Spirespine MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment Creature — Beast |
| Abilities | Bestow |
| Released | 2014-05-02 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Journey into Nyx |
| Set code | JOU |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 1 |
| Number | 142 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Sam Burley |
Key Takeaways
- Spirespine offers dual utility as both a creature and an enchantment, doubling its in-game value.
- Its bestow cost and forced blocking can be strategically leveraged or can signal a drawback.
- Incisive removal strategies can mitigate Spirespine’s combat advantages and enhance your defense.
Text of card
Bestow (If you cast this card for its bestow cost, it's an Aura spell with enchant creature. It becomes a creature again if it's not attached to a creature.) Spirespine blocks each turn if able. Enchanted creature gets +4/+1 and blocks each turn if able.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Spirespine offers a unique form of card advantage due to its ‘Bestow’ mechanic. When you enhance a creature with Spirespine, you’re not just playing one card; you’re effectively getting two creatures. If the enchanted creature dies, Spirespine becomes a creature, which can keep you ahead in terms of board presence.
Resource Acceleration: Spirespine can act as a form of resource acceleration in decks tailored around creature synergy. As it can be a creature or an Aura, it fits perfectly with strategies that aim to utilize the number of creatures on the battlefield or benefits from casting creature spells.
Instant Speed: While Spirespine itself does not operate at instant speed, its flexible nature can impact the board at critical times. If cast for its bestow cost, it can turn an unassuming creature into a significant threat during the combat phase, catching an opponent off-guard and potentially turning the tide of the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Spirespine comes with a built-in limitation requiring it to be bestow upon a creature. This can be a drawback in gameplay as you’re forced to have another creature on the battlefield to harness its full potential.
Specific Mana Cost: Being a green card, Spirespine demands a specific mana alignment, requiring one green mana in its casting cost, which may clash with your deck’s color scheme if you’re not running a green-focused deck or don’t have the right mana available when you need it.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, including two generic and one green, Spirespine’s cost is quite steep considering its vulnerability to removal before it can provide value, and there are other creature enchantments in MTG that could be more mana-efficient alternatives.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: The Spirespine card offers flexibility by being able to enchant any creature, upgrading its offensive capabilities significantly with +4/+1 and turning it into a formidable threat each turn.
Combo Potential: Spirespine’s ability to attach to a creature each turn creates dynamic interactions with cards that benefit from creatures entering the battlefield or from enchantment synergies.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment that rewards aggressive play, Spirespine can quickly elevate a modest threat to a major one, making it an effective tool against decks that struggle to handle consistent pressure.
How to beat
Spirespine presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. This creature card is known for its exceptional ability to bolster your attack phase, with a trade-off during your opponent’s turn. Its defining characteristic is becoming a forced blocker, which could be seen as a drawback when planning your defence.
When strategizing against Spirespine, removal spells are your allies. Instant-speed removals such as Path to Exile or Doom Blade can be pivotal in eliminating Spirespine before it becomes a detriment to your board state. Alternatively, taking advantage of its forced block mechanic with smaller, expendable creatures can help neutralize this threat without expending valuable spells from your hand. It’s also-wise to keep in mind that enchantment removal can be handy if Spirespine is bestowed, allowing you to handle two threats at once.
Overall, understanding Spirespine’s double-edged nature allows for planning a balanced approach between attack and defense. With precise timing and resource allocation, overcoming Spirespine’s aggressive stance can be seamlessly integrated into your winning strategy, regardless of it being a formidable opponent when it first hits the table.
Cards like Spirespine
Spirespine presents a unique offer among the creatures of Magic: The Gathering. It shares the ability to enhance power during turns like the card Nessian Wilds Ravager. Yet, Spirespine brings flexibility to the table; it can be cast using the bestow mechanic, effectively turning into an aura that can equip another creature. Unlike the immovable Nessian Wilds Ravager that comes with a hefty mana cost, Spirespine can be a formidable addition without committing to the board until the perfect moment arises.
Exploring comparable cards, we notice Bramble Elemental which also elevates games through its aura-focused ability. Although Bramble Elemental doesn’t have the bestow mechanic, it compensates by creating token creatures each time an aura is attached to it. Then there’s the Nimbus Naiad, offering both flying and bestow to elevate other creatures. However, Nimbus Naiad provides a lower power boost compared to Spirespine. The balance between cost, power hike, and tactical versatility is what sets Spirespine apart.
In sum, Spirespine finds its niche in Magic: The Gathering as a dynamically applied power booster. This offers strategic depth to the game, making it an interesting pick for players who value adaptability and offense during their turns.
Cards similar to Spirespine by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Spirespine MTG card by a specific set like Journey into Nyx, 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 Spirespine 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Spirespine has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Spirespine card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2014-04-26 | An Aura that becomes a creature is no longer put into its owner's graveyard as a state-based action. Rather, it becomes unattached and remains on the battlefield as long as it's a creature. While it's a creature, it can't be attached to another permanent or player. An Aura that's not attached to a legal permanent or player as defined by its enchant ability and also isn't a creature will be put into its owner's graveyard as a state-based action. |
| 2014-04-26 | Auras attached to a creature don't become tapped when the creature becomes tapped. Except in some rare cases, an Aura with bestow remains untapped when it becomes unattached and becomes a creature. |
| 2014-04-26 | If a permanent with bestow enters the battlefield by any method other than being cast, it will be an enchantment creature. You can't choose to pay the bestow cost and have it become an Aura. |
| 2014-04-26 | If the enchanted creature leaves the battlefield, the Aura stops being an Aura and remains on the battlefield. Control of that permanent doesn't change; you'll control the resulting enchantment creature. |
| 2014-04-26 | On the stack, a spell with bestow is either a creature spell or an Aura spell. It's never both, although it's an enchantment spell in either case. |
| 2014-04-26 | Similarly, if you cast an Aura spell with bestow targeting a creature controlled by another player, and that creature is an illegal target when the spell tries to resolve, it will finish resolving as an enchantment creature spell. It will enter the battlefield under your control. |
| 2014-04-26 | Unlike other Aura spells, an Aura spell with bestow isn't countered if its target is illegal as it begins to resolve. Rather, the effect making it an Aura spell ends, it loses enchant creature, it returns to being an enchantment creature spell, and it resolves and enters the battlefield as an enchantment creature. |
| 2014-04-26 | Unlike other Auras, an Aura with bestow isn't put into its owner's graveyard if it becomes unattached. Rather, the effect making it an Aura ends, it loses enchant creature, and it remains on the battlefield as an enchantment creature. It can attack (and its abilities can be activated, if it has any) on the turn it becomes unattached if it's been under your control continuously, even as an Aura, since your most recent turn began. |
| 2014-04-26 | You still control the Aura, even if it's enchanting a creature controlled by another player. |
