Territorial Scythecat MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Cat
Abilities Landfall,Trample
Power 2
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Landfall triggers bolster Territorial Scythecat, offering a growing threat on the battlefield with each land played.
  2. Its green mana cost may limit its use, but in the right deck, it becomes a formidable and evolving force.
  3. Strategies against it include controlling the landfall mechanic and timely removal to prevent its growth.

Text of card

Trample Landfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, put a +1/+1 counter on Territorial Scythecat.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Territorial Scythecat may not draw cards directly, but it has the potential to consistently get stronger with its landfall ability. Each land you play puts a +1/+1 counter on it, effectively giving you more power on the board without expending additional cards.

Resource Acceleration: While the Scythecat itself doesn’t generate additional mana, it benefits greatly from decks that focus on resource acceleration. More lands played means more triggers of its landfall ability, transforming this feline into a formidable threat quickly.

Instant Speed: Territorial Scythecat operates at sorcery speed, but it pairs well with instant-speed land spells or effects. This synergy allows you to surprise opponents by boosting its power during combat or at the end of their turn, making it a versatile combatant in any stage of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside to playing with Territorial Scythecat is the potential need to discard other cards to synergize with its landfall ability. While not a direct discard requirement, maximizing its benefits often involves prioritizing land plays, which might lead to a less diverse hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Territorial Scythecat has a mana cost that specifically requires green. This locks it into green-centric or multicolored decks, potentially limiting its use in decks that cannot reliably produce green mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a converted mana cost of three, including two generic and one green mana, the Scythecat faces stiff competition from other creatures at this cost level. Players may find other creatures or spells more impactful for the same investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Territorial Scythecat is a flexible choice for many green decks. As a creature that benefits from landfall, it naturally fits into strategies that involve playing multiple lands or putting them into play through various effects.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to accumulate +1/+1 counters can be easily exploited with decks that focus on counter manipulation or proliferation. Each land played not only strengthens the Scythecat but can also synergize with other counter-dependent cards.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where combat is key, Territorial Scythecat shines by becoming a larger threat with each land drop. As players utilize fetch lands and other land-fetching mechanics, this card can quickly outpace opponents in power and resilience, making it a noteworthy consideration for green deck builders.


How to beat

The Territorial Scythecat is an intriguing creature card, bringing an evolving threat to the battlefield. Its power grows with landfall, which seems daunting at first. Yet, understanding the mechanics behind this card unveils strategies to counter its growth. Key to overcoming it is preventing the landfall trigger. This can be approached by controlling the number of lands an opponent plays through cards that restrict land drops or by removing the Scythecat before it becomes too large to handle.

Utilizing instant speed removal spells becomes crucial in managing the Scythecat’s threat. The timing of such spells should be tactically planned to disrupt the opponent’s landfall occurrence or in response to a land drop, ensuring they cannot benefit from the temporary boost in power. Moreover, considering the cat only gets counters on landfall, it remains susceptible to being outclassed if you can quickly establish a board of larger creatures.

To sum up, while the Territorial Scythecat can be a formidable force, it is not invincible. Effective use of removal spells, limiting your opponent’s land play, and quickly building a board presence can render the Scythecat much less terrifying, leading to your control over the game’s pace and eventual victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

Diving into the green mana realm with Territorial Scythecat can sharpen your deck’s claws, especially if you’re adept at triggering landfall. This feline’s potential for growth makes it a solid candidate for green-centric strategies desiring a progressively strong battlefield presence. Whether bolstering your collection or envisaging new combat tactics, the Scythecat is a creature worth considering. Understanding its synergies and counters is vital for any player looking to dominate with a green deck. Explore the nuances of landfall with us, harness the Territorial Scythecat’s power, and outmaneuver the opposition. Learn more to enhance your MTG tactics.


Cards like Territorial Scythecat

Territorial Scythecat stands out in the landscape of landfall creatures in Magic: The Gathering. This feline shares a kinship with cards like Snapping Gnarlid, which also benefits from landfall by getting a temporary boost in power. However, Territorial Scythecat differentiates itself by accumulating +1/+1 counters with every land drop, keeping its increased power throughout the game.

Branching out to similar mechanics, we find the likes of Canopy Baloth. This creature grows stronger temporarily with landfall, gaining +2/+2 until end of turn, providing a significant temporary boost compared to the permanent but smaller increments of the Scythecat. Baloth’s immediate impact can be more formidable in a single turn, but the Scythecat’s growth can be more threatening over time.

Assessing the creatures within this mechanic, Territorial Scythecat is a compelling choice for decks that can consistently play lands and want to build a steadily growing threat. Its capacity for permanent growth makes it a valuable asset for any player looking to leverage the landfall mechanic to its fullest potential.

Snapping Gnarlid - MTG Card versions
Canopy Baloth - MTG Card versions
Snapping Gnarlid - Battle for Zendikar (BFZ)
Canopy Baloth - Zendikar Rising (ZNR)

Cards similar to Territorial Scythecat by color, type and mana cost

Cat Warriors - MTG Card versions
Lurker - MTG Card versions
Rysorian Badger - MTG Card versions
Sabertooth Cobra - MTG Card versions
Quirion Druid - MTG Card versions
Uktabi Orangutan - MTG Card versions
Spike Feeder - MTG Card versions
Hungry Hungry Heifer - MTG Card versions
Titania's Chosen - MTG Card versions
Taoist Mystic - MTG Card versions
Femeref Archers - MTG Card versions
Verduran Enchantress - MTG Card versions
Fyndhorn Elder - MTG Card versions
Lydari Druid - MTG Card versions
Steel Leaf Champion - MTG Card versions
Realmwalker - MTG Card versions
Topiary Stomper - MTG Card versions
Wirewood Savage - MTG Card versions
Shizuko, Caller of Autumn - MTG Card versions
Reki, the History of Kamigawa - MTG Card versions
Cat Warriors - Legends (LEG)
Lurker - The Dark (DRK)
Rysorian Badger - Homelands (HML)
Sabertooth Cobra - Mirage (MIR)
Quirion Druid - Visions (VIS)
Uktabi Orangutan - World Championship Decks 1997 (WC97)
Spike Feeder - Stronghold (STH)
Hungry Hungry Heifer - Unglued (UGL)
Titania's Chosen - Urza's Saga (USG)
Taoist Mystic - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Femeref Archers - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Verduran Enchantress - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Fyndhorn Elder - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Lydari Druid - Sega Dreamcast Cards (PSDG)
Steel Leaf Champion - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Realmwalker - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)
Topiary Stomper - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Wirewood Savage - Onslaught (ONS)
Shizuko, Caller of Autumn - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Reki, the History of Kamigawa - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Territorial Scythecat 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 Territorial Scythecat and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Territorial Scythecat Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-09-25 and 2020-09-25. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 837042015normalblackPascal Blanché
22020-09-25Zendikar RisingZNR 3102015normalblackPascal Blanché
32020-09-25Zendikar RisingZNR 2132015normalblackWisnu Tan

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Territorial Scythecat has restrictions

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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Territorial Scythecat 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 A landfall ability doesn’t trigger if a permanent already on the battlefield becomes a land.
2020-09-25 A landfall ability triggers whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control for any reason. It triggers whenever you play a land, as well as whenever a spell or ability puts a land onto the battlefield under your control.
2020-09-25 Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, each landfall ability of the permanents you control will trigger. You can put them on the stack in any order. The last ability you put on the stack will be the first one to resolve.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks