Scale the Heights

Sorcery

Put a +1/+1 counter on up to one target creature. You gain 2 life. You may play an additional land this turn.

Draw a card.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Pauper Duel Commander	Legal
Pauper EDH	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Pre-release	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Standard	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (6)

ClockworkSwordfish on Good Cards That You Just …

2 years ago

I have a real loathing for all the "kitchen sink" cards that have been cropping up more and more lately - the type that give you a ton of fiddly little incremental advantages. Strixhaven was especially bad for this. Things like Magma Opus, Culmination of Studies, Multiple Choice, Pestilent Cauldron  ^Flip, Scale the Heights... there's being versatile, then there's being overdesigned and obnoxious.

The same goes for creatures with a number of "might as well" abilities that are likely to never come up in actual gameplay. Questing Beast is perhaps the worst offender, but Moritte of the Frost, Vadrok, Apex of Thunder, Koma, Cosmos Serpent, Graveyard Trespasser  ^Flip, Orvar, the All-Form, any double-sided creature... these things aren't even fun to read.

thesilentpyro on Pervasive Footprints

2 years ago

Out: Besmirch

In: Nothing, there were 101 cards in the deck because I didn't finish cutting last time.

• A wincon that relies on combat (even if it's pretty well guaranteed) that doesn't further the gameplan is a hard sell. If the goad is relevant at all it means you didn't go off hard enough.

Out: Dovescape

In: Dizzy Spell

• Dovescape is a hilarious card that does win you the game, but six mana is too much when it doesn't immediately do something. Dizzy Spell for Nivmagus Elemental is often going to be better.
• The one-mana slot has gotten very versatile, and a you can always just nab Kick in the Door to get things started if you don't need something specific like Crop Rotation or Nivmagus Elemental. It's also a targeted spell if you want to just trigger mentors or Storm-Kiln Artist.

Out: Feather, the Redeemed

In: Kick in the Door

• Feather is cute, but slow and win-more; we should win the turn we're casting a bunch of spells and its three mana is better spent doing exactly that.
• Kick does little bits of everything we want: gives treasures, makes tokens, and draws cards, with some random lifegain and scry thrown in. None of these effects are as efficient as the cards that are focused on them, but you're never sad to have Kick. Four creatures on the board is enough to complete Lost Mine of Phandelver for a little benefit, and at five you can work on Dungeon of the Mad Mage and accelerate the combo. When there's seven+ the card's gold.

Out: Gods Willing

In: Tamiyo's Safekeeping

• Protection is not as good as indestructible when multiple Pongify/Beast Within-type cards are in the deck. I'm only leaving in Apostle's Blessing as the sole protection from color card because the colorless cost is more relevant than scry when we can already draw a million cards and having some ability to protect from targeted non-destroy removal is good. The hexproof from the blessing is very relevant to protect from opposing targeted removal of any kind, and the lifegain isn't irrelevant either.

Out: Leyline of Anticipation

In: Storm-Kiln Artist

• Leyline is too expensive to not do anything itself and the concentration of instant-speed cards is just getting higher. Dizzy Spell for Crop Rotation for Emergence Zone is pretty similar if you are really worried about timing, and the Crop Rotation can be done at instant speed itself or held to fetch Gaea's Cradle when going off.
• The rulings on Storm-Kiln Artist dictate that every copy makes another treasure. Four mana might actually make this win-more considering how many other bonkers mana generators there are, but it's really hard for me to resist how explosive this is. It's an easy way to burn someone out with Electrodominance, hitting more than one player with Regrowth and Eternal Witness.

Out: Mercy Killing

In: Startle

• Using Mercy Killing as a radiated forced sacrifice is bad as we can't protect with indestructibility. Losing instant-speed multiple tokens is a hard sell, though, and it's amazing when Nivmagus Elemental or Flusterstorm are available. This might still make it back in if only to use as a regular removal spell that is also a token generator. You need things to have at least two power to net tokens, but there's accidental synergy with all the random power buffs in here. I've gotta think on it.
• Startle is probably now the best targeted spell in the deck; it's instant speed tokens AND draw for two mana.

Out: Quasiduplicate

In: Croaking Counterpart

• Croak is a targeted copy maker that gets opponents' creatures at three mana with flashback. Don't need to say anything else. It sucks that it doesn't hit its own tokens when you flash it back, but that won't come up much as the flashback isn't necessary so getting opponents' creatures up front is better than getting more of your own with a second cast. Hilariously, it doesn't hit Rapid Hybridization tokens.

Out: Reliquary Tower

In: Boseiju, Who Endures

• I've never liked Reliquary. It was only in as a remnant from when the deck was slower and we were more likely to run out of mana. Now we should win on the same turn we draw a million cards, and the colorless mana can be relevant when the curve is so low.
• Boseiju, Who Endures is an untapped colored source that is also uncounterable removal for problematic permanents. I don't anticipate ever taking it out.

Out: Rite of Replication

In: Mythos of Illuna

• This should always have been Mythos. Having the option to hit the occasional doozy of a non-creature is pretty great, and while it's rare that you want it the removal is always an option. The kicker on Rite is and always was win-more that just makes the table groan.

Out: Swell of Growth

In: Sudden Breakthrough

• Swell is a good card, but one treasure per creature is better than being limited to the number of lands you have. It's possible Scale the Heights is the right cut instead.

TheoryCrafter on Jund Shit

2 years ago

Have you considered any combination of Nesting Grounds and The Ozolith? Both of these cards will allow you to move around counters.

For lots of treasure tokens, if you have the cash to throw around, you may want to consider Dockside Extortionist.

Also, have you considered any combination of Enter the Unknown, Explore and Scale the Heights? Not only do all of these allow you to play an additional land, but allow some sort of card draw and/or counter.

I hope this helps. Happy Hunting!

DanMcSharp on Abzan Midrange

2 years ago

Looks like an interesting deck.

It's very rare to see Scale the Heights getting any play, but if you really like it then you should more than just 23 lands, especially if you run Felidar Retreat as well. Having 4 Fabled Passage is pretty much a must to get the most out of your Felidar Retreat too. If you're not sure what to cut, I would recommend running only 2 Snakeskin Veil instead. It's not a bad card, but it's usually side-board material because unless you have the perfect opportunity to use it, it's very underwhelming. You never want 2 or 3 of those sitting in your hand taxing your mana while you wait for a good time to use them either.

If you think you might run out of spells too quickly with more lands, you could also consider adding some Castle Locthwain to your mana base. Mixing in some Mazemind Tome is usually a good idea too.

Cheers~

Murphy77 on Naya Landfall

3 years ago

I would think that a Naya Landfall deck with Scute Swarm really needs to be based on 3 central cards. You have Scute Swarm and Felidar Retreat but Conclave Mentor can really ramp up the +1/+1 counters that you put on creatures.

Then you want to increase your Landfall. Start wit Evolving Wilds and Fabled Passage in your land base. You might then increase your Landfall using cards like Migration Path and/or Scale the Heights and my favorite Skyclave Pick-Axe can also give your Conclave Mentor a Landfall effect.

Once you have this basic core, your biggest problem is that your insect swarm and +1/+1 counter swarm really only gets going in turn 5 or 6. You need quick, low cmc attackers and blockers just to ensure that you stand a chance of surviving to turn 6. Ancient Greenwarden, Angel of Destiny and Moraug, Fury of Akoum are all great for the late-game, but I like Akoum Hellhound, Infuriate and Fearless Fledgling for an early-game presence. Just remember that when your +1/+1 counter swarm starts, all your weenie creatures will also get very big, very quickly.

Murphy77 on Land War in Asia

3 years ago

Possibly the strongest Landfall card in the current meta is Scute Swarm, which can easily be the base around which a Landfall deck can be built. Scute Swarm with landfall generates a swarm of 1/1 insect tokens. Felidar Retreat then puts +1/+1 counters on each creature (including your insect tokens) with each Landfall. Felidar Retreat also gives your creatures vigilance for the turn. Frondland Felidar then comes in and allows you to tap any creature with vigilance to tap any of your opponent's creatures. As you will invariably have more creatures than your opponent, tap your smallest creatures to tap opposing creatures and attack Unblocked.

Conclave Mentor adds +1/+1 counters for each +1/+1 counter that you place on creatures. Murasa Rootgrazer helps Landfall by, each turn, allowing you to either return a land to your hand or play an extra land. Similar increased landfall results from Roiling Regrowth and Scale the Heights.

Then come the options and/or personal choices. Do we add extra counters with Vastwood Fortification  ^Flip or double up on a Landfall effect with Skyclave Pick-Axe? Is Kazandu Mammoth  ^Flip stronger than Wildwood Scourge? Ranger's Guile can protect your Landfall creatures, but Light of Hope may be more versatile. Can we afford to give up Roiling Regrowth for Hydra's Growth? Can we fit in Heroic Intervention against controlling decks? These are the choices that make your deck unique and personal.