Spirit Cleric MTG Card

Type	Token Creature — Spirit Cleric
Released	2021-11-19
Set symbol
Set name	Innistrad: Crimson Vow
Set code	VOW
Power	*
Toughness	*
Number	4
Frame	2015
Layout	Token
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jarel Threat

Key Takeaways

Spirit Clerics enhance your hand by drawing cards and reclaiming creatures from the graveyard.
They provide resource acceleration through mana ramping and cost reduction of spells.
Ability to summon Spirit Clerics at instant speed offers unexpected advantages during play.

Text of card

This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of Spirits you control.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Many Spirit Cleric cards in MTG have abilities that allow you to draw cards or return creatures from your graveyard to your hand. This ensures that as you play, you continuously have access to the spells and creatures you need to sustain pressure on your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: Spirit Clerics often come with abilities that ramp up your mana supply or make your spells cost less to cast. This can give you a significant lead, allowing you to play impactful cards earlier than your opponent expects.

Instant Speed: Several Spirit Clerics can be summoned at instant speed, providing a strategic advantage. This lets you keep mana open for interactions on your opponent’s turn and surprise them with a blocker or an ability that can tilt the game in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Spirit Cleric cards often come with a cost that can include discarding a card to activate an ability. This can be a setback during gameplay, especially when hand size is crucial to maintaining your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Many Spirit Cleric cards have mana requirements that are specific to white mana. This can limit the flexibility of your deck, potentially making it more difficult to cast spells if you don’t have the right mana available.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When it comes to building an efficient deck, mana cost is a key consideration. Spirit Clerics typically have a higher mana cost for their abilities compared to other creature types, which could lead to slower game starts and give opponents an advantage.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Spirit Cleric cards offer a dynamic addition to any deck, adept at fitting into various strategies. Their utility in both aggressive and control-oriented decks makes them a staple for players seeking multifaceted options.

Combo Potential: Spirit Cleric cards often have synergies with other creatures and spells, which can lead to powerful combos. Their ability to interact with life gain mechanics or spirit tribal themes can amplify a deck’s performance significantly.

Meta-Relevance: Given their resilience and synergistic qualities, Spirit Clerics maintain relevance in a shifting meta. They can often pivot between roles, either supporting a defensive strategy or contributing to an offensive push, based on the current competitive landscape.

How to beat

The Spirit Cleric archetype in MTG is renowned for its resilience and synergy, often providing a formidable defense with life gain and protective abilities. However, strategies to overcome such a card include disruption tactics such as graveyard hate cards, which inhibit the Cleric’s ability to leverage the graveyard for recurring benefits. Targeted removal spells can also be key, as they allow you to deal with individual threats posed by the Spirit Cleric.

Moreover, cards like board wipes are effective since they can reset the board, nullifying the Cleric’s established board presence and synergies. It’s also important to take an aggressive stance early on; applying pressure can prevent the Spirit Cleric player from setting up their defensive board state. Utilizing counter spells to thwart key spells in their strategy can keep the Spirit Cleric player off balance and hinder their gameplay momentum.

Ultimately, matching the Spirit Cleric’s mid-to-late game power requires careful timing and precise use of resources. Managing your removals, applying early pressure, and disrupting their engine is essential in clinching victory against this potent MTG archetype.

Cards like Spirit Cleric

The Spirit Cleric is an intriguing entity in the world of MTG, offering a unique blend of tribal synergy and lifegain abilities. It aligns with cards such as Soul Warden and Soul’s Attendant, both of which contribute to a strategy based on creature count and rewarding you for each creature that enters the battlefield. However, the Spirit Cleric often brings additional layers to the game, sometimes emboldening spirits or providing other clerics you control with potent buffs.

In terms of other cleric-inspired cards, you might consider comparing the Spirit Cleric to Cleric of Life’s Bond. This card thrives in a synergistic build, but focuses on amassing +1/+1 counters and thus, shifts the dynamic from a broad tribal theme to a more narrowly focused growth strategy. Then there’s Bygone Bishop, which shares a spiritual connection but diverges by emphasizing card advantage over the clerical associations.

Each of these cards provides its distinct flair to a deck, but the Spirit Cleric angles towards a cohesive tribal theme that others may not. Thus, its place in a MTG deck often centers around synergies with both the spirit and cleric archetypes, carving a specific niche for this versatile card in gameplay.

Cleric of Life's Bond - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Spirit Cleric MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Crimson Vow, 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 Spirit Cleric and other MTG cards: