Plated Spider MTG Card

Plated Spider grants card advantage by outlasting threats with its formidable toughness. Acts as a strategic blocker, safeguarding key mana generators and valuable spells. Influences opponent’s decisions and gameplay pace indirectly due to its battlefield presence.

Urza's Destiny (UDS)
1999-06-07 - Number 116

Beatdown Box Set (BTD)
2000-10-01 - Number 59

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Spider
Abilities	Reach
Power	4
Toughness	4

Text of card

Plated Spider may block as though it had flying.

Most spiders wait patiently for their prey to arrive. Most spiders aren't forty feet tall.

Cards like Plated Spider

The Plated Spider makes its presence known in the realm of creature defense within Magic: The Gathering. This arachnid shares traits with other defensive creatures such as Giant Spider, which also boasts an impressive toughness and the ability to block flying creatures. However, the Plated Spider goes a step further with its regeneration ability, allowing it to survive encounters that would normally destroy other creatures. Its mana cost is steeper, but this trait offers a reliable board presence, especially in long games.

When considering alternatives, Wall of Vines comes to mind. It’s cheaper and can also intercept flyers, yet it lacks the staying power provided by regeneration. Moving up the mana curve, we encounter Tangle Spider, delivering not only a blocking advantage against creatures with flying but also the flash ability, allowing for surprise plays. Nonetheless, the flexibility of flash and lower toughness make it situationally different from the durable Plated Spider.

Ultimately, each of these similar cards plays a unique role in a player’s strategy, but the Plated Spider shines in well-constructed decks that value resilience and an enduring defensive linchpin.

Cards similar to Plated Spider by color, type and mana cost

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: The resilience of Plated Spider, with its formidable 4 toughness, often means it can survive damage that would take out other creatures. This durability can translate into card advantage as it outlasts many threats on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: While Plated Spider itself does not directly provide resource acceleration, its inclusion in a deck can be a strategic move to protect more crucial mana generation creatures or spells by acting as a reliable blocker.

Instant Speed: Plated Spider doesn’t have flash, but its presence on the field can impact your opponent’s decisions at instant speed. Opponents may be forced to alter their attack phase or use their instant speed removal on the Spider, keeping your more valuable creatures and spells safe. In this way, Plated Spider indirectly influences the pace and playstyle of the game in your favor.

Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Plated Spider demands a precise combination of mana types for its casting, including a commitment of one green mana. This requirement may not align well with multicolor decks that may struggle with mana consistency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a total of five mana to put Plated Spider onto the battlefield, it ranks on the higher end for a creature with its abilities. Other creatures at or below this cost could potentially offer more impactful board presence or abilities.

Discard Requirement: While Plated Spider itself does not have a discard requirement, it’s important to note this is a common downside among several MTG cards. In evaluating Plated Spider within the broader context of a deck, one must consider the opportunity cost of playing this card over others that may necessitate discarding, which can deplete your hand.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Plated Spider offers a resilient blocker thanks to its significant toughness, making it a strong defensive asset in green creature-based decks or those running a wall strategy.

Combo Potential: Its spider subtype can be crucial for enabling synergies with cards that benefit from arachnids, or for activating various tribal buffs that can bolster the spider’s presence on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: As a creature that can efficiently block and survive against popular aggressive strategies, Plated Spider can serve as a deterrent to fast-paced decks, ensuring you maintain board stability in the current metagame.

How to beat

The Plated Spider is a unique creature card within the ecosystem of Magic: The Gathering, boasting a blend of resilience and defense with its high toughness and regeneration ability. Players often rely on it to stave off aggressive strategies, being a sturdy blocker that can persist through the fray. However, it is not invincible. To outmaneuver an opponent’s Plated Spider, a strategic approach is to use spells that sidestep its regeneration capabilities.

Consider employing removal spells that don’t destroy the creature but exile it instead. By using exile cards such as Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile, you can remove the Plated Spider from the game entirely, making its regeneration ability redundant. Moreover, strategies focusing on decreasing the Plated Spider’s toughness to zero are effective too, as toughness reduction is not something regeneration shields against. Use cards like Dismember or Grasp of Darkness to neutralize its advantages and clear the path for your victory.

Overall, while the Plated Spider may appear daunting at first glance, it has its weaknesses. Exploit these through tactical removal or toughness reduction, and you’ll find the spider’s plated defense is not so impenetrable after all.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Plated Spider MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Destiny and Beatdown Box Set, 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 Plated Spider and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Plated Spider Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1999-06-07 and 2000-10-01. Illustrated by Ron Spencer.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1999-06-07	Urza's Destiny	UDS		116	1997	Normal	Black	Ron Spencer
2	2000-10-01	Beatdown Box Set	BTD		59	1997	Normal	White	Ron Spencer

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Plated Spider has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2008-04-01	This card now uses the Reach keyword ability to enable the blocking of flying creatures. This works because a creature with flying can only be blocked by creatures with flying or reach.