Barrin's Spite MTG Card

Barrin’s Spite offers card advantage by making opponents sacrifice creatures or planeswalkers, altering game flow. It indirectly accelerates resources by clearing opponent’s critical board presences, aiding in gaining tempo. Despite mana cost and discard downsides, its potential in blue-black decks justifies considering it for your collection.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery
Released	2000-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Invasion
Set code	INV
Number	235
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Terese Nielsen

Text of card

Choose two target creatures controlled by one player. That player chooses and sacrifices one of them. Return the other to its owner's hand.

"Only vengeance matters now." —Barrin

Cards like Barrin's Spite

Barrin’s Spite is an intriguing sorcery within Magic: The Gathering that offers a unique control mechanism. Standing alongside cards like Innocent Blood, which also prompts players to sacrifice a creature, they share the common ground of disruption. Yet, Barrin’s Spite differs by demanding the sacrifice of two permanents, intensifying the potential setback for an opponent.

Furthermore, we have Chainer’s Edict that operates on a similar axis, allowing you to force a creature sacrifice. It costs less and also features flashback, giving it a second life in the game. Despite that, it lacks Barrin’s Spite’s immediate impact of removing an additional permanent. Then there’s Diabolic Edict, straightforward, efficient, and at instant speed providing timely, though singular, creature removal.

Analyzing the spectrum of sacrifice effects, Barrin’s Spite emerges with a distinguishing characteristic of being able to unsettle an opponent’s board significantly, albeit at a higher mana investment. In essence, its unique double sacrifice effect gives it a niche position among black control spells in Magic: The Gathering’s diverse library.

Cards similar to Barrin's Spite by color, type and mana cost

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Barrin’s Spite provides significant card advantage by forcing an opponent to sacrifice a creature or planeswalker, which can disrupt their board presence and strategy.

Resource Acceleration: This sorcery can act as indirect resource acceleration by removing key pieces from your opponent’s side of the field, potentially setting them back and allowing you to outpace them in terms of available resources.

Instant Speed: While Barrin’s Spite itself is not an instant, it synergizes well with decks that operate at instant speed. Using it in conjunction with instant-speed spells allows you to keep pressure on your opponent while remaining reactive and flexible in your strategy.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Barrin’s Spite necessitates that players discard a card, which can be a strategic setback, especially when you’re running out of hand options or needing to preserve key cards for later plays.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for this card includes both blue and black mana, which makes it less versatile and requires a commitment to a two-color mana base, potentially restricting its inclusion to only certain types of decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that sums up to four mana, Barrin’s Spite’s impact on the game might not match its mana investment when compared to other disruption or removal options available at lower mana points.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Barrin’s Spite serves multiple roles in a blue-black deck setup. It clears the battlefield while also dealing with an opponent’s hand, providing a significant advantage in terms of board and resource control.

Combo Potential: This card works superbly with strategies focused on punishing your opponent for discarding or sacrificing creatures. It can be a critical piece in a deck that amplifies the effects of such distress, creating opportunities for devastating combos in-game.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where opponents rely heavily on creature-based strategies or have a build-up of cards in hand, Barrin’s Spite disrupts their flow. It not only makes it relevant in specific metas but also as a versatile sideboard option for responding to various common threats.

How to beat

Barrin’s Spite is a control card that can set opponents back by forcing them to choose and sacrifice two of their permanents. To effectively combat this, it’s essential to manage resources wisely and maintain a board state that can recover from such setbacks. Strategies include overextending with expendable tokens or creatures that have death triggers beneficial to you. Keeping card advantage is also critical, so consider instant-speed draw spells that can refill your hand after Barrin’s Spite has resolved.

Deck resilience is another key. By incorporating cards that can easily be recurred from the graveyard or utilizing effects that gain value when a creature dies, you can mitigate the impact of the sacrifice. Playing around Barrin’s Spite means recognizing the potential turn when your adversary has enough mana to cast it and not committing your highest value permanents to the board prematurely.

In conclusion, overcoming Barrin’s Spite requires careful planning, strategic plays, and sustaining a board presence that can bounce back. By adjusting your playstyle to account for these board-clearing spells, you maintain your position and push forward towards victory even after a critical hit.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Barrin's Spite MTG card by a specific set like Invasion, 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 Barrin's Spite and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Barrin's Spite has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Barrin's Spite card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2008-05-01	The player chooses which one to sacrifice as the spell resolves. If only one of the targets is still legal at that time, then the player must choose that one to sacrifice.