Breaking Symmetry with Young Deathclaws for Dramatic MTG Wins

In TCG ·

Young Deathclaws: a green-black mutant lizard creature from Fallout Commander with Menace

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Breaking Symmetry in Black-Green Mutant Aggro

In a color pairing that revels in graveyard play and underhanded creature politics, Young Deathclaws pushes the balance of power with a single, snarling gait. For just 4 mana—2 generic with a green and a black splash—you drop a 4/2 creature with Menace. That means your opponents cannot safely rely on a single blocker; one of them will have to overcommit or risk letting the Deathclaws slip through with devastating tempo. 🧙‍♂️🔥

But where this card truly shines is in its expansive, rule-bending ability to convert the graveyard into a resource pool. The card text presents a two-part engine: a built-in menace theme that makes combat awkward for your foes, and a powerful scavenge mechanic that turns every creature card in your graveyard into a potential +1/+1 counter buffet. The scavenge cost mirrors the creature’s mana cost, so you’re not just throwing power into the pool—you’re auditioning how to spend the power you’ve already earned. When you exile a creature card from your graveyard and pay its mana cost, you place a number of +1/+1 counters equal to that card’s power on a target creature. It’s a flourish that can morph a defensive board into a lethal threat, all while playing the long game in the graveyard. 🧲

Menace (This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.) Each creature card in your graveyard has scavenge. The scavenge cost is equal to its mana cost. (Exile a creature card from your graveyard and pay its mana cost: Put a number of +1/+1 counters equal to that card's power on target creature. Scavenge only as a sorcery.)

That flavor text isn’t just a gimmick; it’s a blueprint for keeping symmetry broken in your favor. In the right shell, you’re trading immediate board presence for late-game inevitability. Your opponent can try to stabilize by killing your threats, but every graveyard exhale—every exiled creature card—can become a precise buff that compounds quickly. The result is a game where your lead is often less about raw power and more about how cleanly you can convert what’s already been spent into what you still have coming—turning a seemingly even exchange into a one-sided conclusion as your creatures march ahead with extra bodies and bigger stats. ⚔️🎲

Deck-building angles you can build around

  • Graveyard Economy: Lean into cards that maximize the value of your graveyard—think about creatures with power that scales nicely when scavenged. Since the counters depend on power, you’ll want to curate a mix of midrange bodies that can be buffed efficiently. 🧭
  • Blocker-to-Builder Transition: Use the menace angle to force unfavorable blocks, then pivot to buffing your team with scavenged power. A small, stubborn frontline can bloom into a substantial threat when you start adding counters en masse. 🧩
  • Generators and Recursers: Pair Young Deathclaws with recursion pieces that refill your graveyard. Each recurred creature can serve as a fresh scavenging target on the next turn, keeping the engine humming. 🔄
  • Color Identity and Theme: The B/G identity invites Golgari-like synergy: graveyard manipulation, efficient ramp, and resilient creatures. It’s a theme that rewards long-term planning and careful resource budgeting. 🧠

From a design perspective, the Fallout set’s commander-forward framing and the Universes Beyond crossover vibe push this card into the spotlight as a thoughtful, multi-layered piece. The art by Nino Is and the uncommon rarity underscore that, while it may not be the flashiest bomb in the deck, its elegance lies in how cleanly the two mechanics—Menace and Scavenge—interlock to create a dynamic, asymmetric battlefield. The card’s availability as both foil and nonfoil makes it accessible for players who want to dabble in graveyard-heavy lists or who simply enjoy a well-crafted, mid-range beater. Its price point on Scryfall remains approachable, a reminder that a strategic build can be both effective and affordable. 💎

In tournament rooms and kitchen-table games alike, Young Deathclaws embodies a quintessential MTG moment: symmetry is broken not by raw numbers, but by how you exploit a single, well-timed choice. Whether you’re swinging in with a 4/2 menace or scaling a single creature into a hulking threat through scavenged power, you’re telling a story about resourcefulness and timing. The card’s black-green duality also invites rich, thematic pairings—think graveyard tutors, targeted removal, and cheap setups that let you cascade into bigger plays while forcing your opponents to account for every exiled card you’ve sacrificed to empower your team. 🧙‍♂️🔥

As you consider upgrading your collection, the card’s uncommon status helps keep it practical for many players, while its universes-beyond flavor lends it a distinctive aura in commander circles. For collectors and players alike, Young Deathclaws offers a satisfying blend of strategic depth and on-table drama—precisely the kind of card that can turn a close match into a dramatic, symmetry-shattering finish. 🎨⚔️

Cyberpunk Neon Card Holder Phone Case MagSafe

More from our network


Young Deathclaws

Young Deathclaws

{2}{B}{G}
Creature — Lizard Mutant

Menace (This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.)

Each creature card in your graveyard has scavenge. The scavenge cost is equal to its mana cost. (Exile a creature card from your graveyard and pay its mana cost: Put a number of +1/+1 counters equal to that card's power on target creature. Scavenge only as a sorcery.)

ID: 64d5e6bd-de46-4bc2-854b-cc6cae713f98

Oracle ID: f24fc213-6341-482c-a056-946d0f1dd76b

Multiverse IDs: 652212

TCGPlayer ID: 540919

Cardmarket ID: 758552

Colors: B, G

Color Identity: B, G

Keywords: Menace

Rarity: Uncommon

Released: 2024-03-08

Artist: Nino Is

Frame: 2015

Border: black

EDHRec Rank: 10880

Set: Fallout (pip)

Collector #: 125

Legalities

  • Standard — not_legal
  • Future — not_legal
  • Historic — not_legal
  • Timeless — not_legal
  • Gladiator — not_legal
  • Pioneer — not_legal
  • Modern — not_legal
  • Legacy — legal
  • Pauper — not_legal
  • Vintage — legal
  • Penny — not_legal
  • Commander — legal
  • Oathbreaker — legal
  • Standardbrawl — not_legal
  • Brawl — not_legal
  • Alchemy — not_legal
  • Paupercommander — not_legal
  • Duel — legal
  • Oldschool — not_legal
  • Premodern — not_legal
  • Predh — not_legal

Prices

  • USD: 0.13
  • USD_FOIL: 0.62
  • EUR: 0.20
  • EUR_FOIL: 0.49
  • TIX: 0.57
Last updated: 2025-11-14