Scrapdiver Serpent

Scrapdiver Serpent was released in 2010 as part of the Scars of Mirrodin set, a landmark return to the metallic plane of Mirrodin. The card was designed to highlight the set's primary mechanical theme: metalcraft. In the context of the lore, the artificial world had been corrupted by the Phyrexians, and the set's cards were engineered to emphasize artifact synergy and the decay of the landscape, with this specific creature serving as a mid-range aquatic threat that grew more formidable when the player controlled a sufficient number of artifacts.

The card’s illustration was rendered by artist Efrem Palacios, who captured the creature's scavenger nature by blending organic serpent anatomy with the jagged, industrial aesthetics of Mirrodin’s ruins. The design was received as a functional limited-environment player, prized for its ability to bypass defenders once the metalcraft threshold was met. It remains a notable example of the era's focus on material-based gameplay, grounding the high-fantasy setting in a cohesive, scavenged visual identity.