Scrabbling ClawsHow it works & interactions with other cards

Dual Graveyard Management

The first ability allows you to tap Scrabbling Claws to force a target player to exile a card from their graveyard. The player who was targeted chooses which card to exile, meaning you cannot pick a specific threat with this ability. However, the second ability allows you to pay one mana and sacrifice the artifact to exile a specific target card of your choice and draw a card immediately.

Resolution Step by Step

When you activate the first ability, you target a player; as it resolves, that player selects one card from their graveyard to move to the exile zone. For the second ability, you choose the target card in a graveyard as you activate it and pay the costs. If the target card is removed from the graveyard in response, the ability will not resolve, and you will not draw a card.

Common Pitfalls

A common mistake is assuming you choose the card with the first ability. Since the text says 'Target player exiles a card,' the choice belongs to that player. Additionally, remember that sacrificing Scrabbling Claws is a cost; if the ability is countered by a spell or ability, your artifact is already in the graveyard and cannot be recovered easily.

Strategic Timing

Use the tapping ability during your opponent's end step to slowly chip away at their resources. Save the sacrifice ability for when they attempt to reanimate a specific high-value target or when you desperately need to dig into your library for a fresh card.

Interaction examples

Fueling the Claws

Sol Ring

You can tap Sol Ring to add two colorless mana to your mana pool. You can then use one of those mana to cast Scrabbling Claws. Because the Claws only costs one mana, you still have one colorless mana remaining, which is exactly the amount needed to activate the second ability of Scrabbling Claws later in the turn if a threat appears.

Color Fixing and Utility

Arcane Signet

If you have Arcane Signet on the battlefield, you can tap it for mana to pay for the sacrifice cost of Scrabbling Claws. This is particularly useful in multi-color decks where you need to leave your lands untapped for reactive spells while still maintaining the ability to exile an opponent's key card at a moment's notice.

Standard Operation

On your turn, you tap Scrabbling Claws targeting your opponent. They choose to exile a basic land from their graveyard. Later, when they cast a spell to return a creature to their hand, you pay one mana and sacrifice Scrabbling Claws, targeting that specific creature. The creature is exiled, and you draw a card, successfully negating their spell.