Phoebe, Head of S.N.E.A.K. MTG Card
Text of card
Phoebe, Head of S.N.E.A.K. can't be blocked by creatures with flavor text. : Phoebe permanently steals target creature's text box. (That creature loses all rules text, flavor text, and watermarks. This creature gains them.)
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Cards like Phoebe, Head of S.N.E.A.K.
Phoebe, Head of S.N.E.A.K is a unique character within the MTG universe that offers something rather unorthodox – stealing text boxes from other creatures. It’s an ability that’s rare to find and creates strategic advantages in gameplay. When seeking comparisons, Sakashima’s Student comes to mind, a card that can clone any creature on the battlefield. However, unlike Phoebe, it does not retain the ability to continually acquire new abilities after it has been played.
Sakashima the Impostor is another ninja card that can copy creatures with the added benefit of avoiding the legendary rule, but it also falls short of Phoebe’s ongoing ability hijacking. Lazav, Dimir Mastermind is equally interesting, as it adapts the form of any creature card that hits the graveyard, yet it cannot accumulate multiple abilities over time as Phoebe can.
In analyzing these similar options, Phoebe sets herself apart in MTG for her progressive enhancement potential and the tactical edge this provides, particularly in longer games where multiple creatures’ abilities can be conscripted to strengthen your board position significantly.
Cards similar to Phoebe, Head of S.N.E.A.K. by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Phoebe, Head of S.N.E.A.K., helps you retain an upper hand in information warfare. When she successfully deals combat damage to a player, her ability to pilfer an opponent’s card text can swing the tide of battle by denying opponents their card advantages while bolstering your own strategic options.
Resource Acceleration: While Phoebe doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the traditional sense, the ability to potentially gain powerful abilities from other creatures can save precious mana that would otherwise be spent deploying those effects yourself. This indirect resource gain can be used to your tactical advantage, allowing you to commit to the board in more efficient ways.
Instant Speed: Although Phoebe operates at sorcery speed, the instant-speed abilities she can potentially acquire from other creatures offer flexibility and unexpected turns of play. Once Phoebe has annexed a key ability, you’re able to leverage that power at critical moments, keeping opponents on their toes and protecting your interests with reactive maneuvers.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Phoebe, Head of S.N.E.A.K. necessitates that you forfeit another creature’s text box, potentially diminishing your board presence. This action can leave you vulnerable if not timed correctly.
Specific Mana Cost: This card’s need for both blue and black mana makes it a less flexible option for multi-colored decks. It demands a committed mana base, which could restrict deck-building creativity and versatility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that rivals other potent creatures, Phoebe’s initial impact on the game may not match its resource investment. Considering the dynamic and often fast-paced environment of the game, players might opt for alternatives that provide immediate advantages.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Phoebe, Head of S.N.E.A.K., is a unique card that can seamlessly integrate into a variety of blue-based decks. Her ability to steal text boxes makes her adaptable against numerous opponent strategies, allowing for dynamic play experiences.
Combo Potential: Phoebe’s skill set is ripe for creating novel combos, especially in a deck focusing on abilities manipulation. By stealing the best text boxes from the field, she can amass a collection of traits that can heavily tilt the board in your favor.
Meta-Relevance: Given the fluctuating landscape of competitive play, having a card like Phoebe can be particularly effective. She can adapt to counter dominant deck themes and shake up the meta by turning an opponent’s strengths into her own.
How to beat
Phoebe, Head of S.N.E.A.K., stands out in the rogue’s gallery of MTG as a quirky and strategic card that requires a cunning approach to overcome. Devising a strategy against Phoebe starts with understanding her abilities to steal text boxes, which can drastically alter the board state. It’s essential to limit her reach by employing instant-speed removal that can disrupt your opponent’s intentions before they have a chance to utilize Phoebe’s full potential.
Targeted removal spells are key players in curtailing Phoebe’s shenanigans. Cards like Fatal Push or Path to Exile provide an efficient and effective solution to ensure Phoebe’s departure from the battlefield. Moreover, playing around her ability by holding onto removal until your opponent attempts to activate it can lead to a beneficial trade-off, wasting their resources while keeping yours intact.
In addition, keeping an array of creatures with Hexproof or Shroud in your deck can serve as a preventative measure, shielding your important permanents from Phoebe’s clutches. With the right mix of foresight and disruption, overcoming Phoebe, Head of S.N.E.A.K., becomes a feasible task for any skillful player looking to secure their victory in MTG.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Phoebe, Head of S.N.E.A.K. MTG card by a specific set like Unstable and The List (Unfinity Foil Edition), 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 Phoebe, Head of S.N.E.A.K. and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Phoebe, Head of S.N.E.A.K. Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-12-08 and 2022-10-07. Illustrated by Ralph Horsley.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-12-08 | Unstable | UST | 135 | 2015 | Normal | Silver | Ralph Horsley | |
| 2 | 2022-10-07 | The List (Unfinity Foil Edition) | ULST | 52 | 2015 | Normal | Silver | Ralph Horsley |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Phoebe, Head of S.N.E.A.K. card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-01-19 | A creature without a text box can later gain abilities. Those abilities will work. |
| 2018-01-19 | If Phoebe has abilities that contradict one another, the most recently added one wins. For example, if Phoebe has the text boxes of both Beast of Burden (power and toughness equal to the number of creatures on the battlefield) and Psychosis Crawler (power and toughness equal to the number of cards in your hand). Phoebe’s power and toughness would be defined by the text box added most recently. |
| 2018-01-19 | If Phoebe leaves the battlefield, the stolen text boxes are lost. She doesn’t keep them, and she certainly doesn’t give them back to their original owners. |
| 2018-01-19 | If Phoebe steals a creature’s text box, that creature no longer has that text box. Phoebe now has her own text box in addition to the one she stole. |
| 2018-01-19 | If Phoebe steals a creature’s text box, that creature will no longer have flavor text and can then block Phoebe. |
| 2018-01-19 | If a creature loses its text box, leaves the battlefield, and then returns to the battlefield, it will once again have its text box. This won’t affect Phoebe, who presumably still has the one she stole from the original creature. |
| 2018-01-19 | If anything cares about Phoebe’s rules text, flavor text, or watermarks, consider all of her text boxes as if they were one. If anything cares about the rules text, flavor text, or watermarks of a creature whose text box was stolen, the effect sees nothing. |