it from entering the battlefield in the first place. If the Scout becomes troublesome with its untapping synergy, remember enchantments like Darksteel Mutation can neutralize it without triggering its untap ability, effectively turning it into a harmless indestructible land.

Overall, to beat Cephalid Scout, employ prompt removal, counterspells, or transforming enchantments, aiming to handle it before your opponent can exploit its untapping potential. By doing so, you maintain control over the game tempo and prevent your opponent from capitalizing on the Scout’s abilities.

Cards like Cephalid Scout

Cephalid Scout presents a unique option for players looking to manipulate their decks in Magic: The Gathering. This creature card bears likeness to Merfolk Looter in its ability to draw a card and then discard a card. The Cephalid Scout, however, differentiates itself with its ability to be unblockable when paired with enchantments or other cards, ensuring its effect can be utilized consistently.

Comparably, Thought Courier follows a similar draw and discard mechanic. It allows for a swift deck cycling, aiding in the search for crucial cards at the right moment. The primary difference lies in its vulnerability to being blocked, contrasting with the Cephalid Scout’s evasive capabilities. Looter il-Kor is another relative from the rogues’ gallery—like our cephalid friend, it’s also unblockable, providing reliable card filtering turn after turn.

Overall, each of these cards offers nuanced strategic advantages within the game of Magic: The Gathering. The Cephalid Scout, with its potential for unblockability, stands out as a distinctive option for players crafting decks around evasion and subtle tactical play.

Cards similar to Cephalid Scout by color, type and mana cost

Soratami Cloudskater - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cephalid Scout MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey, 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 Cephalid Scout and other MTG cards: