Splicer's Skill MTG Card

Modern Horizons (MH1)
2019-06-14 - Number 31

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number MH1-31

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Sorcery
Abilities	Splice

Key Takeaways

Gain card advantage with Splicer’s Skill by creating a 3/3 Golem at instant speed.
It accelerates board presence with potential to populate and duplicate tokens.
Flexibility in usage can offset the card’s specific mana requirements and casting cost.

Text of card

Create a 3/3 colorless Golem artifact creature token. Splice onto instant or sorcery (As you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card's effects to that spell.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Splicer’s Skill can potentially generate considerable card advantage by creating a 3/3 Golem artifact creature token, allowing you to effectively add another card to your board presence without losing hand resources.

Resource Acceleration: By populating and potentially doubling your Golem tokens, Splicer’s Skill can accelerate your resources on the battlefield, contributing to a more dominant board state and enabling powerful creature synergies.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Splicer’s Skill at instant speed provides flexibility and strategic depth. It allows you to surprise your opponent during combat or at the end of their turn, maximizing the timing and impact of the card’s effect.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Splicer’s Skill, in some game scenarios, demands a card discard to unleash its potential, which can backfire when you’re already clutching at straws with a dwindling hand.

Specific Mana Cost: The necessity for both generic and white mana to play Splicer’s Skill can pigeonhole the card into specific deck builds, potentially limiting its versatility across the diverse MTG meta.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Splicer’s Skill provides a unique benefit by creating a 3/3 Golem creature token, the four mana investment might be steep compared to other options in the format. Players often weigh this card against others with lower casting costs or cards that offer more immediate board impact.

Reasons to Include Splicer’s Skill in Your Collection

Versatility: Splicer’s Skill is not just a creature spell but also a utility spell. Its ability to create a Golem artifact creature token ensures that it can support both creature-focused and artifact-centric decks. Moreover, it can provide an instant on-board presence for defensive or offensive strategies.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks looking to capitalize on token generation or artifact synergies. Its splice ability can augment your spell casting, enabling intricate combos by replicating the Golem-making effect alongside other instants or sorceries.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where board presence and tempo play a crucial role, Splicer’s Skill fits right in. The ability to create a sizeable blocker or attacker while still holding mana for other spells can keep opponents on their toes and shift the game in your favor.

How to beat Splicer’s Skill

Addressing the challenge that Splicer’s Skill poses in the MTG world means understanding its mechanics and potential. This particular card allows a player to create a 3/3 colorless Golem artifact creature token, then applies its ‘populate’ ability, replicating a creature token already in play. Facing this growing army of tokens, opponents must pivot their strategy to mitigate the card’s impact.

Effective measures include utilizing sweepers like Wrath of God to clear the tokens en masse or spot removal spells such as Doom Blade targeted at key creatures before the replication effect can multiply their presence. Enchantment removal spells, like Disenchant, can dismantle the token-generating enchantments and mitigate Splicer’s Skill’s efficiency. Moreover, countering the spell directly with cards like Counterspell prevents the golem token generation and populate mechanic right from the onset. Playing around Splicer’s Skill means prioritizing removal resources effectively to handle both the tokens and the spells that capitalize on them.

The key is to remain proactive, anticipating the creation and duplication of tokens, while maintaining a toolkit of versatile removal in your deck to address the threats that Splicer’s Skill can bring to the battlefield.

Cards like Splicer's Skill

Splicer’s Skill is a unique addition to Magic: The Gathering, offering a fresh twist on creature enhancement. Standing tall amongst cards geared toward augmenting creatures, Splicer’s Skill enables players to create a golem, evoking the mechanics of cards like Blade Splicer. While Blade Splicer also brings a golem into play, Splicer’s Skill adds versatility by grafting its ability onto any creature and not just when it enters the battlefield.

Another noteworthy comparison is with Master Splicer, which offers a permanent boost to golem creatures’ power. Splicer’s Skill, by contrast, provides a one-time bonus in addition to the golem creation. In the mix, there’s Vital Splicer, providing golem regeneration. It lacks the immediate board impact of Splicer’s Skill but offers a more resilient long-term strategy. Each of these splicer cards provides different value depending on the game’s state and the player’s strategy.

In essence, Splicer’s Skill stands out in the splicer category for its instant speed and adaptable enhancement, catering to players who appreciate flexibility and surprise elements during the battle. This trait makes it a compelling choice for decks that thrive on tactical versatility and creature synergies.

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Splicer's Skill MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons and The List, 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 Splicer's Skill and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Splicer's Skill Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-06-14 and 2019-06-14. Illustrated by Jason Felix.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2019-06-14	Modern Horizons	MH1		31	2015	Normal	Black	Jason Felix
2	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST		MH1-31	2015	Normal	Black	Jason Felix

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Splicer's Skill has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2019-06-14	If a spell is copied, choices made while casting it are copied, so the copy will have the same abilities spliced onto it as the original.
2019-06-14	If all of the spell’s targets are illegal when the spell tries to resolve, it won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen, including those from cards spliced onto it.
2019-06-14	If the spell is countered, any cards you spliced onto it remain in your hand.
2019-06-14	The abilities spliced onto the spell happen last, after all of that spell’s other effects. Notably, the Golem won’t be on the battlefield yet if the spell has an effect that affects all creatures, all creatures you control, or similar.
2019-06-14	The legality of a spell’s targets is checked only as that spell begins to resolve. If the spell this card is spliced onto causes its targets to become illegal while it’s resolving (for example, by removing them from the battlefield) you’ll still create a Golem.
2019-06-14	You reveal all cards you intend to splice at the same time. Each individual card can be spliced only once onto any one spell, although multiple cards with the same name may be spliced onto one spell.