Specimen Collector 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
When this creature enters, create a 1/1 green Squirrel creature token and a 0/3 blue Crab creature token. When this creature dies, create a token that's a copy of target token you control.
Complete guide
Specimen Collector is a versatile Vedalken Wizard that ensures you are never alone on the battlefield. By bringing its own lab specimens into play and rewarding you upon its departure, it provides incredible value for token-based strategies.
Multiplying the Specimens
When Specimen Collector enters the battlefield, its first triggered ability puts two distinct tokens onto the battlefield: a 1/1 green Squirrel and a 0/3 blue Crab. These are two separate triggers grouped into one resolution, ensuring you immediately go wide with blockers or sacrifice fodder.
A Legacy of Research
The true power of this Wizard lies in its death trigger. When Specimen Collector dies, you target a token you control to create a copy of it. While you can choose the Squirrel or Crab it initially created, the ability is flexible enough to target any token you control, including Treasure tokens, Clue tokens, or even token copies of powerful creatures.
Common Mistakes
A frequent misconception is that Specimen Collector can only copy the Squirrel or Crab tokens it created itself. However, the ability can target any token you control at the time the trigger resolves. Additionally, if you lose control of your only tokens before the death trigger resolves, the ability will fizzle as it will have no legal target.
When to Play It
Specimen Collector excels in decks that utilize 'enters the battlefield' triggers or sacrifice outlets. Because it provides three bodies for the price of one card, it is an excellent choice for stabilizing a board against aggressive decks or preparing for a big turn involving token payoffs.
Interaction examples
Squirrel
CrabWhen Specimen Collector enters, you put one 1/1 Squirrel and one 0/3 Crab onto the battlefield. If Specimen Collector later dies, you may choose to create a second Squirrel or a second Crab, depending on whether you need offense or defense.
Roaming ThroneIf you have a token copy of Roaming Throne (with Wizard chosen) and Specimen Collector enters, the Wizard's ability triggers twice, giving you two Squirrels and two Crabs. When Specimen Collector dies, the death ability also triggers twice, allowing you to create two more token copies of any tokens you control.
Solemn SimulacrumIf you have used a separate effect to create a token copy of Solemn Simulacrum, Specimen Collector can target that token when it dies. You will get a new token copy of the Simulacrum, which will then trigger its own 'enters the battlefield' ability to search for a basic land.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Specimen Collector
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
For Specimen Collector's last ability, the target token can be any token you control, not necessarily one of the token creatures you created due to its first ability, and not necessarily even a creature.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Nim Deathmantle + Ashnod's Altar + Specimen Collector
- 1Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing Specimen Collector, adding
. - 2When Specimen Collector dies, Nim Deathmantle triggers, causing you to pay
to return Specimen Collector from your graveyard to the battlefield and attach Nim Deathmantle to it. - 3When Specimen Collector enters, it triggers, creating two creature tokens.
- 4Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing a creature token, adding .
- 5Repeat.
Araumi of the Dead Tide + Specimen Collector + Ashnod's Altar
- 1Activate Araumi by tapping it and exiling a number of cards equal to the number of opponent you have, giving Specimen Collector encore until end of turn.
- 2Activate Specimen Collector's encore ability by paying
and exiling it, creating at least two token copies of it with haste. - 3Each Specimen Collector enters the battlefield, creating that many 1/1 Squirrel and 0/3 Crab creature tokens.
- 4Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing a Specimen Collector token, adding .
- 5The Specimen Collector token dies, creating a token copy of a Specimen Collector token.
- 6Repeat from step 3.
Specimen Collector + Cackling Counterpart + Ashnod's Altar
- 1Cast Cackling Counterpart by paying
, creating a token copy of Specimen Collector. - 2The Specimen Collector token enters the battlefield, creating a 1/1 Squirrel and a 0/3 Crab creature token.
- 3Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing the nontoken Specimen Collector, adding .
- 4Specimen Collector dies, creating a token copy of the Specimen Collector token.
- 5Repeat from step 2.
Specimen Collector + Quasiduplicate + Ashnod's Altar
- 1Cast Quasiduplicate by paying , creating a token copy of Specimen Collector.
- 2The Specimen Collector token enters the battlefield, creating a 1/1 Squirrel and a 0/3 Crab creature token.
- 3Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing the nontoken Specimen Collector, adding .
- 4Specimen Collector dies, creating a token copy of the Specimen Collector token.
- 5Repeat from step 2.
Specimen Collector + Sublime Epiphany + Ashnod's Altar
- 1Cast Sublime Epiphany by paying , creating a token copy of Specimen Collector.
- 2The Specimen Collector token enters the battlefield, creating a 1/1 Squirrel and a 0/3 Crab creature token.
- 3Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing the nontoken Specimen Collector, adding .
- 4Specimen Collector dies, creating a token copy of the Specimen Collector token.
- 5Repeat from step 2.
Specimen Collector + Cackling Counterpart + Altar of Dementia
- 1Cast Cackling Counterpart by paying , creating a token copy of Specimen Collector.
- 2When the Specimen Collector token enters the battlefield, its first ability triggers, creating a 1/1 Squirrel and a 0/3 Crab creature token.
- 3Activate Altar of Dementia by sacrificing the nontoken Specimen Collector.
- 4When Specimen Collector dies, its second ability triggers, creating a token copy of the Specimen Collector token.
- 5Repeat from step 2.
- 6Resolve all Altar of Dementia abilities, causing any number of players to mill infinite cards.
Araumi of the Dead Tide + Specimen Collector + Phyrexian Altar
- 1Activate Araumi by tapping it and exiling a number of cards equal to the number of opponent you have, giving Specimen Collector encore until end of turn.
- 2Activate Specimen Collector's encore ability by paying and exiling it, creating at least two token copies of it with haste.
- 3Each Specimen Collector enters the battlefield, creating that many 1/1 Squirrel and 0/3 Crab creature tokens.
- 4Activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing a Specimen Collector token, adding one mana of any color.
- 5The Specimen Collector token dies, creating a token copy of a Specimen Collector token.
- 6Repeat from step 3.
Specimen Collector + Cackling Counterpart + Blasting Station
- 1Cast Cackling Counterpart by paying , creating a token copy of Specimen Collector.
- 2When the Specimen Collector token enters the battlefield, its first ability and Blasting Station trigger.
- 3Resolve the Specimen Collector trigger, creating a 1/1 Squirrel and a 0/3 Crab creature token.
- 4When the Squirrel and Crab enter the battlefield, Blasting Station triggers twice.
- 5Resolve the Blasting Station triggers from step 2 and step 4, untapping it.
- 6Activate Blasting Station by tapping it and sacrificing the nontoken Specimen Collector.
- 7When Specimen Collector dies, its second ability triggers, creating a token copy of the Specimen Collector token.
- 8Repeat from step 2.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Specimen Collector
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.