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Beating Scour for Scrap: MTG Counterplay Guide
Blue’s toolbox is full of clever, precise answers, and Scour for Scrap is a perfect test of how tight your counterplay can be. This Edge of Eternities instant gives your opponent two choices, both artifact-centric, and both potentially devastating if left unchecked. It’s a reminder that in MTG, tempo and information are powerful allies—knowing when to deny an opponent’s plan can swing a game where the board looks evenly matched. 🧙🔥💎⚔️
What the card does and why it matters
From the Edge of Eternities set, Scour for Scrap costs 3U and arrives as an instant with two modes you can pick one or both: search your library for an artifact card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle; or return target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand. In one sentence, it’s a flexible tutor and a slight recursion spell rolled into a single, efficient package. The versatility keeps opponents on their toes: are you hunting for your best finisher in the late game, or clawing back an essential artifact from the graveyard before it’s lost to the sands of time? Either way, the spell demands attention. The flavor text about the Illvoi hunting stellar fragments adds a sense of urgency that fits blue’s desire to outmaneuver fate with careful planning. 🎨
“The Illvoi hunt for stellar fragments that predate even the Fomori.”
Counterplay fundamentals: the broad strokes
- Counter the spell outright with classic countermagic. If Scour for Scrap resolves, your opponent earns a guaranteed artifact draw or graveyard bounce. Stops the immediate threat and buys you time to push a plan. Disallow, Counterspell, or other hard counters shine here, especially if you anticipate the play well in advance. 🧙♂️
- Pressure the graveyard and board state. The second mode can resurrect artifacts from the graveyard, so graveyard hate is particularly effective. Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void can shut down the utility of returning artifacts, while graveyard exile strategies can keep options severely limited for your opponent. If your cube or local meta leans toward graveyard shenanigans, this is where you want to posture on the stack. 🔥
- Deny the library search. The first mode seeks an artifact from the library and reveals it. While you can’t “unsearch” with pure disruption, you can apply pressure with card draw denial, counterspells that target the spell itself, or even library-fate control in multiplayer formats to reduce the reliability of targets your opponent can fetch. Slowing down the tutor is often enough to tilt the game toward your longer-term plan. 💎
- Artifact hate that fits your deck’s color identity. If you’re a deck aiming to maximize artifact synergy, you’ll still want to run at least a touch of artifact removal to disrupt opponents who rely on Scour for Scrap to fetch key pieces. Destructive answers like Abrade or other artifact-removal tools—in appropriate colors—can blunt the engine behind the card without sacrificing your own curve. ⚔️
- Plan around tempo swings. When Scour for Scrap resolves, your opponent often gains time and card advantage in the short term. A well-timed counter or a quick tempo play can keep the pressure on, ensuring you don’t fall behind while they assemble an artifact toolkit. Keep your answers efficient and early if you suspect the spell is coming. 🧭
Matchup-focused ideas by archetype
In control mirrors or tempo-heavy games, Scour for Scrap is a textbook target for quick, decisive counterplay. In artifact-centric decks, you’ll want to skew your sideboard toward both the graveyard hate and targeted artifact disruption. If you’re facing a deck that thrives on late-game artifact stacks, you’ll want resilient outs that don’t overcommit your resources. For Commander or EDH, expect this to show up in blue-heavy lists that want to tutor specific artifacts or recur them, so sideboard plans should accommodate the broader range of artifacts in play. 🧙♂️🎲
Practical lines you can use at the table
- Turn 2 or 3 counter with a strong follow-up threat. If you can land a threat that demands an immediate answer, your opponent might think twice before using Scour for Scrap to fish for something you’ll counter on the stack. This is classic fast-tempo play that punishes delayed development. ⚡
- Preemptive graveyard hate. If your meta leans toward graveyard recursion decks, casting Rest in Peace early can dramatically reduce the spells’ payoff, turning an efficient two-for-one into a mere blip on the radar. 🕳️
- Sideboard into artifact control. In longer sets or formats, include a few artifacts-ward tools that can answer multiple threats in one turn. If your opponent is likely to fetch a critical piece, a targeted answer can break their plans before they even begin. 🧩
Flavor, art, and design vibes
Edge of Eternities delivers a blue spell that feels elegant and pragmatic—blue’s sweet spot between information, control, and options. The rarity being uncommon means you’ll see it in a variety of builds, but the power is in the flexibility. The art by Filip Burburan captures the chilly focus of artifact-hunting, and the flavor text slots neatly into the broader Illvoi narrative about stellar fragments. It’s a reminder that strategy in MTG often comes down to choosing the right tool for the right moment, and that sometimes the best defense is a well-timed plan you’re ready to execute. 🎨
Building around Scour for Scrap: a quick checklist
- Include reliable countermagic so you can stop the spell before it hits the stack.
- Integrate graveyard hate to blunt the second mode’s value proposition.
- Add targeted artifact destruction or exile to disrupt the piece-by-piece engine.
- Balance your deck’s curve to avoid being overwhelmed by tempo swings after a successful opponent fetch.
- Keep a sideboard ready to adapt to the local metagame and your own deck’s strengths and weaknesses. 🧙🔥
If you’re curious to explore more MTG goodies while planning your next build, consider checking out the convenient resource hub and the latest drops—you might even find a striking accessory to keep your devices safe between matches. Speaking of gear, a rugged phone case is a smart companion for long days at the table, ensuring you stay powered and protected as you sip a soda and plan your runouts. Trust me, you don’t want a cracked screen interrupting your draw step. 🎲