Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Cross-format perspectives on a black skeleton shaman
In the broader MTG landscape, utility creatures that trade raw combat prowess for card selection and graveyard reach have long held a sweet spot in players’ hearts. Clattering Augur embodies a compact, budget-friendly approach to black’s philosophy: pay a little life, draw a little more, and plan for later recurrences. Its {1}{B} mana cost places it squarely in the early-game curve, where you want a purpose-built body that doesn’t overcommit. The card’s 1/1 body is unimpressive on the surface, but its true power emerges the moment it enters the battlefield: you draw a card and lose 1 life. The return-to-hand ability for {2}{B}{B} from the graveyard adds a practical layer of resilience, especially in formats that reward reusability and value over time. 🧙🔥
From a design standpoint, this skeleton shaman from Modern Horizons 2 (MH2) captures the era’s spirit of bridging classic MTG themes with modern practicality. MH2, released in 2021, was all about flexible draft-innovation and reimagined archetypes. Clattering Augur fits that mission: a small, reusable engine that fits into black-focused strategies without demanding a dedicated shell. Its rarity—uncommon—also reflects the design intent: accessible enough to see play in multiple formats, but with a flavorful, distinctive identity. The set’s emphasis on graveyard-centric interactions makes Augur feel right at home among other reanimation and card-advantage pieces. ⚔️
Format-by-format: where Clattering Augur shines (and where it doesn’t)
- Limited and draft formats: In sealed or booster draft, Augur’s immediate effect is a little three-for-one in your favor—one card drawn and a life trade for an early body. The trade-off is manageable, and the graveyard recursion can seed longer games where you chain draws and dig deeper. Its color identity is cleanly Black, so it slots into typical black-rich pools without deer-in-the-headlights color fixing. The fact that it cannot block keeps expectations grounded in combat math, but the card advantage can swing early turns in your favor and help you find your plan before the draft ends. 🎲
- Modern formats: In Modern, the true test is whether the 1/1 for 2 mana is worth the card you draw and the life you spend, plus the potential to fetch it back from the graveyard. The graveyard recursion is the kit’s real draw: Recalling a 1/1 from the graveyard can fuel a loop in longer games, especially if you have supports that protect or bounce the creature. However, in fast Modern metas, you’re often racing to stabilize, so the card’s midrange value must be weighed against your curve and disruption package. Still, for budget builds or midrange black shells, Clattering Augur can be a sneaky inclusion that tangles with grindy matchups. 💎
- Historic and Legacy: These formats provide a natural home for graveyard-centric engines. The return-from-graveyard ability aligns with archetypes that value recursion and card selection. In Legacy, where discard, disruption, and fast clocking strategies are common, Augur’s first-encounter draw can be the difference-maker in the lategame; the ability to fetch it back again with a future pay-off gives it staying power in long-turn stalemates. It’s not a slam-dunk staple, but it fits neatly in midrange and aristocrat-like shells that prize inevitability. 🧙🔥
- Commander: EDH players often chase value engines that scale with an army of permanents and life totals that can swing around. Here, Clattering Augur doubles as a recurring draw engine and a sacrifice fodder piece, especially in decks that leverage the black graveyard to hand interactions. In multiplayer games where life totals aren’t a hard death sentence, the life-loss cost becomes a risk worth taking for the chance to refill your hand—particularly when you can chain more draw effects, or leverage card-draw triggers from other permanents. The aura of a reusable graveyard anchor is an enticing flavor in black-centric command builds. ⚔️
Practical strategy tips
In play, think of Clattering Augur as a tiny, persistent engine rather than a beeline threat. Here are a few notes to maximize its impact:
- Early value, late resilience: The enters-the-battlefield trigger gives you an immediate card, which helps you hit land drops or find answers. Factoring in the 1 life loss, plan your openers to avoid being dragged into risky life totals too early. Use life as resource storage—this isn’t a life-exchange game; it’s a light, engine-driven tempo play that snowballs if you can keep your clock going. 🧙🔥
- Graveyard recurrences: The mana cost for the graveyard return (2BB) is a meaningful commitment, but it’s a reasonable price for keeping a card-advantage engine online. In decks that already leverage reanimation or graveyard synergy, Augur becomes a repeatable beacon—draw steps turn into longer games, and your opponent’s answers race to catch up with your card advantage.
- Block or not?: Its inability to block is a reminder to pair it with protection or with strategies that don’t rely on the body for combat. If you can shield Augur or protect your life total through lifegain or disruption, it becomes a sturdier piece in the longer game. Protection and recursion together can turn a small skeleton into a quiet, persistent nuisance for your foes. 🎨
- Deck-fit considerations: In budget builds, Augur slots in as a reliable color-sink that helps you find your key pieces. In reanimator or aristocrat builds, it’s not a showstopper, but it’s a helpful engine that you can repeatedly pull back to your hand to fuel later turns. If you’re chasing long game inevitability, a few copies of this card can quietly pay off as the match drags on. ⚔️
Flavor, art, and collectible vibes
Josh Hass’s illustration captures the eerie, deliberate cadence of a grave-dwelling caster. The skeletal figure, wrapped in shadow and mystery, evokes the hush of a crypt waiting to reveal its next secret. In Modern Horizons 2, a set designed to fuse nostalgia with new mechanics, Augur stands as a nod to the old and the new in black’s toolkit. The tactile charm of the art, paired with a compact, flavorful ability, makes it a favorite for players who savor both lore and efficient play. The card’s low price in non-foil form—often around a few dimes—keeps it in reach for budget builds, while foils offer that extra sparkle for collectors who enjoy a little glow in their occult graveyard. ⚰️🎨
Value and market snapshot
Right now, Clattering Augur sits in a budget-friendly niche. Current numbers show modest market values, which is common for uncommon creatures with such graveyard chops. Typical USD pricing hovers around a few cents for non-foil copies, with foil versions turning into mid-range investments for players who want the look and a touch more shine in their deck. The card’s practical appeal lies less in raw rarity and more in its reliability as a repeatable draw and graveyard engine choice in a Black-centric strategy. The modern magic of this piece is utility more than spectacle, and that’s a vibe many players appreciate when they’re chasing consistency. 💎
For players who like to build beyond the basics, there’s a small, pragmatic payoff in using a reliable engine that scales with the game’s length. If you’re curious to explore a few deck ideas or want to see how this card fits into your favorite black shell, the community resources—tournaments and casual play alike—offer plenty of discussion and testing ground. And if you’re enjoying long-form MTG sessions, consider a little desk upgrade to keep your focus sharp and your sleeves dry—like a Non-slip Gaming Mouse Pad with neon high-res surface. It’s a practical companion for those marathon nights of drafting, gameplay, and lore digging. 🎲🧵
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