Skaab Ruinator

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Legality

Format Legality
1v1 Commander Legal
Archenemy Legal
Arena Legal
Block Constructed Legal
Canadian Highlander Legal
Casual Legal
Commander / EDH Legal
Commander: Rule 0 Legal
Custom Legal
Duel Commander Legal
Gladiator Legal
Highlander Legal
Historic Legal
Historic Brawl Legal
Legacy Legal
Leviathan Legal
Limited Legal
Modern Legal
Modern Beyond Horizons Legal
Oathbreaker Legal
Planar Constructed Legal
Planechase Legal
Quest Magic Legal
Tiny Leaders Legal
Vanguard Legal
Vintage Legal

Skaab Ruinator

Creature — Zombie Horror

As an additional cost to cast this spell, exile 3 creature cards from your graveyard.

Flying

You may cast this spell from your graveyard.

Balaam__ on Black/blue zombie control deck

7 months ago

Hordewing Skaab isn’t legal in Modern. Usually the site is pretty good at highlighting illegal cards in red but this one seems to have slipped by. Skaab Ruinator is a worthy replacement, if it helps.

wallisface on My zombie tribal deck

2 years ago

Dead_Blue_has already provided a great list of killspells. Fatal Push is usually the default go-to, though depending on your budget Infernal Grasp might be the most viable option.

The legacy cards there at the moment are Brainstorm, Ponder, and Bad River. I think for any kind of aggressive creature build those blue drawcards aren’t great anyway (because they’re not applying pressure).

As far as alternate strategies, Zombies usually do well in incorporating sacrifice and/or the graveyard. As an example that’s in the wrong colours and probably over-budget, my zombie list here is a good example of a zombie deck taking full-advantage of sacrifice mechanics, to give itself more options when it can’t win a direct beatdown. Your colours are a bit trickier to work around, but something like Blood Artist might help alongside the Carrion Feeder/Gravecrawler package. Blasting Station could also be useful. Blue-zombies in particular have access to Skaab Ruinator, which is a pretty efficient/chunky body, and possibly something to build your deck around - and going down that route both Mire Triton and Stitcher's Supplier might help get it out faster. Cryptbreaker is another interesting zombie that could be considered, depending on what you’re doing - it does play better in midrange strategies so if your deck ends up being one of attrition then its worth including.

Andramalech on MBD Zombie

2 years ago

Balaam__ I agree about building towards a goal that is non-traditional:

Building to win is so Spike, and I wanna win like Timmy or Johnny. I personally think this deck is more Johnny because at first glance.. you might miss some of these key interactions!

I.e.: things like how Zombie Infestation makes bodies that can be tossed for Scourge of Nel Toth, and then replenish your hand with Shadow of the Grave.

Boneyard Scourge is a cool card, but admittedly it isn't eternal format legal... that doesn't mean I won't use his happy ass anyways!

As far as "going second" as a precedent, I would think things like Serum Powder could help do a thing.. I even really like the idea of "going second" but having a strong "turn zero" presence to throw off your opponents (things like the Leylines or Chancellors).

Unfortunately, in competitive settings we both know it's gonna be typical "lame"/boring stuff like:

You splashed blue:

Or you splashed white:

Or, my personal favorite, if you splash green, you can have access to all my favorite removal, Graveyard staples, etc.:

And I wouldn't leave feedback about "How to" without covering the obvious ones, or at least some cards that immediately cross my mind for improvements:

There is a piece of my heart that wishes older Zombies had a more dangerous presence for this, like (I think) Lord of the Undead or Undead Warchief. Even a little slot for Soulless One.

Hell, I've even considered taking this theme to an EDH setting due to a video I saw of Jimmy Wong on Game Nights where he uses Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar as a psuedo-reanimator type build. With the inclusion of , I would especially love to use Bladewing the Risen or his newest iteration from Dominaria United. Initially, what I remembered wanting was "Zombies and Zombie Dragons".

And if we're mentioning that new set, Defiler of Flesh makes this blow up too. So many great "The Rot of the Horde" feeling cards that feed a sensation of an overwhelming wave of Undead minions!

Things like Abomination of Llanowar in a build would also be fun.

Really enjoyed our discussion about this and I'm really curious to see if/what kinda spin you would put on it!

Andramalech on MBD Zombie

2 years ago

Balaam__ I agree about building towards a goal that is non-traditional:

Building to win is so Spike, and I wanna win like Timmy or Johnny. I personally think this deck is more Johnny because at first glance.. you might miss some of these key interactions!

I.e.: things like how Zombie Infestation makes bodies that can be tossed for Scourge of Nel Toth, and then replenish your hand with Shadow of the Grave.

Boneyard Scourge is a cool card, but admittedly it isn't eternal format legal... that doesn't mean I won't use his happy ass anyways!

KingKaz on U/B Zombie Graveyard

2 years ago

Bulldawg1310 I use those in another zombie deck I have, that one has an aristocrat theme. https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/orzhov-gravecrawler-zombie-sacrifice/

For this one I wanted to focus more on the self-mill, play from the graveyard mechanic. I also think Skaab Ruinator is really cool, but have never found a good way to utilize him.

Castigus on Eldritch Evolution Zombie Deck

2 years ago

Thanks for the advice wallisface! Apart from Skaab Ruinator I actually have all them cards so could playtest all of them!

One last question, do you think Voldaren Pariah  Flip would work? Enough discard to get her out for her madness cost and could probably transform her with sacrificing tokens and Gravecrawler?

Thanks again for the help!

wallisface on Eldritch Evolution Zombie Deck

2 years ago

Two cards that could work well in the existing shell could be:

  • Champion of the Perished. You have a few ways already to keep putting Zombies into play - this card helps you profit from that by becoming a big chonky attaker.

  • Skaab Ruinator could be strong here, though you'd need to add blue to the deck, and likely also play Stitcher's Supplier to ensure your grave had enough creatures - but a 3cmc 5/6 flyer that can keep coming back is a threat not a lot of decks can cope with.

Other than that, more interaction is always good (Abrupt Decay, Assassin's Trophy, Fatal Push). As far as the cards I think are the "weak spots" to consider removing, it'd be the Planeswalkers and Amulet of Vigor, followed by Ebondeath, Dracolich.

It also feels a bit to me like your namesake card, Eldritch Evolution, doesn't actually do a lot for you here. Specifically, that card normally shines in combo decks, but less so for grindy brews like this. It feels like Collected Company would serve you better justice in assembling the go-wide zombie-hoard. (Keep in mind though, that Collected Company requires you run at least 28ish creatures to see reliable profits)

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