Unusual Tribes 15: Scarecrows

 Intro

Welcome back to Unusual Tribes, a series which evaluates the viability of several of the Magic the Gathering’s more niche creature types. This article marks the one year anniversary of this series.  Unusual Tribes 1: Skeletons came out on Halloween 2019. Due to my increased focus on producing video essays for the Macready Musings Youtube channel these articles haven’t been coming out quite as regularly as they used to. In fact the last of them, on Dogs, came out in June. I figured that given that it’s the anniversary it was time to dust this series off and write another entry.

This article will focus on Scarecrows. Partially because it’s Halloween and Scarecrows literally have the word ‘scare’ in their name. Partially because they often have pumpkins for heads. But primarily because  Scarecrows are an interesting example of a tribe which have an interesting combination of an absolutely amazing lord/commander card in Reaper King, whilst also having many, many members which are completely forgettable like Wicker Witch and Field Creeper.

The game, at time of writing, features 35 Scarecrows. Almost every single Scarecrow in Magic is a colourless artifact creature. There are only two exceptions: the aforementioned Reaper King who is 5 colours and Straw Soldiers which is blue and not an artifact. Although Straw Soldiers is unique as the only non-artifact Scarecrow in the game, it is also very expensive, due to being from Portal: Three Kingdoms which only saw a very limited release.

Early Scarecrows

Appropriately enough, the first printed Scarecrow in the game was simply called Scarecrow. Initially simply an artifact with no creature type, Scarecrow finally became a legitimate Scarecrow in 2007 when the creature type was errated onto it. Scarecrow is simultaneously a fantastically flavourful demonstration of the concept of what a Scarecrow should be and a horrendously overcosted and weak card. For 5 mana, Scarecrow provides a 2/2 stat line and can be tapped down, along with a 6 mana payment, to reduce all of the damage dealt to you by flying creatures in a given turn to 0. This makes Scarecrow live up to its name, as it can scare fliers away. Sadly it is more effective to simply kill these flying creatures entirely with a spell like Whirlwind, or to spend your mana on less situational and niche effects. Perhaps to the Vorthoses among you, however, the opportunity to have your opponent’s Nicol Bolas flee in fear before the sheer intimidating power of your straw sentinel is simply too enticing to pass up.

The Scarecrows of Shadowmoor

Shadowmoor is the plane which has provided us with by far the most Scarecrows. As Shadowmoor exists as a dark counterpart to the light and jolly plane of Lorwyn, Scarecrows were brought in to provide the transformed world with a generally creepy aesthetic. A cycle of Scarecrows was printed in both of the sets of Shadowmoor block. The first cycle, containing cards such as Blazethorn Scarecrow and Watchwing Scarecrow, buff themselves when you control a creature or multiple creatures of a set of two allied colours. The next cycle, known as the ‘skulkin’, were released in Eventide, and can provide beneficial effect to your other creatures if they are a certain colour.  Antler Skulkin can grant a white creature Persist, Jawbone Skulkin can grant a red creature Haste etc. Both of these sets of Scarecrows combo rather nicely with another Scarecrow from Shadowmoor, Scrapbasket, which can (for the cost of one mana) become all colours until the end of turn. This turns on the abilities of all of the Scarecrows from the first cycle, and means that Scrapbasket can be targeted by the effects of all of the Scarecrows from the second cycle.

Beyond playing around with different colours, many of the Scarecrows of Shadowmoor also give out -1/-1 counters in some way. Several of them, such as Lockjaw Snapper, have Wither a mechanic unique to Shadowmoor where combat damage to creatures is dealt in the form of -1/-1 counters. Wither has never been seen again, however, Infect arguably acts as its spiritual successor and will surely be terrorising commander tables for years to come. There is also Scarecrone, a card which provides a very slight slice of tribal synergy, as it allows you to sacrifice Scarecrows in order to draw cards.

The Painter and the Reaper

Of all of the Scarecrows of Shadowmoor, however, none can compare to the plane’s two most famous: Painter’s Servant and Reaper King. Painter’s Servant is notorious due to a combo which it enables. The Servant makes every card in the game, even those not in play, a specified colour.  This allows you to immediately empty an opponent’s deck when combined with the effect of Grindstone, a card from Tempest which mills the top two cards of any player’s deck and then repeats the effect if those cards share a colour.  This led to the card being banned in Commander for 10 years from 2009 until 2019. On top of this specific infamous combo, Painter’s Servant has many more uses. It turns ‘colour hoser’ cards (cards with strong effects which can only target cards of a specific colour) from being situational into being exceedingly powerful. For example, whilst Painter’s Servant is in play, Persecute allows you to discard the entirety of an opponent’s hand and Blue Elemental Blast and Red Elemental Blast become unconditional removal spells which can also be used to counter anything for only a single mana.

It is clear then that Painter’s Servant has very broad usability and that it doesn’t necessarily need to slot into a Scarecrow tribal deck. This stands in marked contrast to Reaper King, which almost single handily creates and upholds Scarecrow tribal as an archetype. Reaper King is the only real choice to be the commander of a Scarecrow EDH deck. Reaper King has a peculiar mana cost, containing a single hybrid mana symbol for each of the five colours. This hybrid mana can be be paid for using either the specified colour or two mana of any colour instead. Though rather unusual, Reaper King’s variable mana cost is a fantastic trait for a commander to have as it enables you to run as many, or as few, colours as you want to in your Scarecrow EDH deck.  As almost all Scarecrows are colourless, the colours which Reaper King grants you access too can be used exclusively on supporting spells, enchantments and other beneficial effects.

Of course a novel mana cost is far from the only thing which Reaper King has to offer. The king provides +1/+1 to every other Scarecrow you control and when another Scarecrow enters play it allows you to destroy any permanent on the battlefield. Reaper King is the defining lynchpin which holds Scarecrow decks together. Without this lone card the strength of Scarecrow decks takes a significant tumble, but with their King at their head Scarecrows can frighten off far more than just birds.

Scarecrows Since

After Shadowmoor, Innistrad is the plane which is home to the second greatest number of Scarecrows. One-Eyed Scarecrow marks another attempt to convey the role Scarecrows play in well… scaring crows. It gives your opponent’s fliers -1/-0 mildly shocking them by reducing their attack, rather than freezing them to place in terror like the original Scarecrow. One-Eyed Scarecrow is also one of only two Scarecrows with Defender (the other being Wild-Field Scarecrow) a logical choice for an ability given that most Scarecrows offensive capabilities are limited, given that they are immobile bundles of straw and wood. Harvest Hand is another notable Scarecrow from Innistrad. Harvest Hand turns from a ploughshare into a sword (well a strawman into a scythe) upon death, becoming a +1/+1 piece of equipment. Geist-Fueled Scarecrow also bears mentioning. Though not a terribly powerful card, as a 4/4 for 4 mana which makes other creatures you cast cost 1 more, Geist-Fueled Scarecrow is important as it is only Scarecrow to actually depict a crow being scared in its artwork.

Another plane which features some Scarecrows is Eldraine. Signpost Scarecrow is an unremarkable mana fixer, with Vigilance. Whilst Jousting Dummy otherwise known as ‘Syr Nobody’, at least according to their flavour text, bears a unique combination of creature types as a ‘Scarecrow Knight’. Jousting Dummy primarily exists in order to provide a colourless knight to work in Eldraine’s limited environment, where Knight tribal is a prominent theme.

We are returning to Innistrad over the course of two sets in 2021. Although much of the focus of this trip will be upon the Werewolves, Vampires and other horrors who make the plane their home, perhaps we may see a handful of new Scarecrows come our way. The best bet for anyone looking to scavenge some new parts for a Scarecrow deck lies in a return to Lorwyn/Shadowmoor, something which has got to happen eventually… Right?

Arbitrary Grades

Flavour: B-

As stated earlier several of the game’s Scarecrows weaken flying cards, conveying their real-world purpose nicely. Beyond that things gets a bit blurrier however. The ability of some Scarecrows to generate or fix mana could show their connection to the land in which they are literally planted. Although just what Wither and other effects that spread -1/-1 counters represent is anyone’s guess. Maybe it represents the straw binding the Scarecrows together, or the crops they are guarding, wilting? Though this is just speculation.

It is a bit odd that so few Scarecrows have Defender, but then the viability of the tribe would be absolutely tanked if they were all rooted in place and unable to attack. Of all of the mysteries of the multiverse which Magic the Gathering has shown us, mobile men made of straw are not too big a stretch of the imagination.

Special mention should be given here to the card Scaretiller. Whenever it is tapped you can put a land either from your graveyard or your hand onto the battlefield tapped. Part Scarecrow, part farming implement, Scaretiller’s effect is perfectly conveyed by its flavour text  ‘fields of battle turn to fields of grain’.

Viability: C

As mentioned above Scarecrows are an exceedingly strange tribe to assess. At first glance Scarecrows seem entirely mediocre and forgettable. There are only 35 of them, and many of these cards are decidedly unimpressive. There are a few scattered themes about spreading -1/-1 counters, providing mana fixing and caring about the colour of other cards. It seems that none of these ideas are developed in any great depth, to come together to give the tribe a coherent identity or game plan. But then you look at Reaper King who alone welds each of these disparate parts into a powerful whole, or at least in Commander where the King can be played reliably. Although each individual Scarecrow may be weak, when even the least impressive among them are turned into a Vindicate due to the effect of your commander they become a powerful force. Furthermore given that all of them, who aren’t named  Straw Soldiers, are artifact creatures you can support them using cards like Tempered Steel and Foundry Inspector.

Best and worst cards:

Perhaps this category has already been spoiled above, given that Reaper King and Painter’s Servant have a section exclusively dedicated to them, but they are definitely the front runners when considering which Scarecrow is best. When comparing the two, arguably, Painter’s Servant is the better card due to its broader utility. The Servant enables all sorts of crazy, game-winning combos whilst Reaper King is only really useful in the context of a Scarecrow tribal deck. Reaper King is absolutely fantastic at carrying out its one role, and there are many other tribes which could dearly use a card like it, but ultimately this is its only real use and it will never see play in a deck which doesn’t feature a large number of Scarecrows or Changelings.

Just as the best Scarecrows were given away prematurely, it will likely come as no surprise when I announce that Scarecrow is the weakest card of the tribe. Although very evocative the original Scarecrow is incredibly weak, costing a huge amount of mana whilst only providing an incredibly underwhelming stat block and an overcosted effect.  

Conclusion

I know that normally I end these articles with the grades but since this is the blog’s one year anniversary, and I am feeling sentimental, I think I’ll use this opportunity to offer some quick thanks.

First I want to thank MagisterSieran a.k.a Nakatamun Archives a.k.a ‘The Minotaur Guy’. He makes the Magic the Gathering subreddit a brighter place for everyone, and makes every set release a more exciting event due to his minotaur reviews. He has provided frequent encouragement to me in writing this column, and is just all around the friendliest bull-enthusiast you are likely to meet.

I would also like to give thanks to Tasty Cardboard another Magic the Gathering Youtuber. He makes some fantastic videos and has been very supportive of me as we both develop our respective followings.

Thanks for reading another Unusual Tribes column and here’s hoping that next year we have more wacky and weird tribal cards and fewer Okos and Uros.