Serpentine Spike MTG Card
2015-10-02 - Number 133
2015-10-02 - Number 133s
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 7 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Devoid |
Text of card
Devoid (This card has no color.)Serpentine Spike deals 2 damage to target creature, 3 damage to another target creature, and 4 damage to a third target creature. If a creature dealt damage this way would die this turn, exile it instead.
Cards like Serpentine Spike
The Serpentine Spike card offers a unique penalty punch to multiple opponents’ creatures in the realm of Magic: The Gathering. When sizing up its attributes against other cards, Cone of Flame emerges as a counterpart. Both deliver damage divided among different targets. Serpentine Spike takes it up a notch by adding the Devoid trait, allowing it to fit seamlessly into colorless decks, something Cone of Flame doesn’t provide.
Other parallels can be seen with Flames of the Raze-Boar. This card also deals damage to more than one creature, but it requires a large creature on your side of the battlefield to trigger its full potential. Serpentine Spike, in contrast, is independent of your creature’s size, dealing a set amount of damage across three targets. Lastly, Arc Lightning is a spell from earlier sets that offers a similar damage distribution effect. Though it’s less powerful in terms of total damage dealt, it comes with a cheaper mana cost compared to the more costly Serpentine Spike.
In evaluating the competition, Serpentine Spike stands out in MTG for players who need a strategic advantage over multiple adversaries with a single spell. Its colorless adaptability and fixed damage distribution give it a distinctive place among multitudinous audience-clearing spells.
Cards similar to Serpentine Spike by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When deploying Serpentine Spike, you have the potential to remove multiple creatures from the battlefield. This not only disrupts your opponent’s strategy but also clears the way for your creatures to attack, possibly leading to better board control.
Resource Acceleration: Although Serpentine Spike itself doesn’t provide direct resource acceleration, it can be a key part of a deck that ramps up mana quickly to unleash this powerful spell sooner. Such decks can benefit greatly from this card as it can turn the tide of the game in favor of the player who manages to cast it early.
Instant Speed: As a sorcery, Serpentine Spike demands careful planning for the most impactful play. Knowing it doesn’t cast at instant speed helps players build strategies for the optimal timing of this card, often preparing the way at the end of an opponent’s turn to maximize its effect on your turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Serpentine Spike card necessitates that you discard another card upon casting. This can be particularly taxing when your hand is already depleted or if you’re trying to maintain card advantage against your opponent.
Specific Mana Cost: Serpentine Spike requires a combination of red and colorless mana to play. This specific mana requirement can be restrictive, confining the card’s optimal use to decks that can reliably produce both types of mana early enough to make an impact.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of seven mana, Serpentine Spike may arrive too late in the game to turn the tides in your favor. Given its high mana cost, it competes with other impactful late-game spells that might offer greater versatility or immediate board presence.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Serpentine Spike offers flexibility in deck building, suitable for strategies that capitalize on dealing damage to multiple creatures and planeswalkers at once. Its ability to divide damage allows for strategic elimination of threats on the board.
Combo Potential: This card works well with mechanics that benefit from dealing non-combat damage, triggering prowess or bolstering spells with a surge cost. Its damage-dividing ability can be maximized with damage amplifiers or in decks that manipulate the number of targets.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta filled with creature-based strategies, Serpentine Spike can serve as a powerful tool for control decks. Its ability to potentially clear multiple creatures at once makes it a valuable card against swarm tactics and dense battlefields.
How to Beat
Serpentine Spike is a card that can be quite impactful in MTG games, offering the ability to deal damage across several creatures with one cast. This can quickly turn the tide of a match by clearing the opponent’s board. To effectively counter this, it’s essential to maintain a diversified board presence with creatures of varying toughness. Cards that grant indestructibility or those that can quickly generate creature tokens will dilute the Spike’s effect across more targets, reducing its overall impact.
Having instant-speed removal or bounce spells can be another avenue to save key creatures from the Spike’s damage. Meanwhile, using counterspells is one of the most straightforward methods to ensure Serpentine Spike never resolves. Applying these strategic layers can help shield your board from the destructive potential of Serpentine Spike, keeping your creatures safe and maintaining your presence on the battlefield.
To summarize, beating Serpentine Spike involves thoughtful deployment of creatures, using protective spells, and keeping counters ready for critical moments. Understanding the mechanics and timing of this card is crucial, as it can help you anticipate and navigate around the massive damage it aims to dish out to your creatures.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Serpentine Spike MTG card by a specific set like Battle for Zendikar and Battle for Zendikar 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 Serpentine Spike and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Serpentine Spike Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2015-10-02 and 2015-10-02. Illustrated by Jaime Jones.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2015-10-02 | Battle for Zendikar | BFZ | 133 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jaime Jones | |
| 2 | 2015-10-02 | Battle for Zendikar Promos | PBFZ | 133s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jaime Jones |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Serpentine Spike has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Serpentine Spike card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2015-08-25 | A card with devoid is just colorless. It’s not colorless and the colors of mana in its mana cost. |
| 2015-08-25 | A creature doesn’t necessarily have to be dealt lethal damage by Serpentine Spike to be exiled. After being dealt damage, if it would die for any reason that turn, it’ll be exiled instead. |
| 2015-08-25 | Cards with devoid use frames that are variations of the transparent frame traditionally used for Eldrazi. The top part of the card features some color over a background based on the texture of the hedrons that once imprisoned the Eldrazi. This coloration is intended to aid deckbuilding and game play. |
| 2015-08-25 | Devoid works in all zones, not just on the battlefield. |
| 2015-08-25 | Each target must be a different creature. You can’t cast Serpentine Spike without three different creatures available. |
| 2015-08-25 | If a card loses devoid, it will still be colorless. This is because effects that change an object’s color (like the one created by devoid) are considered before the object loses devoid. |
| 2015-08-25 | If one or two of those targets become illegal by the time Serpentine Spike resolves, you can’t change how much damage will be dealt to the remaining legal targets. |
| 2015-08-25 | Other cards and abilities can give a card with devoid color. If that happens, it’s just the new color, not that color and colorless. |