Screeching Scorchbeast is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Flying, menace Whenever this creature attacks, each player gets two rad counters. Whenever one or more nonland cards are milled, you may create that many 2/2 black Zombie Mutant creature tokens. Do this only once each turn.
Complete guide
Screeching Scorchbeast is a terrifying aerial threat that spreads radiation across the battlefield, turning fallen memories into a shambling army. This Bat Mutant not only pressures life totals with Flying and Menace but also capitalizes on the misery of every player at the table.
Radiation and Recruitment
When Screeching Scorchbeast attacks, every player receives two rad counters. At the start of a player's precombat main phase, they must mill cards equal to their rad counters. For each nonland card milled this way, they lose 1 life and lose a rad counter. The Scorchbeast's final ability watches for these moments; whenever one or more nonland cards are milled by anyone, you can create a 2/2 black Zombie Mutant token for each nonland card lost. Note that even if multiple players mill simultaneously, it counts as one event for the trigger.
The 'Once Each Turn' Clause
The ability to create Zombie Mutant tokens is restricted to once per turn. When the trigger resolves, you choose whether to create the tokens. If you decide to create them, the ability won't trigger again until the next turn. However, if you choose not to create tokens—perhaps because only one nonland card was milled and you're expecting a larger mill effect later—the ability remains available to trigger again later in the same turn.
Navigating Rad Counters
Rad counters are a status on the player, not associated with any permanent on the board. They do not disappear at the end of turns or phases. They only go away when a player mills a nonland card during their precombat main phase or through specific card effects. If a player has fewer cards in their library than rad counters, they simply mill as much as they can, and the Scorchbeast will still count the nonland cards among those milled to determine your token count.
Interaction examples
Screeching Scorchbeast
Zombie MutantAt the start of your precombat main phase, you have two rad counters. You mill two cards: a land and a nonland creature. Because a nonland card was milled, Screeching Scorchbeast triggers. You lose 1 life and one rad counter, then the Scorchbeast's ability resolves, allowing you to create one 2/2 black Zombie Mutant creature token.
Syr Konrad, the GrimYou activate Syr Konrad, the Grim's ability, causing each player to mill one card. In a four-player game, if three of those cards are nonland cards, Screeching Scorchbeast triggers once because 'one or more' nonland cards were milled in a single event. You may create three 2/2 black Zombie Mutant tokens. Since you chose to create tokens, this ability will not trigger again for the rest of the turn.
Gray Merchant of AsphodelAfter attacking with Screeching Scorchbeast and creating three Zombie Mutant tokens from a previous mill effect, you cast Gray Merchant of Asphodel. Your devotion to black now includes the Scorchbeast's {B}{B}, the Merchant's {B}{B}, and the three tokens (which are black but have a mana cost of 0). The tokens contribute to your board presence but only the non-token permanents provide mana symbols for devotion.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Screeching Scorchbeast
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Any effects (such as proliferate) that interact with counters a player gets, has, or loses can interact with rad counters.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
The cards are milled all at once, which means abilities that trigger “whenever one or more nonland cards are milled” will trigger exactly once as long as at least one nonland card was milled.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If a player has fewer cards remaining in their library than the number of rad counters they have when the triggered ability resolves, they’ll mill as many cards as they can.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If more than one player is instructed to mill at the same time (by the activated ability of Raul, Trouble Shooter, for example), as long as at least one nonland card is milled, Screeching Scorchbeast’s last ability will trigger just once.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
“Do this only once each turn” lets you choose whether or not to create the appropriate number of 2/2 black Zombie Mutant creature tokens as the triggered ability resolves. If you choose not to create tokens, the ability will trigger again the next time the condition is met. Once you choose to do so, the ability will no longer trigger for the rest of the turn.
Card named in this ruling
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
Rad counters are a kind of counter that a player may have. They’re not associated with any specific permanents.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
Keep track of how many rad counters each player has. Potential ways to track this include writing them down on paper or using dice, but any method that is clear and mutually agreeable is fine.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
Rad counters don’t go away as steps, phases, or turns end. They only go away when an effect instructs a player to remove rad counters from themselves.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
There is an inherent triggered ability associated with having rad counters. This triggered ability has no source and is controlled by the active player. The full text of this ability is “At the beginning of the precombat main phase of a player with rad counters, that player mills cards equal to the number of rad counters they have. For each nonland card milled this way, that player loses 1 life and removes one rad counter from themselves.”
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
In a game using the shared team turns option, such as an Archenemy or Two-Headed Giant game, the inherent triggered ability associated with rad counters triggers once for each player on the active team that has rad counters. Each instance of that ability is controlled by one of those players.
No other card is named in this ruling.
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