Spawn of Mayhem MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityMythic
TypeCreature — Demon
Abilities Flying,Spectacle,Trample
Power 4
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Spawn of Mayhem’s growth potential can swing the battlefield dynamic in your favor.
  2. Requires specific mana, which can dictate the deck’s design and flexibility.
  3. While potent, its cost and benefits need to be weighed against alternatives.

Text of card

Spectacle (You may cast this spell for its spectacle cost rather than its mana cost if an opponent lost life this turn.) Flying, trample At the beginning of your upkeep, Spawn of Mayhem deals 1 damage to each player. Then if you have 10 or less life, put a +1/+1 counter on Spawn of Mayhem.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: With the ability to receive a +1/+1 counter if you have 10 or less life at the start of your upkeep, Spawn of Mayhem provides the potential for growing card value on the battlefield. This consistent growth can put pressure on your opponent and tip the scales in your favor as it becomes a formidable threat.

Resource Acceleration: Spawn of Mayhem aids in resource acceleration by potentially dealing damage to each player during your upkeep if you have 10 or more life. This spectacle cost enables an earlier play, giving you an aggressive head start in deploying other strategic plays or assets.

Instant Speed: Despite not being an instant itself, the damage Spawn of Mayhem deals at the beginning of your upkeep offers synergies with instant speed spells. The life loss can enable spectacle costs for other cards, allowing for a flexible response to the evolving game state.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One aspect of Spawn of Mayhem that might deter players is the lack of a discard element. Unlike some powerful cards that balance their strength by requiring the player to discard, Spawn of Mayhem does not offer this challenge, potentially missing a strategic layer that discard mechanics can provide.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a very specific mana configuration to cast—three black mana and another of any color. This may restrict its integration solely into decks that can consistently provide such a mana base, sometimes limiting deck-building options or necessitating additional mana-fixing cards to accommodate it.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, Spawn of Mayhem can be compared to other creatures in its mana range. Players may find that the power level, while formidable, could be outweighed by other creatures or spells that deliver more immediate or durable advantages for the same or lesser investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Spawn of Mayhem offers flexibility to black deck builders. As a flying creature, it can be a consistent source of damage, easily fitting into aggressive strategies that look to close games quickly.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to deal damage to each player during your upkeep can be leveraged in strategies centered around life-loss triggers, synergizing with effects that benefit from consistent opponent life decrease.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where early pressure and evasion are paramount, Spawn of Mayhem shines. Its relevance grows in environments where its spectacle cost can be consistently met, making it a potent force against slower, developing boards.


How to Beat

Spawn of Mayhem is a formidable force in the MTG arena, presenting a challenge with its flying ability and the potential to grow stronger during each upkeep if you’re at 10 life or less. To counteract this demonic threat, employing removal spells can be quite effective. Instant-speed spells like Murder or Path to Exile offer a swift solution to dispatch this creature before it can deal significant damage or become too powerful. Board wipes such as Wrath of God or Damnation can also clear the field of Spawn of Mayhem regardless of its growing stature.

Notably, cards that can exile creatures present another layer of resolution, ensuring that the Spawn of Mayhem doesn’t return from the graveyard. Moreover, ensuring you have counterspells like Cancel at the ready when your opponent casts Spawn of Mayhem can preempt the threat entirely. A strong defense strategy can also involve creatures with reach or those that can block flyers to stymie the demon’s attacks. Lastly, incorporating lifegain strategies helps to negate the impact of the Spawn’s triggered ability by keeping your life total healthy and higher than the danger zone that Spawn of Mayhem preys upon.


BurnMana Recommendations

Delving into the depths of MTG’s strategic complexities can sometimes be as daunting as facing down a Spawn of Mayhem on the battlefield. Understanding the pros and cons of this unique card is essential for any player looking to refine their deck’s performance. Whether it’s leveraging this demon’s growth potential or smartly nullifying its threats, mastery awaits those who seek wisdom. Enhance your collection’s versatility and meta-play with informed choices, and find ways to maximize the impact of each card. Join the community of strategic thinkers at BurnMana, where your journey toward MTG excellence is supported with every shuffle. Learn more and tap into your potential today.


Cards like Spawn of Mayhem

Spawn of Mayhem is a powerhouse in the MTG realm, a dark horse among flying creatures. Its notable comparison comes with Desecration Demon, which also harnesses flying and hefty power. Both are nightmares for opponents to deal with in the air. Spawn of Mayhem takes advantage by being slightly cheaper in mana cost and offering a reliable way to deal damage to each player through its spectacle cost.

When exploring alternatives, we see connections to Doom Whisperer. Though they share flying and a similar mana cost, Doom Whisperer’s ability to surveil without paying mana offers a different strategic advantage. Meanwhile, Spawn of Mayhem shines with its proactive damage-dealing trait that works well in aggressive strategies.

Considering the landscape of aggressive flyers in MTG, Spawn of Mayhem exhibits a unique blend of cost-efficiency and offensive capabilities. While there are similar daunting creatures, its early gameplay impact and self-damaging feature for spectacle cost undoubtedly position it as a valuable card, especially for decks aiming to turn the tide in their favor swiftly and forcefully.

Desecration Demon - MTG Card versions
Doom Whisperer - MTG Card versions
Desecration Demon - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Doom Whisperer - Guilds of Ravnica Promos (PGRN)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Spawn of Mayhem MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica Allegiance and Ravnica Allegiance Promos, 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 Spawn of Mayhem and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Spawn of Mayhem Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2019-01-25 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by Victor Adame Minguez.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-01-25Ravnica AllegianceRNA 852015normalblackVictor Adame Minguez
22019-01-25Ravnica Allegiance PromosPRNA 85p2015normalblackVictor Adame Minguez
32024-02-23Ravnica: Clue EditionCLU 1222015normalblackVictor Adame Minguez

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Spawn of Mayhem has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2019-01-25 A card’s spectacle cost is the same no matter how much life your opponents lost or how many opponents lost life.
2019-01-25 Damage dealt to a player causes that player to lose that much life.
2019-01-25 If Spawn of Mayhem gains lifelink, the damage it deals will cause you to simultaneously lose and gain life. If your life total is 1, you won’t lose the game.
2019-01-25 If each player has 0 life after Spawn of Mayhem’s triggered ability resolves, each player loses the game at the same time and the game ends in a draw.
2019-01-25 In a Two-Headed Giant game, Spawn of Mayhem’s last ability causes each team to lose 2 life. Then if your team’s life total is 10 or less, you put a +1/+1 counter on Spawn of Mayhem.
2019-01-25 In a multiplayer game, if an opponent loses life and later that turn leaves the game, you can cast a spell for its spectacle cost. (If a player leaves the game during their turn, that turn continues without an active player.)
2019-01-25 Spectacle doesn’t change when you can cast the card. For example, you can’t cast a sorcery with spectacle during an opponent’s turn unless another effect allows you to do so, even if that player has lost life this turn.
2019-01-25 To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you’re paying (such as a spectacle cost), add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The converted mana cost of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was.

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