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Pojo's Magic The Gathering Card of the Day
Daily Since November 2001!

Oxidda Scrapmelter
Image from Wizards.com

Oxidda Scrapmelter
Scars of Mirrodin

Reviewed November 29, 2010

Constructed: 2.75
Casual: 2.75
Limited: 4.25
Multiplayer: 3.00

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.  3 ... average.  
5 is the highest rating

Click here to see all of our 
Card of the Day Reviews 

BMoor

Oxxida Scrapmelter

The biggest reason that Shatter doesn't find its way into just about every Red deck ever built is the issue that if your opponent has no artifacts, Shatter does absolutely nothing. It's a dead card trapped in your hand. Oxxida Scrapmelter is just as effective as Shatter at destroying artifacts, but for two mana more you get a 3/3. And since you don't need a legal target to cast a creature spell, the Scrapmelter is never a dead card. Even if there's no artifacts on the board, you can play it for the 3/3. If that 3/3 then blocks and kills a creature, or gets blocked and kills the blocker, then you've just destroyed two cards with one of yours. And if your opponent uses removal on it, well, he's still down two cards.
But beware, because in Scars of Mirrodin, you're likely to have a few artifacts yourself. And Oxxida Scrapmelter's ability is mandatory, so if yours are the only targets for it, well, let's just say 3R and "sacrifice an artifact" isn't really a bargain basement price to get a 3/3 with no combat-relevant abilities.

Constructed- 2
Casual- 2
Limited- 4
Multiplayer- 2.5
Michael "Maikeruu" Pierno Today's card of the day is Oxidda Scrapmelter which is a four mana 3/3 with a destroy artifact effect when it comes into play.  The effect isn't optional as long as there is a target available which would leave it exclusively as a sidedeck option if you run any artifacts of your own.  For some decks the added power and toughness compared to Manic Vandal might not balance out the higher mana cost, so the choice of which to use depends on the exact slot of the curve that is available to be filled.  Overall this is an efficient choice for artifact destruction at a point where artifacts are a big part of the game.  Instead of just destroying a card you also get a decent creature which makes playing this a better card investment compared to a simple destruction effect that might be cheaper.
 
For Limited in an artifact dominated set this is an incredibly useful card with no real drawback.  A single red in the cost, high probability of your opponent having a target at any given time, plus a solid power and toughness places this among the top choices in Booster and Sealed drafts.  One or two of these go a long way towards building a stable design and it is one of the best topdecks in the format.
 
Constructed: 3.5
Casual: 3.5
Limited: 4.5
Multiplayer: 3.5

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