Scourgemark MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant
Released	2013-09-27
Set symbol
Set name	Theros
Set code	THS
Number	105
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Franz Vohwinkel

Key Takeaways

Scourgemark provides an immediate card draw, aiding in maintaining a fuller hand.
Enhances creatures, potentially accelerating your path to victory.
Offers a balance of utility and strategy in creature-focused decks.

Text of card

Enchant creature When Scourgemark enters the battlefield, draw a card. Enchanted creature gets +1/+0.

To members of the cult of Erebos, gold-infused tattoos symbolize the inevitable grasp of the god of death.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Scourgemark offers an immediate benefit when it enters the battlefield by allowing you to draw a card, aiding in maintaining a healthy hand size.

Resource Acceleration: While Scourgemark itself doesn’t directly provide mana, it efficiently enhances a creature to turn it into a more formidable threat, potentially accelerating your victory.

Instant Speed: Although Scourgemark is an aura that is cast at sorcery speed, its card draw effect can fill your hand with options that could be played at instant speed, keeping your plays flexible.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike other enchantments that provide pure upside when enchanting a creature, Scourgemark necessitates drawing a card as a component of its casting effect. This can create an issue when you’re already struggling to keep a filled hand, and you might not want to trade your cards on the battlefield for a new one from your library.

Specific Mana Cost: Scourgemark requires black mana to be cast. This specific mana cost can restrict its inclusion in decks, as it demands a commitment to black mana sources, potentially making it less flexible for decks that operate on a multicolored base or those wanting to minimize their color dependency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although one mana might not seem like a steep cost, when it comes to enchantments that augment creatures, players often seek the most efficient boosts. Scourgemark offers a relatively small benefit of a single card for its cost when compared with other buffing enchantments or draw effects that can be had for similar or less mana investment, possibly making it a less tantalizing option for deckbuilders looking to optimize their plays.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Scourgemark can be a flexible inclusion in any black deck, providing not only an essential enchantment that boosts a creature’s power but also offering an immediate card draw to maintain hand advantage.

Combo Potential: By applying Scourgemark to your creatures, you can devise synergistic plays with cards that thrive on enchantments or benefit from boosted creatures while ensuring you don’t lose card velocity in your play strategy.

Meta-Relevance: As the game environment cycles through different trends, the simple effectiveness of Scourgemark remains a steadfast tool, making it relevant in a variety of match-ups, especially where keeping cards in hand is crucial for success.

How to beat

Scourgemark presents itself as an intriguing enchantment card in the strategic landscape of Magic: The Gathering. With the ability to grant an additional power to a creature along with the upside of drawing a card upon its entrance to the battlefield, it becomes a dual threat in terms of both board presence and hand advantage. While on the surface it might appear modest, the clever combination of beefing up a creature while replacing itself in your hand can shift the tides of a duel.

Confronted with such a card, a multi-pronged strategy is key. A viable method to counteract Scourgemark’s effects involves targeting the card’s inherent vulnerabilities – enchantment removal and creature control. Employing instant-speed removal like Disenchant can effectively neutralize the threat before the enchanted creature can capitalize on the power boost. Similarly, maintaining efficient creature control through cards such as Doom Blade or Path to Exile can preemptively mitigate the impact of Scourgemark by removing its host before the advantage is gained.

Ultimately, outmaneuvering Scourgemark relies on anticipating and disrupting the synergy it aims to create. By focusing on this approach, players can fortify their defenses against the potential swing Scourgemark promises to deliver, keeping the scales of magic combat balanced in their favor.

Cards like Scourgemark

Scourgemark is another entrant in the realm of enchantments within Magic: The Gathering with a focus on augmenting creatures and providing card advantage. It bears similarities to cards like Ethereal Armor, which also boosts a creature’s power and has a low mana cost. Ethereal Armor enhances a creature based on the number of enchantments you control, but it doesn’t have the draw card feature that Scourgemark offers upon casting.

Looking at another kindred card, Cartouche of Knowledge, we find shared aspects. This aura not only increases power and grants flying but also allows a card draw upon entering the battlefield. While Cartouche of Knowledge has the added value of providing evasion, Scourgemark maintains its strength in its simplicity and immediate draw, a valuable asset for decks that need to cycle through their resources efficiently.

In the grand scheme of Magic: The Gathering, enchantments like Scourgemark provide essential utility, balancing creature enhancement with card advantage. It is a fundamental tool for players aiming to reinforce their creatures while maintaining deck momentum. Though it might not have the additional perks of other auras, its straight-to-the-point design has its own merit in the game’s intricate strategies.

Cartouche of Knowledge - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Scourgemark MTG card by a specific set like Theros, 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 Scourgemark and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Scourgemark has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2013-09-15	If the target of an Aura is illegal when it tries to resolve, the Aura won't resolve. The Aura doesn't enter the battlefield, so you won't get to draw a card.