Tinybones, Trinket Thief MTG Card


Tinybones excels in discard strategies, transforming opponents’ card losses into your card advantage. Dedicated mana requirements make deck-building focused but can limit versatility with other colors. Tinybones brings a unique late-game threat with activated abilities that hurt opponents each turn.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Skeleton Rogue
Power 1
Toughness 2

Text of card

At the beginning of each end step, if an opponent discarded a card this turn, you draw a card and you lose 1 life. : Each opponent with no cards in hand loses 10 life.

Big distractions mean tiny nuisances can slip by unnoticed.


Cards like Tinybones, Trinket Thief

Tinybones, Trinket Thief is an intriguing character in the realm of MTG’s black-aligned creatures focused on discard strategies. This stealthy little Skeleton Rogue shines in comparison to other cards with similar discard tactics, such as Sadistic Hypnotist. While both thrive in decks aiming to empty opponents’ hands, Tinybones has the advantage of being a Legendary creature with a powerful ability to draw cards and hurt opponents each turn.

Another card worth noting is Liliana’s Caress, which, like Tinybones, deals damage to opponents when they discard cards. However, it lacks the ability to draw additional cards. Conversely, Nath of the Gilt-Leaf can create elf tokens and also encourages a discard strategy, but it does not offer Tinybones’ consistent end-of-turn draw mechanism. Sure Nath might build a board presence, but Tinybones’ brand of passive damage and card advantage is unmatched.

Delving into the specific abilities and synergies, Tinybones stands out with its low mana cost and unique endgame potential. Its synergy with discard effects can swiftly disrupt your opponent’s strategy while ensuring your hand stays replenished. Compared to peers, Tinybones brings a distinctive blend of utility and pressure to any commander deck focused on discard.

Sadistic Hypnotist - MTG Card versions
Liliana's Caress - MTG Card versions
Nath of the Gilt-Leaf - MTG Card versions
Sadistic Hypnotist - MTG Card versions
Liliana's Caress - MTG Card versions
Nath of the Gilt-Leaf - MTG Card versions

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tinybones, Trinket Thief excels at keeping your hand flush with options. This stealthy creature rewards you for exploiting opponents’ discarded cards by drawing you additional cards during your end step, ensuring a steady flow of resources to maintain the upper hand.

Resource Acceleration: As a pivotal piece in discard-centric decks, Tinybones accelerates your game plan by essentially transforming opponents’ losses into your gains. With each card discarded on your term, you edge closer to Tinybones’s activated ability, a powerful late-game closer that can drain life swiftly, tilting the scales in your favor.

Instant Speed: Tinybones, Trinket Thief operates on a passive but potent threat, capitalizing on each discard event as it occurs in the game. This card’s ability to draw extra cards is naturally synced with the end step, ready to exploit instant-speed interactions and opponents’ end-of-turn discard strategies, ensuring you never miss an opportunity to leverage Tinybones’s strengths.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Tinybones Trinket Thief thrives in a setting where each player is discarding cards, but this reliance can be a significant obstacle. If you’re unable to force discards consistently, Tinybones’ utility diminishes, posing a challenge in maintaining his effectiveness throughout the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Tinybones requires a dedicated build to optimize its mana cost, demanding two black mana. This specificity can narrow deck-building options, as it ties you into black mana resources, potentially limiting your ability to splash other colors for a more diverse strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an activated ability costing four mana and two life, the cost to draw a card and lose life is steep when considering other cards in the same vein. While Tinybones can be a powerful asset, the cost to activate this ability is significant, which could lead to fewer resources for other spells or abilities critical to your game plan.


Reasons to Include Tinybones Trinket Thief in Your Collection

Versatility: Tinybones slips easily into mono-black control decks and fills a unique role in discard-focused strategies. Its ability to draw a card during each player’s end step if they discarded a card that turn offers consistent value generation throughout the game.

Combo Potential: This sneaky Skeleton Rogue shines in combos, particularly when paired with effects that force your opponents to discard multiple cards. Each card ditched can translate into damage and card advantage, edging you closer to victory with every opponent’s discard.

Meta-Relevance: Given that many current formats are dense with hand disruption tactics, Tinybones can be a serious threat. It capitalizes on widespread discard effects, making it a formidable presence against various deck archetypes, and maintaining your lead in the resource game.


How to beat

Tinybones, Trinket Thief has stealthily made a name for itself in the realm of Magic: The Gathering strategies. Famed for its ability to reward players whenever an opponent discards a card during their turn, it’s critical to have the right counterplay. Preventing card advantage is essential when facing this devious creature. Ensuring that your hand is always stocked with cards mitigates Tinybones’ end step trigger from dealing damage and drawing more cards.

One effective strategy is employing cards that reshuffle your discarded cards back into your library. This not only dilutes the effectiveness of your opponent’s discard strategy but also frustrates their plan to win the attrition war. Additionally, leaning on cards with hexproof or shroud can shield your hand from targeted discard spells, leaving Tinybones with fewer opportunities to exploit. Suppressing this tiny terror requires a blend of plentiful hand resources, protective measures, and an awareness of its menacing potential if left unchecked in a game.

Ultimately, planning ahead to maintain a robust hand size and incorporating strategic defenses is fundamental in overcoming the challenge posed by Tinybones, allowing you to outlast and outmaneuver adversaries relying heavily on discard mechanics.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the subtle art of MTG involves more than just casting spells and amassing powerful creatures—it’s about strategic depth and leveraging unique cards like Tinybones, Trinket Thief. If you’re intrigued by the potential of Tinybones in your discard-centric arsenal and wish to dominate foes with cerebral gameplay, then delving deeper into such strategies will fortify your MTG prowess. We encourage you to expand your collection, refine your deck, and study the synergies that can make Tinybones an asset in your lineup. Dive into our vast resources to sharpen your strategy and transform each match into a well-played victory with this skeletal thief leading your charge.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tinybones, Trinket Thief MTG card by a specific set like Secret Lair Drop and Jumpstart, 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 Tinybones, Trinket Thief and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Tinybones, Trinket Thief Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-12-02 and 2020-07-17. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 14072015NormalBorderlessRyan Quickfall
22020-07-17JumpstartJMP 172015NormalBlackJason Rainville

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Tinybones, Trinket Thief has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
GladiatorLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2020-06-23 Tinybones checks which opponents have no cards in hand only as its last ability resolves.
2020-06-23 Tinybones’s first ability has you draw just one card and lose just 1 life, no matter how many opponents discarded cards and no matter how many cards were discarded beyond the first.
2020-06-23 Tinybones’s first ability triggers only if an opponent has discarded a card before the end step begins. If an opponent has more cards in hand than their maximum hand size, they’ll discard during their cleanup step, which is after the end step.