Skirge Familiar 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 Discard a card: Add.
Complete guide
Skirge Familiar is a classic engine card that turns every resource in your hand into immediate black mana. As a flying Phyrexian Imp, it provides both an aerial threat and a potent way to fuel your most expensive spells.
A Powerful Mana Ability
The core of Skirge Familiar is its activated ability: 'Discard a card: Add {B}.' Because this ability produces mana and doesn't require a target, it is classified as a mana ability. This means it does not use the stack and cannot be responded to by opponents, allowing you to generate mana even while a spell or ability is currently resolving if you are prompted for a payment.
Resolution Step-by-Step
To use the ability, you choose a card from your hand and move it to your graveyard as a cost. Once you pay this cost, the mana is added immediately to your mana pool. Unlike most activated abilities, you can activate this whenever you have priority, or whenever a spell or ability asks you to pay mana.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A common point of confusion is thinking you can use this ability to discard cards if you are already at your maximum hand size during the cleanup step. While you can activate the ability at any time you have priority, players do not normally receive priority during the cleanup step unless an ability triggers. Additionally, remember that discarding is a cost; if a card like Rest in Peace is on the battlefield, the card is exiled instead, but you still get the mana because the cost was paid.
Strategic Timing
Skirge Familiar is best utilized when you have ways to refill your hand. Since it can be activated at instant speed and doesn't require tapping, it can serve as a surprise source of mana for defensive spells or a way to dump your hand into a massive finisher. It is especially effective in decks that benefit from having specific cards in the graveyard.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumIf you have Solemn Simulacrum on the battlefield and it dies, its triggered ability allows you to draw a card. Once that card is in your hand, you can immediately discard it to Skirge Familiar to add {B}, effectively turning the death of your Golem into one black mana.
Roaming ThroneIf you play Roaming Throne and choose 'Imp', it becomes an Imp in addition to its other types. While Roaming Throne doubles triggered abilities, note that Skirge Familiar has an activated ability. Therefore, Roaming Throne will not cause you to add extra mana when you discard a card, as the Familiar's ability is not a triggered ability starting with 'when', 'whenever', or 'at'.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Skirge Familiar
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Skirge Familiar's activated ability is a mana ability. It doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Asmodeus the Archfiend + Necrotic Ooze + Skirge Familiar
- 1Activate Necrotic Ooze using Asmodeus' first ability by paying , causing you to draw seven cards.
- 2If Skirge Familiar is in your graveyard, activate Necrotic Ooze using Skirge Familiar's ability by discarding a card, adding .
- 3Otherwise, activate Skirge Familiar by discarding a card, adding .
- 4Repeat step 2 or 3 two additional times.
- 5Repeat from step 1.
Sheoldred, the Apocalypse + Vilis, Broker of Blood + Skirge Familiar
- 1Activate Vilis by paying and two life, targeting any creature.
- 2Vilis triggers, causing you to draw two cards.
- 3Sheoldred's first ability triggers twice, causing you to gain four life.
- 4Activate Skirge Familiar by discarding a card, adding .
- 5Repeat.
Skirge Familiar + Peer into the Abyss + Exsanguinate
- 1Cast Peer into the Abyss by paying
, causing you to draw cards equal to half your library size and lose half your life total, rounding up both times. - 2Activate Skirge Familar by discarding any card besides Exsanguinate, adding .
- 3Repeat step 2 for all applicable cards in your hand.
- 4Cast Exsanguinate by paying all available black mana, causing each opponent to lose life equal to the amound of mana paid minus two, and causing you to gain life equal to the life lost this way.
The Gitrog Monster + Dakmor Salvage + Skirge Familiar
- 1Activate Skirge Familiar by discarding Dakmor Salvage, adding .
- 2The Gitrog Monster's third ability triggers, causing you to mill two cards and return Dakmor Salvage from your graveyard to your hand.
- 3Repeat.
Sheoldred, the Apocalypse + Greed + Skirge Familiar
- 1Activate Greed by paying and two life, causing you to draw a card.
- 2Sheoldred's first ability triggers, causing you to gain two life.
- 3Activate Skirge Familiar by discarding a card, adding .
- 4Repeat.
Norman Osborn // Green Goblin + Acererak the Archlich + Skirge Familiar
- 1Activate Skirge Familiar by discarding Acererak, adding .
- 2Cast Acererak from your graveyard for its mayhem cost by paying due to Green Goblin.
- 3When Acererak enters, its first ability triggers, causing you to return it from the battlefield to your hand and venture into Lost Mine of Phandelver.
- 4Repeat.
Gravecrawler + Skirge Familiar + Skullclamp
- 1Activate Skullclamp's equip ability by paying
, attaching it to Gravecrawler. - 2Gravecrawler dies as a state-based action due to having 0 toughness, triggering Skullclamp, causing you to draw two cards.
- 3Activate Skirge Familiar twice by discarding two cards, adding .
- 4Cast Gravecrawler from your graveyard by paying .
- 5Repeat.
Vilis, Broker of Blood + Feast of Sanity + Skirge Familiar
- 1Activate Skirge Familiar by discarding a card.
- 2Feast of Sanity triggers, dealing 1 damage to you and causing you to gain 1 life.
- 3Vilis triggers, causing you to draw a card.
- 4Repeat
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Skirge Familiar
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.