Spell Snare MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Its ability to counter critical two-cost spells provides a significant edge during early game confrontations.
  2. Efficient mana usage makes Spell Snare ideal for mana conservation and maintaining tempo in matches.
  3. Instant speed offers tremendous flexibility, disrupting opponent momentum at crucial gameplay moments.

Text of card

Counter target spell with converted mana cost 2.

Every culture has its unlucky numbers. In a city where you're either alone, in a crowd, or being stabbed in the back, two is the worst number of all.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Spell Snare stands out in MTG as a specialist tool, offering the unique advantage of countering key two-cost spells that often represent a crucial play for opponents. Its specificity translates into efficiency, ensuring that your hand maintains quality interaction without being cluttered with generic but less impactful counters.

Resource Acceleration: While Spell Snare itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it efficiently uses your mana, requiring only a single blue mana. This economy of cost aids in keeping pace with other potential plays within the same turn, allowing for a more robust development of board presence or conservation of resources for future turns.

Instant Speed: The instant speed of Spell Snare grants you the flexibility to adapt reactively to your opponent’s strategies. Countering critical spells as they’re cast can disrupt an opponent’s momentum and protect your interests at a moment’s notice, keeping you one step ahead in the high-stakes dance of MTG gameplay.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike some other counter spells that can be cast with no additional costs, a player using Spell Snare must always be mindful of the card it will stop. If the targeted spell does not meet the precise condition—a converted mana cost of exactly two—the card fails to serve its purpose, leaving the user at a strategic disadvantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Spell Snare requires a blue mana to cast. This specific mana cost means it fits naturally into blue or blue-inclusive decks, but may not align with the mana base of multicolored decks that do not heavily feature blue. It could potentially hinder the flexibility of the user’s mana utilization during crucial turns.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although one mana might appear low cost, for a very niche counter such as Spell Snare, this can be considered relatively high. Other counter spells that cover a broader range of converted mana costs or offer additional effects may sometimes be more mana-efficient, allowing for greater versatility in responding to an opponent’s plays.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Spell Snare’s capability to counteract a spell with a converted mana cost of two makes it a great defensive tool across numerous deck archetypes. This card is a staple for potentially halting pivotal plays during the early phase of the game.

Combo Potential: In decks that aim to disrupt the opponent’s strategies, Spell Snare’s targeted countering can help maintain tempo advantage while setting up your own combos. It’s particularly powerful in formats with a heavy presence of two-drop spells.

Meta-Relevance: Considering numerous key cards and strategies hinge on two-cost spells, Spell Snare’s inclusion can drastically improve your deck’s position in the current meta. It is especially effective in eternal formats where consistently encountering such spells is common.


How to Beat Spell Snare

Spell Snare is a renowned counterspell in the card game Magic: The Gathering, distinct for its ability to counter spells with a converted mana cost of exactly two. This specificity makes Spell Snare an excellent choice for early-game interactions, as two-mana spells are common during the initial turns. However, to strategically play around Spell Snare, consider diversifying the mana costs within your deck. Integrating a range of one, three, or higher cost spells can reduce the potential impact of Spell Snare.

Another effective technique involves baiting out the Spell Snare with a less critical two-mana spell, freeing the path for more important spells in subsequent turns. Additionally, keep an eye on your opponent’s open blue mana. If they have exactly one blue mana available, it might indicate that Spell Snare is at the ready. Adjusting your play to mitigate its effect can be crucial. Lastly, direct discard spells or abilities can force your opponent to discard Spell Snare before it can be used, effectively neutralizing the threat it poses to your game plan.

Piloting through the challenge of Spell Snare requires a blend of deck-building foresight and tactical gameplay, solidifying its reputation as a staple in Magic: The Gathering’s control strategies.


BurnMana Recommendations

Masterful control in MTG often hinges on precise moves and calculated disruptions. With its spot-on ability to counter pivotal two-cost spells, Spell Snare is a linchpin for control mages looking to maintain dominance from the early stages of the game. It’s an essential pick when facing decks that lean on critical two-drop plays, ensuring you have the upper hand in pivotal turns. If your collection is missing this sleek, mana-efficient counter tool, now’s the time to consider its strengths. Dive deeper with us into MTG’s strategies, and enhance your deck to stand firm against the tides of competition. Learn the art of nuanced play and embrace the full potential of Spell Snare in your arsenal.


Cards like Spell Snare

Spell Snare has carved out its niche in the realm of counter spells within Magic: The Gathering. Its closet rival is probably Counterspell itself, due to its straightforward ability to counter any spell for just two mana. Spell Snare stands out by being more restrictive, yet sometimes more efficient – it counters only spells with a converted mana cost of two. This allows savvy players to disrupt key plays early on, especially in formats where two-mana spells are game-changers.

Mana Leak is another staple in counterspell strategies. While it can counter any spell unless its caster pays an additional three mana, as the game progresses, Mana Leak can lose its effectiveness. Conversely, Spell Snare’s capability remains consistent throughout the game, always ready to trap those crucial two-mana threats. Lastly, Negate must be mentioned; it offers the safety of countering noncreature spells irrespective of cost, providing a wider safety net than Spell Snare. Each of these spells has its particular strengths, but Spell Snare’s unique mana slot targeting gives it a special place in control decks.

Players who understand the ebb and flow of game tempo will find that Spell Snare can be an extraordinary tool, reliably intercepting key plays with unmatched mana efficiency, marking it as a standout among its counterparts in Magic: The Gathering.

Counterspell - MTG Card versions
Mana Leak - MTG Card versions
Negate - MTG Card versions
Counterspell - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Mana Leak - Stronghold (STH)
Negate - Morningtide (MOR)

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Spell Snare MTG card by a specific set like Dissension and Modern Masters, 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 Spell Snare and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Spell Snare Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2006-05-05 and 2018-06-08. Illustrated by Hideaki Takamura.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12006-05-05DissensionDIS 332003normalblackHideaki Takamura
22013-06-07Modern MastersMMA 642003normalblackHideaki Takamura
32018-06-08BattlebondBBD 1322015normalblackHideaki Takamura
42020-09-26The ListPLST DIS-332003normalblackHideaki Takamura

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Spell Snare has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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