Scourge
From MTG Salvation Wiki
- For other uses, see Scourge (disambiguation).
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|---|---|---|
| Symbol | 
| |
| Design Team | Brian Tinsman (lead) Bill Rose Worth Wollpert | |
| Development Team | Randy Buehler (lead) Brandon Bozzi Mike Elliott Brian Schneider Henry Stern | |
| Release Date | May 17, 2003 | |
| Mechanics | Creature type, Cost matters | |
| Keywords/ Ability words | Cycling and Typecycling, Morph, Storm | |
| Size | 143 (55 Common 44 Uncommon 44 Rare) | |
| Expansion Code | SCG | |
| Development Codename | Jack | |
| Sets in Onslaught block | ||
| Onslaught | Legions | Scourge |
| Magic: The Gathering Chronology | ||
| Legions | Scourge | 8th Edition |
Scourge is the thirtieth Magic expansion and was released in 2003 as the third set in the Onslaught block. The set continues the tribal theme of the block and also has a focus on cards with high converted mana costs, with a particular emphasis on dragon-related cards.
Contents |
[edit] Mechanics and themes
Scourge introduced two new keywords, one a variation of an existing keyword. Similar to ordinary cycling, the landcycling ability allows you to discard a card to search your library for a card with a designated type. Since Future Sight, this is referred to as "typecycling." The other new keyword was storm: When a player plays a storm spell, he or she copies it for each spell played before it that turn.
A major theme of Scourge was spells with high converted mana costs; see cost matters. A loose set of spells, including Reward the Faithful and Cabal Conditioning, as well as the dragon auras, rewarded players for putting expensive cards in their decks, while Krosan Drover and the warchiefs reduced casting costs to make them more playable.
Finally, Scourge continued the tribal theme from Onslaught and Legions, providing further support to existing tribes, such as elves and goblins. An iconic part of the set was its focus on dragons as a tribe, with powerful spells like Dragon Tyrant and Dragonstorm.
[edit] Cycles
Scourge has five cycles:
- Decrees: Each of these cards has a powerful, expensive effect, but can be cycled to have an added weaker ability that is related to the main ability. Each has a silhouette of Karona in the art — Decree of Justice, Decree of Silence, Decree of Pain, Decree of Annihilation, and Decree of Savagery.
- Dragon auras: Each of these common Aura enchantments costs
C and grants the enchanted creature two abilities. If a creature with converted mana cost of 
or more comes into play and one of these enchantments is in the graveyard, you may return the aura to play enchanting that creature — Dragon Scales, Dragon Wings, Dragon Shadow, Dragon Breath, and Dragon Fangs.
- Highest cost matters: A loose cycle of spells that each have an effect based on the highest converted mana cost among permanents you control — Reward the Faithful, Rush of Knowledge, Cabal Conditioning, Torrent of Fire, Accelerated Mutation.
- Landcycling Creatures: Each of these creatures costs
C and has the ability to be cycled for a basic land of the appropriate type — Noble Templar, Shoreline Ranger, Twisted Abomination, Chartooth Cougar, and Elvish Aberration.
- Storm Instants: Each of these common instants has storm — Astral Steel, Hindering Touch, Reaping the Graves, Scattershot, and Sprouting Vines.
- Warchiefs: A cycle of creatures that allow a player to play creatures of their type for 1 less mana than usual, plus another bonus — Daru Warchief (soldiers), Mistform Warchief (any creature type, one per turn), Undead Warchief (zombies), Goblin Warchief (goblins), Krosan Warchief (beasts). Each card was illustrated by one of the Brothers Hildebrandt. Two other cards from the set, Dragonspeaker Shaman and Edgewalker, likewise grant a discount to creatures of a given type (dragons and clerics respectively), but are not part of the cycle.
[edit] Notable cards
- Stifle - used alot since new rulings made the combo with Phyrexian Dreadnought viable. Also used alot on Onslaught 's Fetchlands, acting as an unexpected Stone Rain for
.
- Brain Freeze - An alternative Finisher for storm-based decks. It has the disadvantage of not killing the opponent before his next draw step.
- Carrion Feeder - featured in some builds of Hulk Flash in Legacy as a means to sacrifice Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker to set up a loop with Kiki-Jiki and Karmic Guide.
- Decree of Justice - Primarily used in Astral Slide decks, but also saw play in many other white decks.
- Dragon Breath - used in Cephalid Breakfast decks to give Sutured Ghoul haste.
- Eternal Dragon
- Goblin Warchief
- Dragonstorm - initially overshadowed by the other storm cards, it became a key part of a top-tier Standard deck when it was reprinted in Time Spiral.
- Forgotten Ancient - the first card created through the "You Make the Card" online promotion. Known affectionately as Mr. Babycakes.
- Mind's Desire - A card preemptively restricted in Vintage due to concerns over its power in that format.
- Siege-Gang Commander
- Silver Knight - A counterpart to White Knight, this was a strong answer to aggressive red decks such as goblin tribal.
- Tendrils of Agony - The Finisher of choice for most storm-based decks.
- Xantid Swarm - Sees play in Vintage and Legacy. Its ability was a rejected idea from "You Make the Card".
[edit] Reprinted cards
The following cards have been reprinted from previous sets and included in Scourge.
- Goblin War Strike — was last seen in Portal Second Age.
[edit] Theme decks
The preconstructed theme decks are:
| Theme deck name | |||||
| White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | |
| Goblin Mob | ■ | ||||
| Max Attax | ■ | ■ | |||
| Pulverize | ■ | ■ | |||
| Storm Surge | □ | ■ | |||
