Serum Snare MTG Card


Provides card advantage and deck cycling potential, bolstering your strategic depth during matches. Instantaneous flexibility allows for dynamic play, disrupting opponents when they least expect it. The requisite discard can be a significant strategic cost, weighing heavily on decision-making.
Serum Snare - Phyrexia: All Will Be One
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant
Abilities Proliferate
Released2023-02-03
Set symbol
Set namePhyrexia: All Will Be One
Set codeONE
Number68
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byLauren K. Cannon

Text of card

Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand. If that permanent had mana value 3 or less, proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)

"I bring a message from the Autonomous Furn—argh!"


Cards like Serum Snare

Serum Snare operates within the realm of counter spells in Magic: The Gathering, aligning itself with classics like Cancel and Mana Leak. It posits itself as a reliable form of control much like Cancel, which straightforwardly counters target spells. Where Serum Snare diverges is its specific condition for activation, providing a narrower but more mana-efficient denial.

Examining other alternatives, we see Mana Leak with its transient counter mechanism based on the opponent’s ability to pay additional mana. While Mana Leak is flexible, Serum Snare’s lower cost can be critical in the early game. Then there’s Negate, a specialist in thwarting noncreature spells, which offers a targeted approach to disruption compared to Serum Snare’s broader counterplay. Serum Snare, with its efficacious mana investment, delivers general protection against a variety of spells, particularly potent in limited formats where resources are scarce.

Evaluating their distinct characteristics, Serum Snare earns its place in the suite of MTG counter spells. Its efficient cost paired with its versatile yet situationally bounded application makes it both a strategic selection for deck building and a noteworthy player on the battlefield.

Cancel - MTG Card versions
Mana Leak - MTG Card versions
Negate - MTG Card versions
Cancel - MTG Card versions
Mana Leak - MTG Card versions
Negate - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Serum Snare by color, type and mana cost

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Counterspell - MTG Card versions
Hurkyl's Recall - MTG Card versions
Hypnotic Sprite // Mesmeric Glare - MTG Card versions
Lat-Nam's Legacy - MTG Card versions
Flash - MTG Card versions
Boomerang - MTG Card versions
Updraft - MTG Card versions
Rebound - MTG Card versions
Memory Lapse - MTG Card versions
Hoodwink - MTG Card versions
Tidal Bore - MTG Card versions
Accumulated Knowledge - MTG Card versions
Teferi's Response - MTG Card versions
Aether Burst - MTG Card versions
Impulse - MTG Card versions
Cyclonic Rift - MTG Card versions
Thassa's Intervention - MTG Card versions
Metamorphose - MTG Card versions
Flash Counter - MTG Card versions
Echoing Truth - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Serum Snare. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Bant PoisonBant Poison StandardBant PoisonStandard Challenge 32 2024-04-13 (1)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Serum Snare enables players to not only disrupt an opponent’s strategy by exiling a creature, but it also provides the chance to cycle through the deck for options, maintain a steady flow of cards, and potentially outmatch the opponent’s resources over the course of a match.

Resource Acceleration: This card may not directly generate additional mana, but by efficiently dealing with threats at a low cost, it conserves crucial mana reserves. This indirect resource acceleration allows a player to efficiently use their mana pool for other spells and can lead to a significant tempo advantage.

Instant Speed: The instant-speed nature of Serum Snare grants you the flexibility to act on your opponent’s turn. It provides the ability to potentially catch an opponent off-guard by exiling a key creature during combat or in response to an activation of an ability, thus preserving your strategic options while limiting those of your opponent.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Serum Snare asks players to discard a card to activate its ability. This can pose a strategic setback, especially if your hand is already depleted or if you’re holding onto key pieces for your game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: Its casting cost necessitates blue mana, which pigeonholes it into blue-centric or multicolored decks. This can be restrictive for players who favor mono-colored decks or for those who are trying to maintain a more flexible mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that is on the steeper side relative to similar effects, Serum Snare’s efficiency is debatable. Many decks look for lower cost solutions to manage the battlefield and maintain tempo.


Reasons to Include Serum Snare in Your Collection

Versatility: Serum Snare is a card that seamlessly integrates into various deck architectures, particularly ones that need swift and efficient removal options. It’s capability to disrupt an opponent’s early game creatures or critical late-game threats makes it a valuable addition to many strategies.

Combo Potential: Can interact with decks focusing on spell triggers or those that harness the power of instants and sorceries. Its low casting cost enables players to hold up mana for other responses, making it a clever play in decks that emphasize flexibility and tactical depth.

Meta-Relevance: Given the dynamic nature of MTG’s competitive landscape, having access to cost-effective interaction spells like Serum Snare can provide a significant edge. This is particularly true if the environment favors aggressive creature-based strategies, where timely removal spells can be the difference between victory and defeat.


How to Beat Serum Snare

Serum Snare is an intriguing card that prompts strategic play from both sides of the table. It’s a card designed to disrupt opponents by snaring a creature when its conditions are met. Clever play is required to ensure this card doesn’t become a setback for your game plan. Keeping a diverse array of threats on the board ensures that the loss of any single creature doesn’t cripple your strategy. It’s also vital to bait out such control elements before deploying your key creatures.

Furthermore, utilizing instant-speed spells that can protect or regenerate your creatures or even counterspells to directly address Serum Snare can diminish its impact. Cards that grant hexproof or indestructible to your creatures can also be critical in circumventing this trap. In MTG, anticipating an opponent’s maneuvers and preparing counteractions is the essence of mastering the game. With the right approach, Serum Snare becomes less of a threat and more of a hurdle that can be easily overcome.

Ultimately, understanding the balance of when to commit to the board versus holding back is what separates experienced players from novices. Each match becomes a dance of timing and prediction, where cards like Serum Snare shape the match’s rhythm.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG not only requires knowing your cards but also understanding the meta and how to enhance your deck for optimal play. The layers of strategy behind using a card like Serum Snare are deep, adding opportunities for both finesse and power in your matches. Consider adding it to your arsenal for handling those crucial threats and maintaining an edge over your competition. Remember, every card can turn tides in MTG—it’s all about playing smart and anticipating your opponent’s moves. For more insights and strategic advice tailored to elevate your game, join our community and discover new horizons in your MTG journey.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Serum Snare MTG card by a specific set like Phyrexia: All Will Be One, 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 Serum Snare and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Serum Snare has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2023-02-04 An ability that triggers "Whenever you proliferate" triggers even if you chose no permanents or players while doing so.
2023-02-04 If a permanent ever has both +1/+1 counters and -1/-1 counters on it at the same time, they're removed in pairs as a state-based action so that the permanent has only one of those kinds of counters on it.
2023-02-04 If a player or permanent has more than one kind of counter on it, and you choose for it to get additional counters, it must get one of each kind of counter it already has. You can't have it get just one kind of counter it already has and not the others.
2023-02-04 Players can respond to a spell or ability whose effect includes proliferating. Once that spell or ability starts to resolve, however, and its controller chooses which permanents and players will get new counters, it's too late for anyone to respond.
2023-02-04 To proliferate, you can choose any permanent that has a counter, including ones controlled by opponents. You can choose any player who has a counter, including opponents. You can't choose cards in any zone other than the battlefield, even if they have counters on them.
2023-02-04 You don't have to choose every permanent or player that has a counter, only the ones you want to add another counter to. Since "any number" includes zero, you don't have to choose any permanents at all, and you don't have to choose any players at all.