Tidehollow Sculler MTG Card


Card advantage and strategic insight gained from exiling opponent’s hand card when Tidehollow Sculler enters the battlefield. Synergy with instant-speed effects for responsive plays that disrupt opponents at pivotal moments. Requires discerning card choice to maximize its hand-disturbing ability and maintain a strategic edge.
Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact Creature — Zombie
Power 2
Toughness 2

Text of card

When Tidehollow Sculler comes into play, target opponent reveals his or her hand and you choose a nonland card from it. Remove that card from the game. When Tidehollow Sculler leaves play, return the removed card to its owner's hand.


Cards like Tidehollow Sculler

Tidehollow Sculler carves out a unique niche in Magic: The Gathering with its blend of hand disruption and creature presence on the battlefield. When drawing parallels, it’s somewhat akin to Brain Maggot. Both cards allow you to temporarily exile a nonland card from an opponent’s hand. However, Tidehollow Sculler has the advantage of being an artifact in addition to a creature, which can be relevant in decks that care about artifact synergies.

Another card worth mentioning is Kitesail Freebooter, which also targets the opponent’s hand but focuses specifically on noncreature, nonland cards. The Freebooter is also a flying creature, which offers evasion not present in Tidehollow Sculler. Despite these differences, all these creatures share the benefit of disrupting an opponent’s game plan while providing a body on the board.

Analyzing the interplay of these cards, it’s clear that Tidehollow Sculler holds its own within the realm of temporary hand exile effects. Its duality as an artifact creature gives it a flexibility that can be strategically utilized in various MTG deck builds, making it a solid consideration for players who value versatility and control.

Brain Maggot - MTG Card versions
Kitesail Freebooter - MTG Card versions
Brain Maggot - MTG Card versions
Kitesail Freebooter - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Tidehollow Sculler by color, type and mana cost

Orzhov Signet - MTG Card versions
Talisman of Hierarchy - MTG Card versions
Darklit Gargoyle - MTG Card versions
Invasion of New Capenna // Holy Frazzle-Cannon - MTG Card versions
Orzhov Signet - MTG Card versions
Talisman of Hierarchy - MTG Card versions
Darklit Gargoyle - MTG Card versions
Invasion of New Capenna // Holy Frazzle-Cannon - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Tidehollow Sculler. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Death & TaxesDeath & Taxes ModernDeath & TaxesModern Challenge 32 2024-05-07
Orzhov ScamOrzhov Scam ModernOrzhov ScamModern Showcase Challenge 2024-01-06
Esper TempoEsper Tempo LegacyEsper VialCharlotte Legacy League 1k
Death and Taxes (Yorion)Death and Taxes (Yorion) LegacyEsper VialCharlotte Legacy League Season 2 Week 1
AlurenAluren Legacy100 / The 100th Legacy at Home
Turbo BloodTurbo Blood Free formCanadian Highlander for Duals - Underground Sea Guaranteed - Proxies Allowed
Dimir ScamDimir Scam ModernOrzhov ScamGrand Open Qualifier Prague 2024
Orzhov ControlOrzhov Control ModernOrzhov StonebladeGrand Open Qualifier Prague 2024
Orzhov StonebladeOrzhov Stoneblade ModernOrzhov StonebladeModern League 2024-03-15
ZombiesZombies LegacyEternal Challenge 23

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Upon entering the battlefield, Tidehollow Sculler offers a strategic edge by exiling an opponent’s card from their hand. This positional advantage extends beyond simple disruption, depriving the opponent of crucial resources while providing you with information about their strategy.

Resource Acceleration: While Tidehollow Sculler does not directly provide resource acceleration in the form of mana or tokens, its ability to remove a key card from your opponent’s hand can slow them down, effectively giving you a headstart or accelerating your position by comparison.

Instant Speed: Although Tidehollow Sculler itself isn’t an instant, it synergizes well with instant-speed removal or bounce effects, allowing you to permanently exile an opponent’s card if you can remove the Sculler in response to its own triggered ability. This kind of timing allows for flexible, responsive plays, disrupting your opponent at crucial moments.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The ability of Tidehollow Sculler to extract a nonland card from an opponent’s hand forces you to choose wisely, as missing the mark could dampen your strategic advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: One white and one black mana may seem easy at first glance, but in a multicolored deck, ensuring the right mana combination can pose a challenge, potentially delaying your play.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the card offers utility, the two mana cost, especially when aiming for early game pressure, might give similar cost cards with immediate board impact or those that do not require a sacrifice an edge over Tidehollow Sculler.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Tidehollow Sculler offers a unique flexibility that complements a variety of strategies. Its ability to exile a card from an opponent’s hand upon entering the battlefield can disrupt a wide range of game plans, making it a suitable inclusion for both aggressive and control-oriented decks.

Combo Potential: With the right board state, Tidehollow Sculler can create powerful interactions. It’s particularly synergistic with effects that allow it to blink in and out of play, repeatedly exploiting its hand-disturbing ability, while also allowing for interesting interactions with cards that benefit from creatures entering or leaving the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: In metas saturated with hands-on combo or control decks, Tidehollow Sculler shines by pre-emptively removing key components from opponents’ strategies. This enables the card to remain a persistent threat to a range of popular archetypes, keeping it relevant in various competitive scenes.


How to beat

Tidehollow Sculler presents a unique challenge in the game, deftly plucking a card from an opponent’s hand upon entering the battlefield. This ability can disrupt your game plan, but the key to overcoming this card lies in the timing and understanding of its leaving the battlefield trigger. Swift removal spells after the Sculler’s ability resolves but before it leaves the battlefield can ensure the targeted card is retuned without it being permanently exiled.

Another effective method is to wait it out. The Sculler holds your card hostage only as long as it’s on the battlefield. Once removed, your card will come back to your hand, providing an opportunity to wait for an advantageous moment to eliminate the Sculler. Board wipes also double as a solution to reset the board and retrieve your card simultaneously.

Strategically, playing less crucial cards when you expect a Sculler can minimize its impact, allowing you to safeguard key pieces in your strategy. By effectively planning your plays and holding removals for the right moment, Tidehollow Sculler becomes less of a threat and more of a minor hindrance in your path to victory.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tidehollow Sculler MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Shards of Alara, 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 Tidehollow Sculler and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Tidehollow Sculler Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2008-10-03 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 435602003NormalBlackCarl Critchlow
22008-10-03Shards of AlaraALA 2022003NormalBlackrk post
32013-06-07Modern MastersMMA 1842003NormalBlackrk post
42014-05-30Modern Event Deck 2014MD1 22003NormalBlackrk post
52021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 3881997NormalBlackrk post

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Tidehollow Sculler has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Tidehollow Sculler card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2021-03-19 If Tidehollow Sculler leaves the battlefield before its first ability has resolved, its second ability triggers. This ability does nothing when it resolves. Then its first ability resolves and exiles the chosen card indefinitely.