Card advantage is good. If you can kill a
creature with the -1/-1 counters, plus the 3/3
creature you get out of the deal, you've done
well for yourself. Just remember, the ability is
mandatory. If you're the only person in the game
with creatures, then you'll have to wither one
of your own when Skinrender comes into play.
Unfortunately, once the Skinrender has done its
thing, in combat it's just a 3/3. No flying, or
intimidate, or trample, or even "B: Regenerate."
It doesn't really instill the horror in your
opponent that something called a "Skinrender"
should, is what I'm saying. I'd basically think
of it as Last Gasp plus a 3/3 token, except if
the target lives through the -3/-3 it stays on
them for the rest of the game.
I can't help but feel that some of the Scars of
Mirrodin cards that deal with -1/-1 counters are
leftover designs from Shadowmoor, especially
ones like Skinrender, being a
block-relevant twist on the Nekrataal concept.
There are few things that Skinrender stops that
a simple Doom Blade or Gatekeeper of Malakir
couldn't, but there are times when you'll be
more than grateful for the more powerful
creature attached to it, and dealing with
Darksteel Sentinel at a bargain price is nothing
to laugh at.
Today's card of the day is Skinrender which is
a four mana Black 3/3 that also places three
-1/-1 counters on a target creature. As a
decent 3/3 creature and removal in one this a
solid zombie which is also a supported creature
type. Three is enough to take out many
threats and the -1 counters even gets around
Indestructible which is nice. The cost is
slightly high for pure removal and it isn't
Instant speed, but getting a playable creature
is the kind of card advantage that makes this
card great.
For Limited a 3/3 creature is good and removal
is good, put them into a four mana card with two
dedicated mana symbols and you have a very solid
card. If Skinrender was one Black instead
of two it'd be too easy to splash, but as it
stands any primarily Black deck can run this
with ease and should as it works well with
several set mechanics like Proliferate and
Infect. Likely a second pick in Booster
and a good foundation to work with in Sealed.
