Skyclave Shadowcat MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Cat Horror |
| Released | 2020-09-25 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Zendikar Rising |
| Set code | ZNR |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 126 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Simon Dominic |
Key Takeaways
- Skyclave Shadowcat enhances card draw and strategy through creature sacrifice.
- Deck flexibility is heightened with Skyclave Shadowcat’s instant-speed abilities.
- Mana cost and deck synergy could limit Skyclave Shadowcat’s versatility.
Text of card
, Sacrifice another creature: Put a +1/+1 counter on Skyclave Shadowcat. Whenever a creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it dies, draw a card.
"Perhaps its distant ancestors were radiant felidars, but no hint of their nobility remains." —Akiri, kor line-slinger
Card Pros
Card Advantage: With Skyclave Shadowcat, players can enjoy the consistent benefit of card draw each time they sacrifice another creature. This mechanic not only filters through the deck for key components but also keeps the hand replenished, enabling strategies that thrive on maintaining a healthy choice of options.
Resource Acceleration: By leveraging the sacrifice of creatures for a benefit, Skyclave Shadowcat helps effectively convert existing board presence into immediate value. While not directly providing mana, the action of sacrificing can synergize with other cards that do, or provide enablers for larger plays, thus accelerating your resource availability indirectly.
Instant Speed: Though Skyclave Shadowcat itself is not an instant, its ability can be activated at instant speed. This feature offers strategic flexibility, allowing players to wait until the most opportune moment to sacrifice a creature, perhaps in response to an opponent’s action, or at the end of their turn to maximize the element of surprise and efficiency in play.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Skyclave Shadowcat necessitates a creature sacrifice for its ability, potentially dwindling your battlefield presence if utilized often.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands both black and generic mana, potentially constricting deck integration outside of mono-black or dual-color strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a four mana value, there may be alternative creatures or removal options that could contribute to your strategy more efficiently at a lower cost.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Skyclave Shadowcat offers a unique role in decks centered around +1/+1 counters or sacrifice strategies. It excels in both enhancing your creatures and disrupting opponents’ strategies. Its ability to sacrifice another creature ensures that you’re always progressing your game plan, even when facing removal spells.
Combo Potential: Paired with cards that generate tokens or creatures that have death triggers, Skyclave Shadowcat acts as an engine to draw cards and strengthen your board presence. The card’s synergistic nature opens up numerous combo routes, augmenting its utility in various deck archetypes.
Meta-Relevance: As players continually adapt to the shifting meta, Skyclave Shadowcat presents itself as a flexible answer to creature-heavy decks. Its presence can tilt the board in your favor during standoffs, ensuring that each creature you sacrifice contributes to your advantage, keeping you in line with the competitive scene.
How to beat
The Skyclave Shadowcat has carved its niche in MTG as a formidable creature card with a knack for leveraging sacrifices for strength. Its static ability to gain a +1/+1 counter every time another creature you control is sacrificed adds a layer of complexity to confront. The key to overcoming this adversary lies in limiting such sacrificial opportunities.
Ideal strategies include avoiding forced sacrifice by maintaining control over your board presence. Employ exile or bounce effects to circumvent the Shadowcat’s benefits, as these do not trigger its ability. Cards like Swords to Plowshares or Unsummon can efficiently remove the Shadowcat or interrupt your opponent’s carefully laid plans, thus nipping the problem in the bud without letting the Shadowcat increase its might.
Swift action is crucial when dealing with the Skyclave Shadowcat. Allowing it to lurk on the battlefield with a menagerie of disposable creatures only hastens your descent into peril. Your endgame should focus on deploying disruption that robs the Shadowcat of its power or removes it from play before your opponent’s strategy comes to fruition. Remember, a strategic approach and correct use of removal spells will ensure you maintain the upper hand against this cunning feline.
Cards like Skyclave Shadowcat
When examining Skyclave Shadowcat, a standout creature card in MTG, it’s worth considering its kin in terms of functionality and strategy. Like the Shadowcat, cards such as Blood Artist and Zulaport Cutthroat are pivotal in decks that capitalize on sacrificing creatures. Skyclave Shadowcat offers direct benefits from creature sacrifices, bolstering its strength and replenishing your hand by drawing cards. Blood Artist, conversely, doesn’t provide card draw, but instead, it compensates by draining opponents’ life with each death on the battlefield.
Another comparable card is Falkenrath Aristocrat, which also takes advantage of sacrifice, providing its own form of resilience through indestructibility. While it doesn’t allow you to draw cards, it poses an immediate and substantial threat with its potential for hastened damage. Moreover, Viszera Seer offers a similar sacrifice outlet like Skyclave Shadowcat, but instead of card draw, it fine-tunes your upcoming card plays with the scry mechanic.
Ultimately, Skyclave Shadowcat holds its ground in the MTG arena as a valuable asset for creature-sacrifice strategies, blending both offensive augmentation and card advantage seamlessly, a quality to be prized among such mechanics.
Cards similar to Skyclave Shadowcat by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Skyclave Shadowcat 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 Shadowcat 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Skyclave Shadowcat has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Skyclave Shadowcat 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 | If Skyclave Shadowcat dies at the same time as another creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it, its last ability triggers for that creature. |
| 2020-09-25 | If Skyclave Shadowcat has a +1/+1 counter on it and it dies, its last ability triggers. |
| 2020-09-25 | If a creature with a +1/+1 counter on it died due to receiving too many -1/-1 counters, it dies at the same time that the counters are removed, and Skyclave Shadowcat’s last ability triggers. |
| 2020-09-25 | You draw just one card each time Skyclave Shadowcat’s last ability resolves, no matter how many +1/+1 counters the creature had on it. |
