Scrounge for EternityHow it works & interactions with other cards

What It Does

Scrounge for Eternity is a recursion spell with a specific cost and a dual reward. To cast it, you must sacrifice either an artifact or a creature. Once it resolves, it brings a creature or Spacecraft card with mana value 5 or less from your graveyard directly to the battlefield. Finally, it leaves you with a Lander token, which can be sacrificed later to fetch a basic land from your library.

How It Resolves Step by Step

First, as you cast the spell, you pay the mana cost and choose a sacrifice target; this is an additional cost and cannot be responded to. Second, you choose a legal target in your graveyard—a creature or Spacecraft with mana value 5 or less. Upon resolution, the target enters the battlefield. Lastly, the Lander token is created. Note that if the target is no longer in the graveyard when the spell tries to resolve, the entire spell fails and you do not get the Lander token.

Common Mistakes

A frequent error involves mana value calculations for cards with {X} in their cost; remember that {X} is always 0 while in the graveyard. Additionally, players often forget that the sacrifice is an additional cost. If Scrounge for Eternity is countered, the sacrificed permanent is already gone and does not return. Also, ensure your target is valid (mana value 5 or less) at the moment of casting.

When to Play It

The best time to cast Scrounge for Eternity is when you have an expendable token or a creature with an 'enters the battlefield' effect that has already provided value. Since it brings back cards with mana value up to 5, it is a great mid-game tool to recover a threat that your opponent recently removed. It also functions as color fixing or ramp thanks to the Lander token it provides.

Interaction examples

Basic Recursion and Ramping

Lander

You cast Scrounge for Eternity by sacrificing a small token. You target a 5-cost creature in your graveyard. After the creature enters the battlefield, you create a Lander token. Later, you pay two mana and tap the Lander to find a basic Forest and put it into play tapped, effectively replacing your sacrificed unit with both a threat and a land.

Strategic Searching

Demonic Tutor

If you have Scrounge for Eternity in hand but no target in the graveyard, you can use Demonic Tutor to find a high-impact creature like a 5-mana flyer. After that creature is eventually destroyed or discarded, you use Scrounge for Eternity to bring it back, maximizing the efficiency of your tutor.

Recovering from a Board Wipe

Toxic Deluge

Suppose your opponent casts Toxic Deluge to clear the board. On your turn, you cast Scrounge for Eternity, sacrificing a remaining artifact to bring back your best creature that was just destroyed. This allows you to immediately rebuild your board state while your opponent's resources are depleted.