Blinding Spray MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Instant |
| Released | 2014-09-26 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Khans of Tarkir |
| Set code | KTK |
| Number | 32 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | normal |
| Border | black |
| Illustred by | Wayne Reynolds |
Key Takeaways
- Blinding Spray enables substantial battlefield control, negating threats and boosting hand options.
- Despite its power, the card’s discard requirement and specific mana cost may hinder versatility.
- Its functionality in diverse deck strategies makes it a worthy consideration for control players.
Text of card
Creatures your opponents control get -4/-0 until end of turn. Draw a card.
"The stronger our enemies seem, the more vulnerable they are." —Sultai secret
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Blinding Spray provides a significant edge by potentially negating multiple threats on the board, keeping your hand well-stocked with options.
Resource Acceleration: Although not directly a resource acceleration tool, the strategic benefits of Blinding Spray can lead to tempo gains that put you ahead on the board, effectively acting as indirect acceleration.
Instant Speed: The ability to cast Blinding Spray at instant speed allows for surprise interactions during combat or in response to an opponent’s spells, giving you a versatile tool for controlling the pace of the match.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Blinding Spray necessitates discarding another card to play it. This could be unfavorable during the late game or when your hand is running out of options, reducing the flexibility and card advantage that is vital in matches.
Specific Mana Cost: Blinding Spray has a mana cost that includes blue mana, thereby restricting its playability to decks that have access to blue resources. It won’t fit easily into multi-color decks that have a tight mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of 3 blue and 2 generic mana, Blinding Spray is considered expensive for its temporary effect. Other cards with lower mana requirements might provide more permanent or impactful interference in opponents’ strategies.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Blinding Spray is a card that can find its way into a variety of deck builds, notably those that seek to control the board and protect life totals. Its ability to lower the power of your opponent’s creatures can turn the tide in combat-heavy games.
Combo Potential: For players who enjoy crafting intricate combos, Blinding Spray offers potential. It pairs well with effects that punish or capitalize on altered power levels, or can be used as a setup for a sweeping win condition in the following turns.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta that’s heavy with aggressive creature strategies, Blinding Spray could provide a stopgap measure, giving control decks a better chance to stabilize and enact their long-term plans.
How to Beat Blinding Spray
Blinding Spray stands out in MTG as a tool for controlling combat dynamics, putting a temporary stop to adversary threats by both weakening their offense and limiting their defensive capabilities. Versatile and often unexpected, this card can decisively turn the battle in your favor. Despite its pivotal role on the battlefield, there’s a strategic way to counter it.
As with any spell that modifies combat results, the key lies in anticipatory play. Employing instant-speed removal spells can clear the board before Blinding Spray can take effect. Another tactic involves the utilization of hexproof or shroud abilities on your creatures, ensuring they remain unaffected by such defusing spells. Additionally, countering Blinding Spray directly with a counter spell proves to be an effective method to preserve your battlefield advantage.
Utilizing cards that allow you to draw or cycle through your deck can also mitigate the impact of Blinding Spray, as it increases the probability of finding the solution to this hindrance within your deck. By considering these strategies and maintaining a flexible approach to combat situations, you can triumph over the challenges posed by Blinding Spray and maintain dominance in your MTG matches.
Cards like Blinding Spray
Blinding Spray is an intriguing control tool in Magic: The Gathering, sharing common ground with other spells designed to weaken enemy creatures. A card with a comparable effect is AEtherspouts, which diverts incoming attackers back to the owner’s library or into their hand. Blinding Spray offers a decrease in creature power and also grants card draw, presenting a mix of disruption and advantage. While AEtherspouts may provide a more definitive answer to threats by removing them from the field, Blinding Spray’s lower mana cost makes it a more flexible choice during combat.
Likewise, Drown in Sorrow and Flaying Tendrils serve as alternatives that not only provide a reduction in creature power but go further by potentially clearing the board of smaller creatures. However, they lack the card draw element that Blinding Spray incorporates. This advantage is crucial as it helps the player maintain card parity after disrupting an opponent’s formation. It’s a significant factor to consider for those critiquing their control spells arsenal.
In evaluating control options within the game, Blinding Spray proves its effectiveness by combining immediate tempo swing with the benefit of drawing a card, offering a multifaceted approach to managing the battlefield.
Cards similar to Blinding Spray by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Blinding Spray MTG card by a specific set like Khans of Tarkir, 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 Blinding Spray 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 Magic products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Blinding Spray has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Blinding Spray card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2014-09-20 | Blinding Spray doesn’t affect creatures that enter the battlefield or come under the control of one of your opponents after it resolves. |
| 2014-09-20 | You can cast Blinding Spray even if your opponents control no creatures just to draw a card. |
