Scuzzback Marauders — ruling 1

If a creature with persist stops being a creature, persist will still work.

Scuzzback Marauders — ruling 2

The persist ability triggers when the permanent is put into a graveyard. Its last known information (that is, how the creature last existed on the battlefield) is used to determine whether it had a -1/-1 counter on it.

Scuzzback Marauders — ruling 3

If a permanent has multiple instances of persist, they’ll each trigger separately, but the redundant instances will have no effect. If one instance returns the card to the battlefield, the next to resolve will do nothing.

Scuzzback Marauders — ruling 4

If a token with no -1/-1 counters on it has persist, the ability will trigger when the token is put into the graveyard. However, the token will cease to exist and can’t return to the battlefield.

Scuzzback Marauders — ruling 5

When a permanent with persist returns to the battlefield, it’s a new object with no memory of or connection to its previous existence.

Scuzzback Marauders — ruling 6

If multiple creatures with persist are put into the graveyard at the same time (due to combat damage or a spell that destroys all creatures, for example), the active player (the player whose turn it is) puts all of their persist triggers on the stack in any order, then each other player in turn order does the same. The last trigger put on the stack is the first one that resolves. That means that in a two-player game, the nonactive player’s persist creatures will return to the battlefield first, then the active player’s persist creatures do the same. The creatures return to the battlefield one at a time.

Scuzzback Marauders — ruling 7

If a creature with persist that has +1/+1 counters on it receives enough -1/-1 counters to cause it to be destroyed by lethal damage or put into its owner’s graveyard for having 0 or less toughness, persist won’t trigger and the card won’t return to the battlefield. That’s because persist checks the creature’s existence just before it leaves the battlefield, and it still has all those counters on it at that point.

Scuzzback Marauders : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Scuzzback Marauders 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

Trample Persist (When this creature dies, if it had no -1/-1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control with a -1/-1 counter on it.)

Complete guide

Scuzzback Marauders is a resilient threat that combines the pressure of trample with the staying power of the persist mechanic. Whether you are playing a red-green aggressive deck or a grindy midrange strategy, this Goblin Warrior refuses to stay down for long. Understanding how its counters interact with the graveyard is key to mastering its potential on the battlefield.

Trample and Persistence

Scuzzback Marauders features two powerful keywords. Trample allows it to deal excess combat damage to a player or planeswalker even if it is blocked. Persist is a triggered ability that occurs when the creature dies. If the creature did not have a -1/-1 counter on it at the moment it was put into the graveyard, it returns to the battlefield under its owner's control. When it returns, it arrives with a -1/-1 counter, making it a 4/1 creature for its second life.

Resolving Persist Step-by-Step

When Scuzzback Marauders dies, the game looks at its 'last known information' from the battlefield. If it had no -1/-1 counters, the persist ability triggers and goes on the stack. Once the ability resolves, the card is moved from the graveyard back to the battlefield. Because it is a new object, it has no memory of previous effects or damage, but it enters with a permanent -1/-1 counter as part of the persist effect. If it dies again while that counter is present, persist will not trigger.

Common Mistakes with Counters

A common point of confusion involves the interaction between +1/+1 counters and -1/-1 counters. If Scuzzback Marauders has +1/+1 counters and receives enough -1/-1 counters to die (reducing its toughness to 0 or dealing lethal damage), it still technically had those -1/-1 counters on it at the moment it left the battlefield. In this specific scenario, persist will not trigger because the game checks the creature's state just before it moved to the graveyard.

When to Play It

This card is best used in scenarios where you expect board wipes or frequent trading in combat. Since it effectively requires being killed twice, it is an excellent target for sacrifice effects or as a persistent attacker that forces unfavorable blocks from your opponent. Its hybrid mana cost also makes it highly flexible, fitting easily into mono-red, mono-green, or dual-color decks.

Interaction examples

Doubling the Return

Roaming Throne

If you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield and chose 'Goblin', its ability will apply to Scuzzback Marauders. When the Marauders die without a -1/-1 counter, persist triggers twice. The first instance resolves and returns the Marauders to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter. The second instance then tries to resolve, but since the card is already on the battlefield, the second trigger does nothing.

Sequential Dying

Solemn Simulacrum

If a spell like 'Wrath of God' destroys both Scuzzback Marauders and Solemn Simulacrum simultaneously, you choose the order the triggers go on the stack. You can choose to resolve the Marauders' persist trigger first to bring it back, then resolve the Simulacrum's trigger to draw a card, or vice versa. Both will resolve successfully because they trigger from the same event.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Scuzzback Marauders

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
If a creature with persist stops being a creature, persist will still work.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
The persist ability triggers when the permanent is put into a graveyard. Its last known information (that is, how the creature last existed on the battlefield) is used to determine whether it had a -1/-1 counter on it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
If a permanent has multiple instances of persist, they’ll each trigger separately, but the redundant instances will have no effect. If one instance returns the card to the battlefield, the next to resolve will do nothing.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
If a token with no -1/-1 counters on it has persist, the ability will trigger when the token is put into the graveyard. However, the token will cease to exist and can’t return to the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
When a permanent with persist returns to the battlefield, it’s a new object with no memory of or connection to its previous existence.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#6June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
If multiple creatures with persist are put into the graveyard at the same time (due to combat damage or a spell that destroys all creatures, for example), the active player (the player whose turn it is) puts all of their persist triggers on the stack in any order, then each other player in turn order does the same. The last trigger put on the stack is the first one that resolves. That means that in a two-player game, the nonactive player’s persist creatures will return to the battlefield first, then the active player’s persist creatures do the same. The creatures return to the battlefield one at a time.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#7June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
If a creature with persist that has +1/+1 counters on it receives enough -1/-1 counters to cause it to be destroyed by lethal damage or put into its owner’s graveyard for having 0 or less toughness, persist won’t trigger and the card won’t return to the battlefield. That’s because persist checks the creature’s existence just before it leaves the battlefield, and it still has all those counters on it at that point.
No other card is named in this ruling.