Behind the Scenes MTG Card


Behind the Scenes - Shadows over Innistrad
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment
Released2016-04-08
Set symbol
Set nameShadows over Innistrad
Set codeSOI
Number100
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byDavid Gaillet

Key Takeaways

  1. Behind the Scenes cards help strategize with top-deck peeks and resource acceleration for a gaming edge.
  2. Instant-speed plays provide reactions to opponents, while mana and discard costs require careful planning.
  3. These cards’ versatility, combo potential, and meta-relevance make them worthy of collection consideration.

Text of card

Creatures you control have skulk. (They can't be blocked by creatures with greater power.) : Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.

It does no good to bar the gate when the enemy is already inside.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Delving into behind the scenes mechanics, these cards often present opportunities to peek at the top of your library—offering a strategic advantage by making informed decisions about upcoming plays. This foresight can be pivotal in securing the upper hand through careful deck management.

Resource Acceleration: Some of these insightful cards provide alternative ways to amass resources, granting players additional mana or shortcuts to deploy other cards more swiftly. In the ever-fluctuating battlefield, this speed can be the difference between triumph and defeat.

Instant Speed: The ability to act at instant speed allows strategic flexibility, enabling you to respond to your adversaries’ moves or optimize your own tactics without telegraphing your plans. Quick reactions afforded by such cards can catch opponents off guard and turn the tide in crucial moments.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the hurdles with Behind the Scenes cards is that they sometimes necessitate discarding another card to deploy their effects. This can be particularly taxing if your hand is already running low, potentially forcing you to sacrifice essential strategies or resources prematurely.

Specific Mana Cost: Many Behind the Scenes cards feature costs that are restrictive, often requiring a particular combination of mana colors. This limits the decks they can be optimally included in, thereby narrowing the card’s versatility and hindering its inclusion in more varied MTG archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When delving into Behind the Scenes cards, players may find themselves grappling with a high mana cost for the advantages these cards provide. While the effects can be game-changing, they carry the risk of slowing down one’s tempo, especially when other cards could achieve similar outcomes at a lower mana investment.


Reasons to Include Behind the Scenes in Your Collection

Versatility: Behind the Scenes is a unique enchantment that can adapt to various playstyles, enabling creatures to be less blockable and providing a critical advantage in creature-heavy decks.

Combo Potential: Its ability to give creatures with power less than the opponent’s lowest power creature skulk can be leveraged in numerous combos, especially with cards that capitalize on unblocked attackers or evasion tactics.

Meta-Relevance: With the shifting nature of the game, Behind the Scenes remains relevant as it can disrupt opponent strategies focused on creature combat, often tipping the scales in matches that rely heavily on board presence.


How to beat

Understanding the mechanisms of Behind the Scenes in Magic: The Gathering can give players an upper hand in strategy development. This card empowers creatures to become difficult to block by granting them skulk, meaning they can’t be blocked by creatures with greater power. To counter this subtle yet potent ability, a player can modify their strategy to control the battlefield without relying heavily on blocking.

One effective tactic involves using removal spells to clear the path before these elusive creatures can take advantage. Board wipes or direct damage spells are excellent choices to decrease the opponent’s creature count or eliminate key pieces that enable their strategy. Furthermore, employing creatures with reach or those that can block multiple creatures can also mitigate the card’s impact. Lastly, focusing on a fast-paced aggressive strategy can put pressure on the opponent, forcing them to shift from offense to defense, which can negate the advantage provided by Behind the Scenes.

Cards and strategies are numerous, but the key to overcoming Behind the Scenes lies in adaptive play and leveraging your deck’s strengths against this subtle enhancer. With the right approach, a player can ensure that the action behind the scenes becomes a non-factor in their march to victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

Peering behind the curtain of Behind the Scenes MTG cards unveils a trove of tactical prowess. From instant speed plays to assembling resources quickly, these elements often tip the scales in your favor. However, be mindful of the constraints, such as specific mana costs and potential card discards, that can shape your gameplay. Including these cards in your collection brings a blend of aggression and subtlety, elevating your deck’s dynamic. If you’re intrigued by the balance of power and finesse, join us to further explore these nuanced strategies and discover how to seamlessly integrate Behind the Scenes into your MTG arsenal for an enriched playing experience.


Cards like Behind the Scenes

Delving into the world of Magic: The Gathering reveals countless treasures, and Behind the Scenes is a unique noteworthy piece of this dynamic puzzle. It shares a conceptual lineage with cards like Glorious Anthem, which also uplifts your army by boosting their power. However, Behind the Scenes enhances your creatures in a subtler way, by making them harder to block unless opponents pay extra mana.

Standing in comparison, we have Brave the Sands. This card too favors a defensive approach, granting your creatures vigilance and the ability to block an additional attacker, thus leading to a formidable defense. Where Behind the Scenes offers aggression with a stealthy edge, Brave the Sands fortifies your defenses and reacts to threats. Another card similar in flavour is Intangible Virtue. It grants your token creatures not only a power boost but also vigilance, fostering an environment for both aggressive and defensive strategies.

To sum up, in the vast landscape of Magic: The Gathering, every card has its niche. Behind the Scenes carves its own by allowing for more elusive attacks, setting it apart from others that either amplify defenses or augment the force of your creatures outright.

Glorious Anthem - MTG Card versions
Brave the Sands - MTG Card versions
Intangible Virtue - MTG Card versions
Glorious Anthem - MTG Card versions
Brave the Sands - MTG Card versions
Intangible Virtue - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Behind the Scenes by color, type and mana cost

Circle of Despair - MTG Card versions
Righteous War - MTG Card versions
Soul Link - MTG Card versions
Etchings of the Chosen - MTG Card versions
Pillory of the Sleepless - MTG Card versions
Gift of Orzhova - MTG Card versions
Athreos, God of Passage - MTG Card versions
Profane Procession // Tomb of the Dusk Rose - MTG Card versions
Oath of Kaya - MTG Card versions
Knights' Charge - MTG Card versions
Ascent of the Worthy - MTG Card versions
Circle of Despair - MTG Card versions
Righteous War - MTG Card versions
Soul Link - MTG Card versions
Etchings of the Chosen - MTG Card versions
Pillory of the Sleepless - MTG Card versions
Gift of Orzhova - MTG Card versions
Athreos, God of Passage - MTG Card versions
Profane Procession // Tomb of the Dusk Rose - MTG Card versions
Oath of Kaya - MTG Card versions
Knights' Charge - MTG Card versions
Ascent of the Worthy - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Behind the Scenes MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad, 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 Behind the Scenes and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Behind the Scenes has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2016-04-08 If you cause a creature to have 0 power or less, use the actual value (which may be negative) to determine whether it can block or be blocked. A creature with skulk and 0 or less power most likely won’t be blocked, but it won’t deal combat damage and won’t trigger any abilities that trigger when combat damage is dealt.
2016-04-08 Skulk matters only as blockers are chosen. Modifying either creature’s power after blockers are chosen won’t cause the attacking creature to become unblocked.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
See more decks