Sporeback Wolf MTG Card
2021-11-19 - Number 223
2022-01-28 - Number 490
2022-12-02 - Number 732
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Wolf |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Key Takeaways
- This creature boosts battlefield presence through beneficial counters, adding strategic depth to creature-focused decks.
- Its specific mana requirements and discard conditions can pose challenges, potentially limiting deck versatility.
- In the right environment, Sporeback Wolf’s growth potential makes it a formidable asset for MTG players.
Text of card
As long as it's your turn, Sporeback Wolf gets +0/+2.
The mushrooms growing in the wolves' fur possess curative properties incredible enough to tempt many alchemists into risking their lives to track one down.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While Sporeback Wolf doesn’t draw cards directly, its interaction with counters offers an indirect card advantage by enhancing the power of your creatures on the battlefield.
Resource Acceleration: This creature may not produce mana or Treasure tokens, but its synergy with +1/+1 counter strategies can significantly accelerate the development of a formidable board presence.
Instant Speed: Although Sporeback Wolf itself is a creature card and not an instant, it’s designed to benefit from instant speed spells and abilities. This synergistic potential allows players to maximize the use of mana during both their own and their opponent’s turns.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Many cards in MTG are designed with balance in mind, and the Sporeback Wolf is no different. A potential drawback lies in its need for a card to be discarded to trigger certain effects, which might not always align with a player’s strategy, especially when their hand is already depleted.
Specific Mana Cost: Casting the Sporeback Wolf requires a commitment to green mana sources. This specific mana cost can limit the card’s flexibility, making it a less favorable pick for decks that run multiple colors or rely heavily on colorless lands.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the effectiveness of creatures, one must consider their mana cost relative to their impact on the game. The mana investment for Sporeback Wolf might be on the higher side compared to other creatures in its class, potentially offering less tactical advantage for the same resource expenditure.
Reasons to Include Sporeback Wolf in Your Collection
Versatility: Sporeback Wolf offers flexibility across a range of deck types, thriving especially in green-focused creature decks. Its ability to accumulate +1/+1 counters makes it a scalable threat that can grow alongside your game plan.
Combo Potential: Pairing well with mechanics that distribute +1/+1 counters or benefit from creature buffs, Sporeback Wolf becomes a linchpin in synergistic strategies that maximize on-counter proliferation.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based strategies are prominent, Sporeback Wolf carves out a niche as a resilient creature that can survive damage and removal spells, keeping your board presence solid against opponents.
How to beat
Sporeback Wolf is an intriguing creature in the realm of Magic: The Gathering with its potential to strengthen other creatures on the board. Understanding its ability to add +1/+1 counters can be key to devising a strategy to overcome it. Removal spells that can target creatures, irrespective of their power or toughness, provide an effective countermeasure. Options such as Murder can outright destroy Sporeback Wolf regardless of how many counters it has accumulated.
Another practical approach is to rely on spells that prevent counter accumulation in the first place, such as Solemnity, which inhibits players from putting counters of any kind on their creatures. Consider board wipes as well; a card like Wrath of God can reset the playing field, eliminating all creatures and negating any advantages the Sporeback Wolf’s counters may have conferred. Lastly, engaging in combat with creatures that have deathtouch can also serve as a deterrent, as any amount of damage from a deathtouch creature is lethal, making it a formidable defense against an enhanced Sporeback Wolf.
Analyzing the strengths and tactical applications of Sporeback Wolf allows players to prepare effectively and maintain control during their matches, employing the best measures from their decks to counter this particular threat comprehensively.
Cards like Sporeback Wolf
Sporeback Wolf is an intriguing creature card in the Magic: The Gathering universe. It shares similarities with other creature cards that also bolster their power through +1/+1 counters. For example, Quirion Dryad is a creature that gains a +1/+1 counter each time you cast a spell of a certain color, much like Sporeback Wolf gets stronger when supported by proliferate mechanics or other +1/+1 counter synergies.
Comparatively, cards like Scrounging Bandar offer another dimension to the +1/+1 counter strategy. Unlike Sporeback Wolf, which continuously benefits from proliferating counters, Scrounging Bandar allows you to transfer its counters to other creatures, providing a more versatile approach to counter distribution. Then we also have the likes of Ironscale Hydra, a creature that not only grows through counters but grants steadfast resilience by absorbing damage into more counters, a different trait that Sporeback Wolf doesn’t possess.
Ultimately, Sporeback Wolf stands out in decks that capitalize on +1/+1 counter interactions, showcasing its value through the potential for consistent strength enhancement over the course of a game, especially when combined with proliferate strategies and other synergy-centric cards.
Cards similar to Sporeback Wolf by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Sporeback Wolf MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Crimson Vow and Innistrad: Double Feature, 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 Sporeback Wolf and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Sporeback Wolf Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-11-19 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Nicholas Elias.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-11-19 | Innistrad: Crimson Vow | VOW | 223 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Nicholas Elias | |
| 2 | 2022-01-28 | Innistrad: Double Feature | DBL | 490 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Nicholas Elias | |
| 3 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 732 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Nicholas Elias |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Sporeback Wolf has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
