Spiteful Bully MTG Card


Spiteful Bully - Nemesis
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Phyrexian Zombie Mercenary
Released2000-02-14
Set symbol
Set nameNemesis
Set codeNEM
Power 3
Toughness 3
Number72
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byChippy

Key Takeaways

  1. Spiteful Bully can shift the game in your favor with card advantage through its disruptive ability.
  2. Its presence dictates the pace, indirectly accelerating your strategy by affecting opponent resource allocation.
  3. Despite its potential, the required discard and mana specificity could limit its utility across various decks.

Text of card

At the beginning of your upkeep, Spiteful Bully deals 3 damage to target creature you control.

Like most creatures bent on total destruction, they rarely bother to double-check their targets.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Spiteful Bully has a unique ability that can potentially disrupt the opponent’s strategy while maintaining your hand’s integrity. By forcing discard when certain conditions are met, it can tip the balance in your favor, turning the tides towards a card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: While Spiteful Bully itself may not directly contribute to resource acceleration, its presence on the battlefield can act as a deterrent, impacting how an opponent allocates their resources. By limiting their actions, you indirectly speed up your own game plan.

Instant Speed: One of the strengths of Spiteful Bully is its synergy with instant speed spells. The threat of activating its ability during the opponent’s turn can alter their play patterns, giving you a strategic edge as they play around the bully’s intimidating presence.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Spiteful Bully demands a card discard every turn it’s on the battlefield, potentially depleting your hand quickly and putting you at a disadvantage.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting requirement of two red mana means Spiteful Bully fits only into red or red-involved decks, which could restrict its versatility in multi-color formats.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For an aggressive creature, its three mana value — two of which are color specific — might be on the steep side, especially since its 3/3 stats can be outclassed by other cards at similar costs.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Spiteful Bully offers flexibility in deck-building choices. Whether your strategy is aggressive or control-focused, this card can deliver efficient damage in creature matchups.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with strategies that involve damage redirection or doubling. Its interaction with cards that benefit from damaging effects can open up new combo avenues and enhance existing ones.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where creature-heavy decks are prevalent, including Spiteful Bully can give you an advantageous edge. The continuous pressure it applies can shape the game in your favor against certain matchups.


How to Beat

Spiteful Bully, a creature in the MTG universe, poses quite the challenge with its power punch on the playing field. It’s a creature that can potentially deal heavy damage each turn, but despite its strengths, there are strategies to triumph over it. To outplay this card, consider leveraging removal spells that can target creatures irrespective of their power. Cards like Doom Blade or Path to Exile provide an efficient solution to Spiteful Bully’s threat.

Similarly, flash creatures offer a tactical advantage as they allow you play them during your opponent’s turn, setting up surprise blocks to mitigate the damage Spiteful Bully can inflict. Additionally, incorporating cards that can tap an opponent’s creature without utilizing the combat phase can neutralize this menacing card without having to engage it directly, preventing its assault altogether. Cards with lifelink are also valuable, as they can reduce the overall impact of Spiteful Bully’s attacks by increasing your life total simultaneously.

Ultimately, while Spiteful Bully may appear daunting at first glance, a well-constructed strategy that includes direct removal, strategic creature play, and life-gaining mechanisms can effectively counter this aggressive adversary in your duel for dominance on the MTG battlefield.


Cards like Spiteful Bully

Spiteful Bully is a unique creature card that brings its own flair to the creature dynamics in Magic: The Gathering. It bears comparison to cards like Raging Goblin, thanks to its agility in entering the battlefield. While both are aggressive cards, Spiteful Bully steps up with a higher power, posing a larger threat to opponents early on. Unlike the Raging Goblin, Spiteful Bully has the potential to escalate the game’s pace due to its power.

Analogous to this, Goblin Guide is another commendable match to Spiteful Bully in terms of aggressive play. Though Goblin Guide excels with haste and its lower casting cost, Spiteful Bully offers a better power to mana cost ratio, making it a formidable force once on the battlefield. However, Spiteful Bully’s downside is its habitual damage to its controller, a twist not seen in Goblin Guide.

Focusing on raw power and trade-offs, Spiteful Bully seems to carve out its niche within the realm of MTG creatures. Despite its self-harming trait, it rewards players who cleverly navigate its drawback, making it an interesting choice for decks that capitalize on early and potent offensive strategies.

Raging Goblin - MTG Card versions
Goblin Guide - MTG Card versions
Raging Goblin - Portal (POR)
Goblin Guide - Grand Prix Promos (PGPX)

Cards similar to Spiteful Bully by color, type and mana cost

Drudge Skeletons - MTG Card versions
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Cuombajj Witches - MTG Card versions
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Wall of Corpses - MTG Card versions
Rabid Rats - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Bat - MTG Card versions
Ravenous Rats - MTG Card versions
Flesh Reaver - MTG Card versions
Bloodcurdler - MTG Card versions
Nantuko Shade - MTG Card versions
Piper of the Swarm - MTG Card versions
Undead Augur - MTG Card versions
Shepherd of Rot - MTG Card versions
Swarm of Rats - MTG Card versions
Skullsnatcher - MTG Card versions
Nezumi Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Stromgald Crusader - MTG Card versions
Scarred Vinebreeder - MTG Card versions
Drudge Skeletons - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Erg Raiders - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Cuombajj Witches - Chronicles (CHR)
Order of the Ebon Hand - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Bog Imp - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Wall of Corpses - Mirage (MIR)
Rabid Rats - Stronghold (STH)
Dakmor Bat - Portal Second Age (P02)
Ravenous Rats - Invasion (INV)
Flesh Reaver - Urza's Saga (USG)
Bloodcurdler - Odyssey (ODY)
Nantuko Shade - Commander 2014 (C14)
Piper of the Swarm - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Undead Augur - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Shepherd of Rot - Onslaught (ONS)
Swarm of Rats - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Skullsnatcher - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Nezumi Cutthroat - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Stromgald Crusader - Coldsnap (CSP)
Scarred Vinebreeder - Lorwyn (LRW)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Spiteful Bully MTG card by a specific set like Nemesis, 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 Spiteful Bully and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Spiteful Bully has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2004-10-04 It can damage itself. In fact, it has to if it is the only creature you control.

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