Daretti, Scrap SavantHow it works & interactions with other cards

Mastering the Scrap Heap

Daretti's first ability is a powerful filter, allowing you to discard up to two cards to draw the same amount. His second ability is his signature move: it targets an artifact card in your graveyard first, and only as it resolves do you choose which artifact on the battlefield to sacrifice. Finally, his ultimate provides an emblem that creates a near-infinite loop of value, returning any artifact that hits your graveyard from the battlefield back to play at the end of the turn.

Step-by-Step Resolution

When you activate the -2 ability, you must choose a target artifact card in your graveyard immediately. If the ability resolves, you choose an artifact you control to sacrifice. If you still control at least one artifact, you must sacrifice one to get the target back. The emblem works by creating a delayed triggered ability; if an artifact goes to the graveyard, it waits until the next end step to return. Note that if that card leaves the graveyard before the end step (such as being exiled), it will not return.

Common Pitfalls

A common mistake involves the -2 ability's sacrifice requirement. You do not choose which artifact to sacrifice until the ability is actually resolving. If an opponent destroys the specific artifact you wanted to sacrifice in response to the ability, you are forced to sacrifice a different artifact you control if one is available. Additionally, for the +2 ability, you can choose to discard zero cards, but you will draw zero cards in return.

Strategic Timing

Play Daretti, Scrap Savant when you have high-impact artifacts in your hand that you can't cast yet, or when you already have a target in the graveyard. Using the +2 early helps you dig for answers while setting up your graveyard for his -2 ability. The emblem is a long-term goal that effectively makes your board immune to most board wipes, as everything will return at the end of the turn.

Interaction examples

The Scrap Exchange

Daretti, Scrap Savant

You activate the -2 ability of Daretti, Scrap Savant targeting a powerful artifact in your graveyard. As the ability resolves, you sacrifice a cheap artifact token. The high-value artifact is then moved from your graveyard to the battlefield.

Emblem Persistence

Daretti, Scrap SavantDaretti, Scrap Savant Emblem

With the Daretti, Scrap Savant Emblem in play, an opponent destroys one of your artifacts during their main phase. The emblem triggers and creates a delayed effect. At the beginning of the next end step, that artifact card returns from your graveyard to the battlefield.