Salvage Scuttler MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Crab
Released	2017-01-20
Set symbol
Set name	Aether Revolt
Set code	AER
Power	4
Toughness	4
Number	43
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Tony Foti

Key Takeaways

Enables repeated use of artifacts and their entry effects, ideal for synergy-heavy decks.
Demands careful hand resource management due to a mandatory discard with each spell.
Operates within a specific meta, becoming a strategic asset in artifact-centric games.

Text of card

Whenever Salvage Scuttler attacks, return an artifact you control to its owner's hand.

A hermit crab goes through many shells in its lifetime, and not all are natural in origin.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Salvage Scuttler can set the stage for repeatable card draw potential. Each time you return a permanent to your hand, you’re essentially drawing that card again to utilize its enter-the-battlefield effect or to secure it from potential threats on the board. This aspect of Salvage Scuttler can be a formidable advantage, especially in decks built to capitalize on such synergies.

Resource Acceleration: This artifact creature can act as a catalyst for resource acceleration within artifact-centric decks. By returning a non-land permanent to your hand when you cast a spell, you can retrieve artifacts that may produce mana or have effects that reduce the cost of your spells, effectively ramping your resources each turn.

Instant Speed: While Salvage Scuttler itself doesn’t have an instant speed ability, its triggered effect can work in tandem with instants or flash spells you play. This can lead to unexpected plays, like retrieving a key artifact or creature during your turn to cast an instant, thus enabling both protection of your valuable pieces and optimizing your plays during the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Salvage Scuttler mandates an obligatory discard whenever you cast a spell, potentially leading to a depletion of valuable hand resources. This can create an unappealing situation for players in critical stages of the game when cards in hand could dictate victory or defeat.

Specific Mana Cost: Commanding a precise combination of four mana, inclusive of one blue, poses a restraint for deck builders. Players wanting to integrate Salvage Scuttler need to factor in its mana demands, which can be restrictive and not always align with the deck’s mana curve or strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, Salvage Scuttler might be seen as rather inefficient. Given the dynamic and fast-paced nature of many MTG games, by the time you have enough mana to play it, faster and more impactful plays may already have tilted the game’s balance.

Reasons to Include Salvage Scuttler in Your Collection

Versatility: Salvage Scuttler can be an adaptable addition to decks that are built around utilizing artifacts. Its ability to return another artifact to its owner’s hand can reset counters on permanents or redeploy artifacts with valuable entry effects.

Combo Potential: This creature lends itself well to strategies that exploit enter-the-battlefield triggers. Paired with cost-effective artifacts, Salvage Scuttler can create recurring value, making it a linchpin in combo-centric decks.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment that is heavily influenced by artifact strategies, Salvage Scuttler becomes more valuable. Its ability to bounce and replay artifacts can be crucial in outmaneuvering opponents within such a meta.

How to beat

Salvage Scuttler, with its ability to return another permanent you control to its owner’s hand whenever it attacks, enters a niche spot in the roster of intuitive cards in Magic: The Gathering. This ability can be a double-edged sword, offering both reuse of your own enter-the-battlefield effects and potentially setting you back by returning a crucial mana source or defensive creature to hand.

To gain the upper hand against Salvage Scuttler, focus on denying its assault. Utilizing removal spells before it can attack ensures its ability never triggers. Consider Swift End or Unsummon as excellent tools to hinder your opponent’s strategy. Alternatively, negating its ability’s advantage by deploying cards that punish the return of permanents to hand, like Narset, Parter of Veils, can turn the tables, limiting the benefits your adversary reaps from their own card.

Plan your plays well, for the true strength of a strategic mind in Magic: The Gathering is not only in the might of the spells cast but also in the efficacy of nullifying the opponent’s actions. By applying these techniques, you can neutralize Salvage Scuttler’s potential and steer the game to victory.

Cards like Salvage Scuttler

The realm of artifact synergy in Magic: The Gathering boasts an intriguing member with the Salvage Scuttler. This quirky creature can be likened to other cards that trigger an effect upon casting a spell, such as Reclusive Artificer. Both shine in an artifact-centric deck, but the Scuttler offers a unique angle by allowing the return of an artifact to its owner’s hand — a boon for cards with enter-the-battlefield effects.

Irontread Crusher is another comparable card that leverages artifacts for a different outcome. While Salvage Scuttler is about recycling assets, Irontread Crusher uses them to become a formidable attacker. Then there’s Filigree Familiar, which, like the Scuttler, gives life when it enters the battlefield and provides card advantage upon departure. However, it doesn’t offer the reusability that the Scuttler can provide in a long game.

Assessing the landscape of MTG cards with artifact synergy, Salvage Scuttler holds its ground as a valuable engine for recurring artifact strategies, ensuring that each artifact cast could potentially lead to a cascade of beneficial effects. This separates it from cards that have a more one-time impact on the game.

Cards similar to Salvage Scuttler by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Salvage Scuttler MTG card by a specific set like Aether Revolt, 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 Salvage Scuttler and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Salvage Scuttler has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal

Rules and information

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