Hampering Snare MTG Card

Hampering Snare - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Abilities	Cycling
Released	2020-04-24
Set symbol
Set name	Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
Set code	IKO
Number	55
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Svetlin Velinov

Key Takeaways

Hampering Snare provides instant speed flexibility, crucial for reactive game strategies.
The card’s specific mana cost can limit its use in varied decks.
As a control spell, it can weaken multiple creatures, altering combat dynamics.

Text of card

Creatures your opponents control get -2/-0 until end of turn. Cycling (, Discard this card: Draw a card.)

"I want it to look me in the eyes and know the face of the man who put it down." —Kelsien, the Plague

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Hampering Snare offers the opportunity to disrupt your opponent’s strategy while potentially drawing a card if cycled. This dual functionality can lead to gaining an upper hand in card economy.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing resource acceleration, cycling Hampering Snare allows for deck filtering, which can help you draw into the lands or ramp spells necessary for accelerating your resources.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Hampering Snare at instant speed gives you the flexibility to respond to threats or key spells during your opponent’s turn, keeping your tactics both versatile and unpredictable.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: For players casting Hampering Snare, there’s the potential downside of the discard requirement. In a tight game situation where hand advantage is critical, the command to discard could undermine a player’s strategic reserves, making it a costlier play than intended.

Specific Mana Cost: Hampering Snare demands a specific mana arrangement for casting, which could cause stumbling blocks in decks that aren’t heavily invested in blue mana sources. This requirement can restrict the card’s versatility and limit its adoption across diverse deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that may be considered steep for the effect it delivers, Hampering Snare may not be the first pick for players scrutinizing their mana curve. When mana efficiency is paramount, other cards might provide a similar or enhanced impact for a lower or more flexible cost.

Reasons to Include Hampering Snare in Your Collection

Versatility: Hampering Snare is a flexible option for decks that need to handle various threats on the board. Its ability to give creatures -4/-0 until end of turn can turn the tide in combat, supporting defensive strategies or weakening opponents before a big swing.

Combo Potential: Not only does Hampering Snare serve as a combat trick, but it can also synergize with decks focused on spellslinger or prowess themes. Casting this during your own turn can empower your creatures with prowess or other abilities triggered by casting a noncreature spell.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where aggressive creature-based strategies prevail, Hampering Snare provides a low-cost solution to mitigate incoming damage or nullify key attackers, keeping you in control of the matchup.

How to beat

Hampering Snare is a unique spell within the sphere of control mechanics in Magic: The Gathering, offering a surprising twist during combat. Understanding its nuances is key to circumventing its effects. This card, when cast, can unexpectedly weaken an opponent’s attacking or blocking creatures by reducing their power during the heat of battle. To outplay Hampering Snare, strategic deck building is essential. Incorporating creatures with power boosts or abilities that trigger upon casting a noncreature spell can help maintain an advantage even if Hampering Snare is played.

Consider adding cards that grant your creatures indestructible or hexproof abilities, as they can safeguard your crucial assets from being hampered. Furthermore, utilizing instants that increase your creatures’ power before the snare’s effect or spells that counter blue spells can provide a shield against this potential setback. The crux of winning against Hampering Snare involves anticipation and readiness. By having spells ready to react or employing creatures less reliant on high power, you can effectively neutralize the disruptive capacity of Hampering Snare and maintain the upper hand in the bout.

By evaluating your options and preparing your strategy against control tactics, you can deftly navigate around the challenges Hampering Snare presents and retain control of the game state. This expertise not only equips you to handle this specific card but also enhances your overall ability to tackle similar control-heavy scenarios in your Magic: The Gathering encounters.

Cards like Hampering Snare

Hampering Snare stands out in the realm of defensive spells in Magic: The Gathering. It shares a purpose similar to that of Aether Gust – both aim to stifle opponent’s creatures. However, Aether Gust selectively impacts red or green creatures, while Hampering Snare affects a broader range by weakening an entire attacking or blocking creature force with a temporary debuff.

Comparing it further, Unsummon is another card that impacts creatures on the field by returning a single target to its owner’s hand. This can be advantageous as a tempo play but doesn’t affect multiple creatures like Hampering Snare. Conversely, Drown in Sorrow can disrupt multiple creatures as well but leans towards permanent control via destruction, unlike Hampering Snare’s temporary creature debuff.

To summarize, Hampering Snare offers a unique tactical advantage in player’s strategies, making it a versatile spell when controlling the battlefield. Its ability to affect multiple targets gives it an edge in situations where slowing down an opponent’s force can turn the tides of a game, positioning it as a useful card in the spectrum of MTG control spells.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hampering Snare MTG card by a specific set like Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, 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 Hampering Snare and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hampering Snare has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal