Spellskite MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeArtifact Creature — Phyrexian Horror
Power 0
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Spellskite offers card advantage by intercepting targeted spells, protecting your strategy effectively.
  2. Instant speed activation allows Spellskite to serve as a versatile defense across various situations.
  3. Its inclusion in decks is justified by its defensive prowess and meta-relevance, making it a tactical asset.

Text of card

{PU}: Change a target of target spell or ability to Spellskite. ({PU} can be paid with either or 2 life.)

"Let's show Vorinclex that progress doesn't always need teeth or claws." —Malcator, Executor of Synthesis


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Spellskite can potentially redirect multiple targeted spells or abilities that your opponents direct toward their intended targets, effectively nullifying their plays and preserving your board position without losing additional cards from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: While Spellskite itself does not directly accelerate resources, its low cost and ability to protect key pieces can indirectly accelerate your game plan by ensuring your mana dorks or combo pieces remain on the board.

Instant Speed: Spellskite’s activated ability can be used at instant speed, offering flexible and reactive defense against instant-speed removals, buffs, or any targeted spells or abilities, making it a formidable shield at any phase of the game.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Spellskite demands a specific blue mana in its activation cost, which can sometimes constrain its inclusion to decks that run blue mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a converted mana cost of two, Spellskite might compete with other two-drop slots in a deck, especially considering other options that may provide more immediate board impact.

Discard Requirement: While not directly a disadvantage of Spellskite itself, the need to protect it from discard effects means you might have to reserve other cards to defend it, potentially reducing your hand size unnecessarily.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Spellskite has a unique place in many decks, serving as a multi-purpose shield. Its ability to redirect target spells or abilities can be pivotal in protecting key creatures or disrupting opponent strategies.

Combo Potential: Spellskite’s interaction isn’t just defensive. It can be an integral part of combos, fitting seamlessly into game-winning machinations by safeguarding crucial combo pieces or altering undesirable targets.

Meta-Relevance: With a metagame that often swings toward targeted removals and crucial buffs, Spellskite’s presence is consistently effective. It holds its ground in an array of matchups, remaining relevant in diverse competitive scenes.


How to Beat Spellskite

Spellskite is a notable fixture in MTG decks, primarily for its ability to redirect targeted spells or abilities with its unique activated ability. This blue artifact creature shines in both offensive and defensive roles, often frustrating the plans of opponents who rely heavily on targeted effects.

Combatting such a card requires a keen strategy. Players could focus on casting spells that don’t target, such as those that change the board state globally, or sweepers which don’t differentiate between creatures. Cards like Supreme Verdict and Wrath of God bypass Spellskite’s redirecting prowess by not targeting individual creatures at all. Additionally, abilities that require “target opponent” instead of “target creature or player” also slip through its defenses.

Efficient removal spells that exile can also be effective, since exiling doesn’t trigger Spellskite’s ability. A Path to Exile or a well-timed Dire Tactics can clear the way without the chance for interference. Mastery in using such cards can shift the game back into your favor. Understanding the power of untapped mana for potential redirection and planning your spells accordingly can significantly diminish the influence of Spellskite on the game landscape.


BurnMana Recommendations

Deciphering the strengths and weaknesses of Spellskite is essential for MTG deck optimizers and strategists. Appreciating its card advantage and adaptability at instant speed can elevate game play, while understanding its mana restrictions can influence better deck building. Inculcate Spellskite into your repertoire, knowing when it shines against targeted removals and how to employ alternative strategies when facing it across the battlefield. Spellskite is more than just a card; it’s a strategic asset that can pivot the tide of battle. Continue your MTG journey, explore nuanced playstyles, and diversify your collection. Deepen your understanding and gameplay—visit BurnMana for comprehensive insights.


Cards like Spellskite

Spellskite from Magic The Gathering serves as a unique line of defense with its ability to redirect target spells or abilities to itself. This functionality closely mirrors that offered by cards like Mizzium Meddler, which can also change the target of a spell or ability when it enters the battlefield. However, Spellskite boasts a more robust utility through its lower cost and repeatable ability, which can be activated multiple times within the same turn if needed.

In comparison, there’s Swerve, which has a similar redirection effect but is limited as a one-time instant. Though an effective surprise play, Swerve can’t match the continuous protection offered by Spellskite. Additionally, there’s Willbender—a morph card with the ability to change the target of spells or abilities, yet it reveals itself only once and requires correct timing to be effective, unlike the flexibility and staying power presented by Spellskite’s ongoing threat.

Spellskite shines by providing a proactive presence on the board that can deter opponents from utilizing targeted effects as long as it remains in play, setting it apart from its peers in terms of reliability and strategic defense in Magic The Gathering.

Mizzium Meddler - Magic Origins Promos (PORI)
Swerve - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Willbender - Legions (LGN)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Spellskite MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and New Phyrexia, 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 Spellskite and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Spellskite Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2011-05-13 and 2022-06-10. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 625332015normalblackSvetlin Velinov
22011-05-13New PhyrexiaNPH 1592003normalblackChippy
32015-05-22Modern Masters 2015MM2 2302015normalblackChippy
42017-01-01Judge Gift Cards 2017J17 72015normalblackSvetlin Velinov
52019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 5872015normalblackThomas M. Baxa
62019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 2772015normalblackThomas M. Baxa
72020-08-07Double Masters2XM 2892015normalblackChippy
82022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 8732015normalblackChippy

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Spellskite has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Spellskite card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2020-08-07 If Spellskite leaves the battlefield before its ability resolves or otherwise becomes an illegal target for the target spell or ability before its ability resolves, no targets are changed.
2020-08-07 If a spell or ability has a variable number of targets, you can't change the number of targets.
2020-08-07 If a spell or ability has multiple targets but doesn't use the word “target” multiple times, such as the ability of Deepglow Skate, you can only change one of the targets to Spellskite.
2020-08-07 If changing one target of a spell or ability to Spellskite would make other targets of that spell or ability illegal, that target can't be changed to Spellskite.
2020-08-07 If the spell or ability has multiple instances of the word “target,” you choose which one target you're changing to Spellskite as Spellskite's ability resolves.
2020-08-07 You can activate Spellskite's ability even if Spellskite isn't a legal target for the target spell or ability—or even if that spell or ability has no targets. In this case, no targets are changed.

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