Wild-Field Scarecrow MTG Card
2016-04-08 - Number 269
2023-03-21 - Number 263
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact Creature — Scarecrow |
| Abilities | Defender |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Key Takeaways
- Doubles land fetching compared to similar cards, enhancing deck consistency and aiding multi-color strategies.
- Its versatility makes it valuable in landfall and graveyard strategies or as a reliable mana fixer.
- Manageable casting cost paired with the utility of fetching lands can outweigh its cons in many deck builds.
Text of card
Defender , Sacrifice Wild-Field Scarecrow: Search your library for up to two basic land cards, reveal them, and put them into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When Wild-Field Scarecrow is sacrificed, it fetches not one, but two basic land cards from the deck to your hand. This action thins the deck, thereby increasing the probability of drawing non-land cards in subsequent turns, and ensures that you don’t fall behind on the resources necessary to execute your strategy.
Resource Acceleration: By obtaining two basic lands, Wild-Field Scarecrow accelerates your access to mana resources. This could be crucial for casting high-cost spells earlier in the game, setting up a formidable board presence that can be difficult for opponents to answer.
Instant Speed: Although Wild-Field Scarecrow itself doesn’t function at instant speed, its ability to be sacrificed at any time you could cast an instant offers significant flexibility. You can adapt to the flow of the game, using the Scarecrow’s ability when it’s most advantageous, such as during the opponent’s end step or in response to removal, ensuring that you make the most of the card’s potential.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: For deck strategies that prioritize maintaining a full grip of cards, Wild-Field Scarecrow’s activation cost, which requires sacrificing it, might pose a setback. This becomes especially critical when other permanents on the battlefield may offer repeatable benefits without necessitating a self-sacrifice.
Specific Mana Cost: Although Wild-Field Scarecrow’s colorless mana cost provides flexibility in deck inclusion, its activation cost requires a specific allocation of resources. This could be cumbersome in multicolored decks that might prefer a more fluid mana base to accommodate a wider variety of spells.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Considering its initial cost to cast and the subsequent cost to activate its ability, Wild-Field Scarecrow competes with other three mana value creatures and utility artifacts. Players may find that the mana investment outweighs the benefit, particularly when faster and lower-cost alternatives for land fetching or color fixing are available.
Reasons to Include Wild-Field Scarecrow in Your Collection
Versatility: Wild-Field Scarecrow stands out because of its flexibility on the battlefield. As a color-fixing source, it helps to smooth out your mana in decks that run multiple colors. Plus, this artifact creature can be a reliable blocker with its decent defense statistic.
Combo Potential: This scarecrow is more than just a trusty blocker. It can be sacrificed to fetch two basic land cards, synergizing with landfall mechanics or graveyard-based strategies. It’s a solid inclusion in any deck that benefits from having cards in the graveyard or requires consistent land drops.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where mana consistency can make or break a match, the ability to adapt to various mana requirements is invaluable. Wild-Field Scarecrow serves a dual purpose here, mitigating mana issues while also fitting into decks employing self-sacrifice themes or requiring specific land types to function at their peak.
How to beat Wild-Field Scarecrow
Wild-Field Scarecrow stands as a unique utility artifact creature in the MTG universe. Its primary strength lies in its ability to sacrifice itself for a land fixing advantage, allowing a player to search their library for up to two basic land cards and ensuring land drops continue effortlessly. With a defensive stat line of 1/4, it poses as a reliable blocker in the early to mid-game stages.
To outmaneuver this artifact creature, prioritize removal spells that can dismantle an opponent’s board without expending valuable resources on the Scarecrow. Spot removals such as Fatal Push and Path to Exile are excellent choices when dealing with more threatening creatures. Utilize enchantment-based removals like Seal Away or Cast Out, which are versatile and can handle a variety of threats beyond the Scarecrow itself. Aim to disrupt your opponent’s mana base through land destruction or limit their ability to search for lands, negating the Scarecrow’s utility and leaving it simply as a blocker on the board.
When considering your strategy against Wild-Field Scarecrow, remember to focus on curtailing the broader implications it brings to the game rather than the creature itself. By keeping the pressure on your opponent and minimizing the value they receive from their artifacts, you can effectively diminish the impact of Wild-Field Scarecrow in your MTG matches.
Cards like Wild-Field Scarecrow
Wild-Field Scarecrow serves a unique role as a dependable mana fixer and deck thinner in MTG. Its closest relatives include cards like Pilgrim’s Eye which also fetches a basic land, ensuring land drops or setting up for a splash color. However, the Scarecrow stands out by offering the choice to search for not just one, but two basic lands, increasing consistency in multi-color decks.
Another card to compare is Burnished Hart, which possesses a similar land search ability. Although Burnished Hart costs more to activate, it puts the lands onto the battlefield instead of into your hand, a significant boost in ramping up your mana availability. However, Wild-Field Scarecrow requires less mana to cast initially, making it accessible earlier in the game.
There is also the Skittering Surveyor which does the land search job efficiently, though only for one land. What the Scarecrow loses in speed, it gains back in quantity, fetching twice the amount of lands. Each of these artifact creatures brings versatility and reliability to a deck builder’s toolkit, but Wild-Field Scarecrow is one to consider when seeking a robust land search mechanic for when it’s time to diversify your mana sources or streamline your deck.
Cards similar to Wild-Field Scarecrow by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Wild-Field Scarecrow MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad and Shadows over Innistrad Remastered, 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 Wild-Field Scarecrow and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Wild-Field Scarecrow Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-04-08 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by Jakub Kasper.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-04-08 | Shadows over Innistrad | SOI | 269 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jakub Kasper | |
| 2 | 2023-03-21 | Shadows over Innistrad Remastered | SIR | 263 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jakub Kasper |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Wild-Field Scarecrow has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
