Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
What the Community Hums About a Mirrodin Classic
There’s something irresistibly goofy and genially brutal about Scythe of the Wretched. A two-mana, colorless equipment with a hefty equip cost, it doesn’t win the race by flash or fireworks. Instead, it leans into a quiet, satisfying feel: a blade that buffs your brave creature, then drags back the fallen to the battlefield—and it does so in a way that invites storytelling, memes, and the kind of deck-building philosophy that MTG fans adore. 🧙♂️🔥💎
In set terms, Scythe hails from Mirrodin, an era when artifacts weren’t just cards—they were cultural notes on the steel-and-spark world crafted by the game’s designers. This rare chair of metal is compact and punchy: equipped creature becomes a 2/2 battler upgrade, and when that creature’s vicious swing helps kill something, the game gives you a dramatic “resurrection twist” by returning the dying creature to your side and reattaching the bladed tool to it. It’s the kind of loop that invites both caution and chaos—perfect for commanders who love a good, crunchy combat moment. ⚔️
How the card plays in practice
- Cost and power: For just {2}, Scythe brings a reliable +2/+2 boost to the equipped creature. That swing in power often means one more bite during combat or a sturdy stop-gap in a race to end the game.
- Reanimation twist: If the equipped creature deals damage and something on the opposing side dies this turn, that card returns to play under your control, and the equipment hops onto that newly returned creature. It’s not infinite, but it’s a delightful, tempo-friendly engine that rewards aggressive play and careful timing. 🧙♂️
- Equip cost: A four-mana price tag is steep enough to demand planning, but not so crippling that you can’t deploy it midgame when you’ve got a beat stick ready to push through.
- Color and legality: As a colorless artifact, Scythe slots nicely into almost any Commander build, and it’s LEGAL in formats where artifact strategies shine—Legacy, Vintage, Commander—making it a versatile pick for long-running kitchen-table scrums and spike nights alike. 🎲
“If your board isn’t dead at least once this turn, you’re probably not playing Scythe correctly.”
Top community nicknames and jokes you’ll hear around the table
- The Wretched Re-Equip — because the blade seems to find its way onto the creature that did the killing, like a stubborn software update that keeps moving to the newest device.
- Scythe-By-Resurrection — a tongue-in-cheek nod to the reanimation mechanic that makes even the most modest creatures feel heroic again after the dust settles.
- +2/+2 and a Post-Combat Funeral — a playful phrase that captures the double-punch of buffing and reviving in the same moment.
- The DIY Reanimate Kit — players joke that this is the “starter kit” for any aspiring Mad Scientist of the battlefield, since it stitches life back to the scene with a single equip move. 🛠️
- The Budget Time-Travel Sword — time-travel vibes without the time-wrecking price tag; it lets you glimpse the past and future in a single combat swing. ⚡
- “Attach to that creature” — a shorthand quip whenever someone tries to explain the exact rules text, becoming a chuckle-y shorthand at the culture corner of your LGS. ⚔️
Fans also love the image of a gleaming, tiny engine of war—the kind of artifact that looks menacing on the table and friendly in your hand. The humor often centers on the drama of “one more swing, one more revival,” which makes it a perfect anchor for stories about dramatic turnarounds and last-minute wins. The card’s vibe blends a prop-meets-game-piece feel—the kind of artifact you’d expect to see in a blacksmith’s workshop on Mirrodin, splashed with metallic runes and a story that invites you to lean in and listen to the clack of gears. 🎨
Deck-building ideas and modern playability
Scythe thrives in strategies that want a sturdy escort for a big beater. In Commander, you can pair it with stompy or go-wide boards, plucking value from your creatures as they trade blows and come back swinging. It also pairs well with creatures that have strong ETB or death-trigger themes, because the revived creature re-enters the battlefield ready to continue the narrative. If you like the idea of reusing a single powerhouse, this equipment helps you anchor a “burst back” plan: deal damage, lose a creature, watch it return, and then reattach the Scythe to the re-appeared threat for another round of impact. The result is a tempo line that can pressure opponents who underestimate the quiet efficiency of a two-mana starter piece. 🧙♂️🔥
For collectors and players who track price memory, Scythe sits in a sweet spot among Mirrodin-era rares. Its rarity, combined with the evergreen utility of the effect, makes it a desirable piece for both casual and competitive EDH boards. The card’s data—nonfoil and foil versions, with card prices that reflect its enduring draft of nostalgia—adds a little sparkle to the sleeves you’ll slide this into. And yes, the nostalgia factor is real: that art, Matt Cavotta’s line work, and the era-specific flavor text all coalesce into a piece that’s as evocative as it is practical on the table. 💎
Lovable lore and the design ethos
Mirrodin’s artifact-centric world was built to celebrate the idea that metal and magic can synchronize into something greater than the sum of its parts. Scythe of the Wretched embodies that ethos: a lean, efficient tool that enlarges a single creature and then doubles its story by reviving what was lost. The design rewards players who think in terms of “from the grave to the battlefield” and who enjoy the drama of a combat decision that ripples outward—sometimes with a grin, sometimes with a groan. The art, the mechanic, and the social memery all coalesce into a card that’s more than a line on a card; it’s a centerpiece for shared moments at the table. 🎲🎨⚔️
Value, availability, and where to grab a look
As a classic rare from Mirrodin, Scythe of the Wretched has maintained a niche but meaningful presence in the marketplace. Non-foil copies tend to hover in approachable ranges, while foil versions fetch a premium that reflects their desirability for display-worthy decks and investment-minded collectors. The card’s enduring presence in formats where artifacts shine—Modern is a legal space, and it’s a staple in Legacy and Vintage playgroups—keeps it relevant to a wide audience. For those who love the fusion of nostalgia and utility, Scythe remains a strong pick that can anchor a deck’s late-game narrative. 💼
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