Skyclave Plunder MTG Card


Skyclave Plunder - Zendikar Rising
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Released2020-09-25
Set symbol
Set nameZendikar Rising
Set codeZNR
Number81
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byYW Tang

Key Takeaways

  1. Skyclave Plunder provides significant card advantage and strategic planning for future turns.
  2. Flexibility in decks and combo potential make it a versatile addition to your MTG collection.
  3. Despite its strengths, there are effective strategies to counteract Skyclave Plunder’s impact.

Text of card

Look at the top X cards of your library, where X is three plus the number of creatures in your party. Put three of those cards into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order. (Your party consists of up to one each of Cleric, Rogue, Warrior, and Wizard.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Skyclave Plunder lets you delve deep into your library, giving you an immediate selection of cards to replenish your hand and potentially turn the tide of the game. With the ability to look at the top seven cards and take two that you need, you’re setting up for future turns and keeping the pressure on your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: While this card itself does not directly provide mana, the cards you draw from Skyclave Plunder could lead to more efficient mana utilization or even acceleration if they happen to be ramp spells or artifacts. The added information about upcoming draws helps you plan and allocate resources more effectively, ensuring each turn can be as impactful as possible.

Instant Speed: Skyclave Plunder is a sorcery, and therefore does not have the flexibility of instant speed. However, the benefit of resolving it during your main phase is setting up your strategy without the uncertainty of what you’ll draw, unlike instant-speed draw spells where you may have to react on the fly to new information.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Skyclave Plunder doesn’t impose a discard requirement directly, but it does necessitate a significant card investment. This can lead to a scenario where the cards drawn do not compensate for the potential plays or threats you could have developed instead.

Specific Mana Cost: Skyclave Plunder demands a specific arrangement of mana, including two blue mana, which can be restrictive. This mana specificity may not be flexible in multicolored decks or decks that struggle with color fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of five mana, Skyclave Plunder sits at a steeper point on the mana curve. There are numerous alternatives in Magic the Gathering that could potentially provide card draw or library manipulation more efficiently, leaving Skyclave Plunder as a less favorable option for decks operating on a tight mana budget.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Skyclave Plunder offers flexibility for a variety of deck builds. As a spell that ensures a powerful card draw, it serves well in decks that aim to gain a card advantage over the opponent. Its ability to look at a number of cards equal to the number of lands you control and put one of those cards into your hand boosts the chances of drawing into key spells or lands when needed the most.

Combo Potential: The card is ripe for combos in decks that manipulate the top cards of the library or benefit from casting high mana spells. By drawing multiple cards, Skyclave Plunder aids in setting up poignant combos to outmaneuver your opponent.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where the game extends to the later turns, Skyclave Plunder demonstrates its worth. Maintaining card flow is critical, and as a card designed to exploit the accruing land count, it gains potency as the match progresses, keeping it relevant in various metas.


How to beat

Skyclave Plunder marks its presence in Magic: The Gathering as a tool that allows players to look at the top cards of their library and put a certain number into their hand. This card can set the tempo for the game, giving its user an edge through a deeper dive into their deck. However, like many strategies in MTG, there are ways to counter it. One effective approach is to employ disruption tactics such as discard spells or countermagic. Spells like Thoughtseize or Negate target the player’s hand or their attempts to cast, undercutting the advantage Skyclave Plunder could provide. Moreover, pressure strategies that focus on quickly building a formidable board presence can overwhelm a player relying on Skyclave Plunder, as they may not have adequate time to benefit from the card advantage it provides.

Additionally, cards that limit draw such as Narset, Parter of Veils, can significantly hinder the benefit gained from Skyclave Plunder, making it less of a threat. In the battle of wits that is MTG, knowing how to disrupt and counter your opponent’s strategies is just as crucial as executing your own game plan.


Cards like Skyclave Plunder

Skyclave Plunder finds its place among the array of card advantage spells in Magic: The Gathering. It bears resemblance to cards like Concentrate, which also allows a player to draw three cards at the same mana cost. Skyclave Plunder, however, has the added benefit of the scry 1 mechanic, which provides the player with a slight edge by offering the chance to set up their next draw.

When considering other related spells, we can’t overlook Tidings, a spell that serves a similar purpose by drawing four cards, albeit at one additional mana. This makes Skyclave Plunder a more mana-efficient option in comparison. Furthermore, there’s Jace’s Ingenuity, with the advantage of being an instant, allowing players to keep their options open until their opponent’s end step. On the flip side, Jace’s Ingenuity comes with a higher mana cost, which may deter some players despite its flexibility.

Overall, Skyclave Plunder’s combination of card draw and deck manipulation at a reasonable cost ensures its competitive placement within the card advantage category in Magic: The Gathering, especially for players who value strategic planning and efficient mana usage.

Concentrate - MTG Card versions
Tidings - MTG Card versions
Jace's Ingenuity - MTG Card versions
Concentrate - Odyssey (ODY)
Tidings - Starter 1999 (S99)
Jace's Ingenuity - Magic 2011 (M11)

Cards similar to Skyclave Plunder by color, type and mana cost

Library of Lat-Nam - MTG Card versions
Psychic Transfer - MTG Card versions
Balance of Power - MTG Card versions
Cruel Fate - MTG Card versions
Temporal Manipulation - MTG Card versions
Ancestral Memories - MTG Card versions
Brilliant Plan - MTG Card versions
Capture of Jingzhou - MTG Card versions
Time Warp - MTG Card versions
Laquatus's Creativity - MTG Card versions
Reverse Engineer - MTG Card versions
Invoke the Winds - MTG Card versions
Essence Fracture - MTG Card versions
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Temporal Fissure - MTG Card versions
Bribery - MTG Card versions
Acquire - MTG Card versions
Petals of Insight - MTG Card versions
Heed the Mists - MTG Card versions
Ribbons of the Reikai - MTG Card versions
Library of Lat-Nam - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Psychic Transfer - Starter 1999 (S99)
Balance of Power - The List (PLST)
Cruel Fate - Portal (POR)
Temporal Manipulation - The List (PLST)
Ancestral Memories - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Brilliant Plan - Treasure Chest (PZ2)
Capture of Jingzhou - Judge Gift Cards 2017 (J17)
Time Warp - Explorers of Ixalan (E02)
Laquatus's Creativity - Odyssey (ODY)
Reverse Engineer - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Invoke the Winds - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO)
Essence Fracture - Onslaught (ONS)
Rush of Knowledge - Double Masters (2XM)
Temporal Fissure - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Bribery - Commander Masters (CMM)
Acquire - IDW Comics 2014 (PI14)
Petals of Insight - Modern Masters (MMA)
Heed the Mists - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Ribbons of the Reikai - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Skyclave Plunder MTG card by a specific set like 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 Skyclave Plunder and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Skyclave Plunder has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-09-25 An ability referring to the number of creatures in your party gets a number from zero to four. Such abilities never ask which creatures are in your party, and you never have to designate specific creatures as being in your party. You can’t choose to exclude creatures from this count to lower the number.
2020-09-25 If a creature has more than one party creature type, and there are multiple ways to count that creature that could result in a different number of creatures in your party, the highest such number is used. For example, if you control a Cleric and a Cleric Wizard, the number of creatures in your party is two. You can’t choose to have it be just one by counting the Cleric Wizard first as a Cleric.
2020-09-25 To determine “the number of creatures in your party,” check whether you control a Cleric, whether you control a Rogue, whether you control a Warrior, and whether you control a Wizard. The number is the total number of those checks to which you answered yes. Each creature you control can be counted for only one of those checks.

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