Arc Spitter MTG Card


Arc Spitter provides card advantage and pressure, enhancing your strategic plays in both offense and defense. Its instant-speed ability adds flexibility, but the discard requirement could potentially limit your hand options. Versatile and meta-relevant, Arc Spitter can be a key component in red or artifact-centric decks.
Arc Spitter - Streets of New Capenna
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact — Equipment
Abilities Equip
Released2022-04-29
Set symbol
Set nameStreets of New Capenna
Set codeSNC
Number233
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byMatt Forsyth

Text of card

Equipped creature has ": This creature deals 1 damage to target creature that's blocking it." Equip (: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)

"I'm fresh out of mercy today. Why don't you ask Sparky here for forgiveness?"


Cards like Arc Spitter

Arc Spitter is an intriguing addition to the suite of red direct damage spells in MTG. It’s akin to cards like Shock, which delivers two damage to any target upon casting. Arc Spitter’s unique selling point is its ability to adapt to various game situations through the counter mechanism it employs, enriching the player’s strategic options. On the other hand, Shock is straightforward and efficient but lacks the potential for recurring damage output over several turns.

Another comparable spell is Seal of Fire, which, like Arc Spitter, offers the player strategic flexibility by allowing damage to be dealt at a time of choosing. However, Seal of Fire sacrifices itself upon activation, while Arc Spitter can continue to be a threat as long as you have counters to remove. Then there’s Pyrite Spellbomb, providing a similar utility with its damage-dealing ability. While Pyrite Spellbomb can replace itself by drawing a card, the repeated usability is where Arc Spitter shines, fostering a prolonged influence on the battlefield.

Assessing relative strengths, Arc Spitter earns a place among damage spells in MTG by virtue of its potential to become a repeated source of threat, bridging utility, and long-term tactical depth.

Shock - MTG Card versions
Seal of Fire - MTG Card versions
Pyrite Spellbomb - MTG Card versions
Shock - MTG Card versions
Seal of Fire - MTG Card versions
Pyrite Spellbomb - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Arc Spitter offers incremental card advantage by pecking away at the opponent’s life total while potentially drawing into more potent threats or answers.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting your mana pool, Arc Spitter can put pressure on the opponent, effectively saving your resources for more crucial plays.

Instant Speed: Its activated ability can be used at the speed of an instant, giving flexibility to disrupt your opponent’s strategy during their turn without sacrificing your own tempo.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Arc Spitter requires discarding a card as part of its activation cost. This can be a significant drawback when your hand is already depleted, making you sacrifice potential future plays to gain an immediate but often temporary benefit on the battlefield.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a precise mana alignment to be cast effectively. It requires red mana, which can restrict its integration into multicolor decks or make it less accessible in the early stages of the game when mana sources are not fully developed.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana expenditure for Arc Spitter’s ability is on the higher side when assessed against other cards with similar effects. This can hinder deck efficiency, particularly in the face of aggressive strategies that rely on speed and lower-cost spells to overtake opponents.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Arc Spitter is a card that can easily fit into a wide array of deck types, namely those requiring consistent direct damage output, and can particularly enhance red or artifact-centric decks.

Combo Potential: This card can serve as a key piece in combos, enabling you to ping multiple targets over time or capitalize on strategies that exploit damage-dealing artifacts or creatures.

Meta-Relevance: Depending on how the meta shifts towards creature-heavy board states, Arc Spitter can become an essential tool for maintaining board control and chipping away at your opponent’s life total or creature base.


How to beat

Arc Spitter is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering, presenting a unique challenge on the battlefield with its ability to deal damage directly to players or creatures. To effectively counter this card, players should prioritize removal spells that can target creatures. Instant-speed removals like Fatal Push or Path to Exile offer swift solutions to eliminate the threat without waiting for your own turn. It’s also beneficial to leverage spells that can negate the activation of abilities, such as Disallow. This stops Arc Spitter from using its damaging ability altogether.

Controlling the board is another strategy to consider. Utilize board wipes like Wrath of God or Damnation to clear out Arc Spitter alongside any other creatures your opponent might have in play. If you prefer a more subtle approach, including creatures with Hexproof can safeguard your board, making it impossible for your opponent to select them as targets for Arc Spitter’s ability. In the realm of combat, introducing creatures with higher toughness is advisable because it renders Arc Spitter’s damage output insufficient for taking them out. Overall, having a versatile removal suite or adopting strategic defenses can significantly diminish Arc Spitter’s impact in a game.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Arc Spitter MTG card by a specific set like Streets of New Capenna, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Arc Spitter and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Arc Spitter has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal