Shatterskull Charger MTG Card
2020-09-25 - Number 353
2020-09-25 - Number 159p
2020-09-25 - Number 159
2020-09-25 - Number 159s
2002-06-24 - Number 83750
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Giant Warrior |
| Abilities | Haste,Kicker,Trample |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Flexible play: cast with or without kicker for early game presence or lasting threats.
- Synergizes well with instants, increasing combat phase unpredictability and efficiency.
- Demands careful mana management, especially in decks juggling multiple colors.
Text of card
Kicker Trample, haste If Shatterskull Charger was kicked, it enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it. At the beginning of your end step, if Shatterskull Charger doesn't have a +1/+1 counter on it, return it to its owner's hand.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Shatterskull Charger can bolster your battlefield presence each turn if you pay the kicker cost, effectively maintaining card superiority by keeping a recurring threat on the board. This can lead to a repeated advantage as opponents must consistently deal with its reemergence.
Resource Acceleration: With an optional kicker cost, Shatterskull Charger offers flexible resource management. Players can choose to accelerate their board state by casting it early, or they can opt to use additional mana later for a persistent threat, adapting to the game’s flow.
Instant Speed: While Shatterskull Charger itself is not an instant, it synergizes well with those plays. Its dashing mechanism allows you to surprise opponents during the combat phase and can cleverly complement instant-speed interactions, keeping opponents guessing and maximizing turn efficiency.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Shatterskull Charger does not have a direct discard requirement, but playing this card without a kicker means it returns to your hand at the beginning of the next end step, effectively requiring you to discard it temporarily and limiting your board presence.
Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that includes two red mana, Shatterskull Charger demands a heavy red mana investment. This might be challenging in multicolored decks that need to balance a diverse mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The card has a relatively high cost for its base case scenario. A 4/3 creature for three mana is decent, but other cards could provide a more immediate impact on the game or offer added versatility for similar mana investments.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Shatterskull Charger brings dynamic play to various deck builds, excelling in aggressive strategies that capitalize on its haste feature and potential to return to your hand, thus dodging sorcery-speed removal.
Combo Potential: This creature has synergy with cards that benefit from repeated casting or entering the battlefield. Exploit its kicker ability to magnify its impact and integrate with kickers-matters decks.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment heavy with single-target removal spells, Shatterskull Charger’s ability to bounce back to your hand makes it a resilient threat. This allows it to maintain relevance against various control tactics, keeping pressure on opponents round after round.
How to beat
Shatterskull Charger is a dynamic creature card that brings a unique blend of power and tempo to the battlefield in MTG. To counteract its strength, understanding its abilities and finding missteps in your opponent’s strategy are paramount. One potential vulnerability is its kicker cost—if not paid, the charger returns to the player’s hand at the beginning of the next end step, indicating a potential pause in their assault.
Removal spells are your ally here; having instant-speed options can disrupt the tempo of a Shatterskull Charger attack. Consider the likes of Fatal Push or Path to Exile to remove the threat before it gains traction. Moreover, cards that provide a constant source of blockers, such as Raise the Alarm, can be effective in mitigating the damage from repeated attacks.
Finally, leveraging creature abilities that neutralize attackers, such as those found on Ice-Fang Coatl or Maze of Ith, can also serve as an efficient way to stall and eventually overpower a Shatterskull Charger. By staying vigilant and controlling the flow of battle, you can neutralize this powerful charge and secure your victory.
Cards like Shatterskull Charger
Shatterskull Charger contributes unique dynamics to the roster of creatures within Magic: The Gathering, particularly those with haste and kicker. Its most direct comparison can be made with cards like Embercleave, which also empowers creatures with an added haste feature. While Embercleave doubles as an equipment that boosts damage potential, Shatterskull Charger stands out due to its self-contained ability to avoid removal if kicked.
Another near peer is Leyline Tyrant, which shares the red mana identity and involves a mana investment with a long-term payoff. Leyline Tyrant offers a different form of resource management by allowing you to stockpile red mana, whereas Shatterskull Charger provides immediate board presence and pressure. Anger too has synergy with graveyard mechanics, giving your creatures haste from the bin, a different angle from Shatterskull Charger’s direct-play fervor.
Assessing these cards collectively, Shatterskull Charger finds a niche as a reliable and flexible option for aggressive strategies that require immediate impact without the fear of instant removal, differentiating itself within Magic: The Gathering’s pantheon of red creatures with a blend of aggression and resilience.
Cards similar to Shatterskull Charger by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Shatterskull Charger MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Zendikar Rising, 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 Shatterskull Charger 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 Shatterskull Charger Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2020-09-25 and 2020-09-25. Illustrated by Lius Lasahido.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 83750 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lius Lasahido | ||
| 2 | 2020-09-25 | Zendikar Rising | ZNR | 353 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lius Lasahido | |
| 3 | 2020-09-25 | Zendikar Rising Promos | PZNR | 159p | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lius Lasahido | |
| 4 | 2020-09-25 | Zendikar Rising | ZNR | 159 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lius Lasahido | |
| 5 | 2020-09-25 | Zendikar Rising Promos | PZNR | 159s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lius Lasahido |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Shatterskull Charger has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Shatterskull Charger card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2020-09-25 | An ability that triggers when a player casts a kicked spell resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger, but after targets have been chosen for that spell. It resolves even if that spell is countered. |
| 2020-09-25 | If you copy a kicked spell, the copy is also kicked. If a card or token enters the battlefield as a copy of a permanent that’s already on the battlefield, the new permanent isn’t kicked, even if the original was. |
| 2020-09-25 | If you put a permanent with a kicker ability onto the battlefield without casting it, you can’t kick it. |
| 2020-09-25 | Kicker represents an optional additional cost that you may choose to pay as you cast the spell. A spell cast with that additional cost paid is “kicked.” |
| 2020-09-25 | Some instant or sorcery spells require alternative or additional targets if they’re kicked. You ignore these targeting requirements if those spells aren’t kicked, and you can’t kick those spells unless you can choose the appropriate targets. On the other hand, you can kick a permanent spell even if you won’t be able to choose targets for an enters-the-battlefield ability of that permanent once the spell resolves. |
| 2020-09-25 | To determine a spell’s total cost, start with the mana cost (or an alternative cost if another card’s effect allows you to pay one instead), add any cost increases (such as kicker), then apply any cost reductions. The converted mana cost of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was. |
| 2020-09-25 | You can’t pay a kicker cost more than once. |
