Spirit of the Spires MTG Card

Spirit of the Spires - Ravnica Allegiance

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Spirit
Abilities	Flying
Released	2019-01-25
Set symbol
Set name	Ravnica Allegiance
Set code	RNA
Power	2
Toughness	4
Number	23
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Yeong-Hao Han

Key Takeaways

Strengthens defensive play, enhancing creature toughness and impacting the battlefield’s strategic dynamic.
Demands strategic hand management and careful deck building due to specific mana requirements.
Integral for flying-centric decks, providing versatility and meta-relevance in various formats.

Text of card

Flying Other creatures you control with flying get +0/+1.

She breathes fair winds to tired griffins and lifts songbirds beyond the reach of stalking cats.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Spirit of the Spires enhances your defensive capabilities with its static ability, effectively increasing the toughness of other creatures you control and potentially deterring attacks. Holding off opponents can indirectly contribute to card advantage by preserving your board state.

Resource Acceleration: Although Spirit of the Spires doesn’t directly accelerate resources in terms of mana, its 4-mana cost for a 2/4 body with a flying ability allows for a stable and reasonably costed creature that can hold the fort while you develop your other plays.

Instant Speed: While this card does not function at instant speed itself, its flying ability makes it a valuable asset for airborne blocks. This reactive playstyle can disrupt your opponent’s strategy during their turn, especially in combat, and can be likened to the instant speed advantage when considering battlefield tactics.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Holding on to Spirit of the Spires can be a strategic challenge, especially in fast-paced games where discarding seems inevitable. This Spirit card demands a fine balance between keeping your hand full and knowing the right time to bring it into play.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring a particular blend of mana, including white, Spirit of the Spires may not seamlessly fit into every deck build. It’s tailored for those who have a solid mana base, which can coordinate with white’s plains or equivalent mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that competes with other impactful four-mana creatures or spells, Spirit of the Spires can feel like a resource-heavy investment for its stats and flying support abilities. Enthusiasts often weigh it against other cards in the same mana range that may offer more immediate board presence or utility.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Spirit of the Spires serves a dual role in deck-building. Its ability to grant other creatures with flying an additional toughness makes it a strong defensive option, supporting aerial strategies across a variety of deck archetypes.

Combo Potential: This card becomes even more potent when paired with effects that proliferate flying creatures or care about the number of creatures you control with a particular ability. It’s a perfect fit for decks that leverage the power of synergistic flying creatures.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the emphasis on flying creatures in recent gameplay, Spirit of the Spires can be a useful tool to bolster your aerial defense against popular strategies. It’s particularly effective in limited formats where evasion is key and can serve as an essential piece in your flying tribal builds.

How to Defend Against Spirit of the Spires

Spirit of the Spires presents a unique challenge in Magic: The Gathering. This flying creature not only provides a sturdy defensive option with its notable toughness but also boosts other creatures with flying you control by giving them an additional point of toughness. Its presence on the battlefield can turn the skies into a formidable defense platform for your opponent.

To effectively counter Spirit of the Spires, it’s essential to include removal spells that can bypass its enhanced toughness or target it directly. Cards like Lava Coil and Murderous Rider remain excellent choices as they can deal with the Spirit efficiently. Alternatively, countering it upon casting with spells like Dovin’s Veto can prevent it from ever influencing the board. Board wipes like Kaya’s Wrath or Shatter the Sky are also effective for resetting the battlefield if Spirit of the Spires is part of a larger aerial swarm.

Understanding the right timing to deploy these responses is key to maintaining control. By keeping these strategies in mind, you can ensure that Spirit of the Spires doesn’t become a persistent thorn in the side of your game plan.

Cards like Spirit of the Spires

Spirit of the Spires is a unique addition to the collection of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. When drawing parallels, it shares some common ground with cards like Serra Angel – both are flying creatures that can significantly influence the board state. However, Spirit of the Spires stands out with its ability to boost the defense of other creatures with flying, giving them an advantageous edge in aerial combat.

Moving forward, there’s Empyrean Eagle, which also buffs flying creatures, but in both attack and defense. Empyrean Eagle’s stat increase can be pivotal during offensive plays, while Spirit of the Spires excels in fortifying your flyers defensively. Another notable counterpart is the renowned Windstorm Drake, which similarly supports flying creatures by increasing their attacking power. This positions Windstorm Drake as a companion that encourages aggressive strategies compared to the more defensively inclined Spirit of the Spires.

As players explore the vast range of supporting creatures in Magic: The Gathering, the defensive boost and vigilant guard of Spirit of the Spires certainly carve a niche role, making it a valuable asset especially in flying-centric decks that require a solid defense to withstand opponents’ attacks.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Spirit of the Spires MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica Allegiance, 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 Spirit of the Spires and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Spirit of the Spires has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2019-01-25	Because damage remains marked on a creature until it’s removed as the turn ends, nonlethal damage dealt to other creatures you control with flying may become lethal if Spirit of the Spires leaves the battlefield during that turn.