Spell Snip MTG Card


Spell Snip - Shards of Alara
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeInstant
Abilities Cycling
Released2008-10-03
Set symbol
Set nameShards of Alara
Set codeALA
Number57
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byMichael Sutfin

Key Takeaways

  1. Spell Snip offers both a disruptive counter and opportune card advantage in gameplay.
  2. Its instant speed allows for tactical play, with resource acceleration as a side benefit.
  3. Demands careful deck construction due to its discard requirement and specific mana costs.

Text of card

Counter target spell unless its controller pays . Cycling (, Discard this card: Draw a card.)

"Magic cast through a hand of flesh is just as weak as the flesh itself." —Lodus of the Ethersworn


Card Pros

Card Advantage: When considering the utility and strategic depth of Spell Snip, it’s essential to highlight its ability to potentially counter an opponent’s spell. This disrupts their flow and can yield card advantage if it neutralizes a high-value target.

Resource Acceleration: While Spell Snip itself may not directly accelerate resources, its cost-reduction condition aligns with spells or effects that involve casting noncreature spells. This can indirectly lead to resource acceleration if it integrates into a deck designed around such synergies.

Instant Speed: The instant speed of Spell Snip elevates its strategic value, allowing players to wait until the last possible moment to decide whether to use it, keeping opponents guessing and preserving mana for other potential interactions within a turn cycle.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Players must discard a card to utilize Spell Snip’s counter ability, which may be problematic when hand size is minimal or when every card in hand is integral to one’s strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Spell Snip’s casting cost demands both blue and generic mana, making it potentially less flexible for decks that cannot consistently produce the required blue mana or are not optimized for multi-color plays.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment needed for Spell Snip can be steep, especially when considering that there are alternatives in the card pool that could counter spells at a lower cost.


Reasons to Include Spell Snip in Your Collection

Versatility: Spell Snip offers a unique advantage by allowing you to counter a target spell unless its controller pays an additional cost. This utility can be slotted into various control decks, ready to disrupt opponents at crucial moments without heavy color commitment.

Combo Potential: Cunning mages can utilize Spell Snip’s conditional negation to enhance tactics that capitalize on opponents being unable to pay extra costs, such as mana-denial decks, which further restricts an opponent’s options and sets you up for victory.

Meta-Relevance: As the MTG landscape regularly evolves, having a counter that can adapt to numerous scenarios ensures that your deck can face a variety of threats. Spell Snip maintains significance in environments where casting efficiency and tactical foresight are keys to success.


How to beat

Spell Snip is an intriguing card in MTG that offers players the ability to counter an opponent’s spell while offering the flexibility of cycling for another card if it’s not immediately needed. This card is particularly adept when facing strategies that rely on crucial noncreature spells to secure a victory. To effectively beat Spell Snip, it’s essential to bait the counter spell with less critical spells or wait until the opponent’s mana is depleted. Timing is critical; play your spells when your opponent is less likely to have the mana available to use Spell Snip, such as during their end step or when they’re tapped out after committing to the board.

Another strategy is to overwhelm the Spell Snip holder with multiple threats in a single turn, exceeding the number of spells they can counter. This can force them to choose between which spells to counter and which to let resolve. Including instant-speed spells in your deck that can be played in response to an activated Spell Snip also gives you an edge, providing a surprise element that can disrupt their plans. Lastly, running cards with uncounterable spells or abilities that grant your spells uncounterability ensures your spells will land no matter what.


Cards like Spell Snip

Spell Snip, as a contender in the realm of counter spells in MTG, invites comparison to other staples in the control archetype. Similar to Counterspell, Spell Snip can completely neutralize an opponent’s spell. However, unlike Counterspell, Spell Snip has an additional cost tied to its Clash mechanic, which can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, if you win the clash, you refund its mana cost; on the other, losing the clash makes it less mana efficient.

Another card to consider is Mana Leak, which also costs three mana and can thwart a spell unless its caster pays additional mana. Though it doesn’t involve the uncertainty of Clash, it becomes less effective as the game progresses and players accumulate more resources. Negate also shares the stage, exclusively countering noncreature spells at a low cost. While its narrower scope of targets compared to Spell Snip is a drawback, its consistent two-mana cost without the need to clash makes it a stable and predictable control option.

Deciding between these various counter spells depends on the deck strategy and the meta environment, with Spell Snip offering an intriguing blend of potential cost reimbursement and the exciting gamble of the clash mechanic.

Counterspell - MTG Card versions
Mana Leak - MTG Card versions
Negate - MTG Card versions
Counterspell - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Mana Leak - Stronghold (STH)
Negate - Morningtide (MOR)

Cards similar to Spell Snip by color, type and mana cost

Mana Short - MTG Card versions
Psionic Blast - MTG Card versions
Capsize - MTG Card versions
Forbid - MTG Card versions
Frantic Search - MTG Card versions
Exclude - MTG Card versions
Hibernation - MTG Card versions
Circular Logic - MTG Card versions
Keep Watch - MTG Card versions
Archmage's Charm - MTG Card versions
Commander's Insight - MTG Card versions
Ixidor's Will - MTG Card versions
Catalog - MTG Card versions
Thirst for Knowledge - MTG Card versions
Murmurs from Beyond - MTG Card versions
Dream Fracture - MTG Card versions
Oona's Grace - MTG Card versions
Cancel - MTG Card versions
Deluge - MTG Card versions
Stoic Rebuttal - MTG Card versions
Mana Short - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Psionic Blast - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Capsize - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Forbid - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Frantic Search - Wilds of Eldraine Commander (WOC)
Exclude - Invasion (INV)
Hibernation - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Circular Logic - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
Keep Watch - Judgment (JUD)
Archmage's Charm - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Commander's Insight - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Ixidor's Will - Onslaught (ONS)
Catalog - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Thirst for Knowledge - World Championship Decks 2004 (WC04)
Murmurs from Beyond - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Dream Fracture - Eventide (EVE)
Oona's Grace - Eventide (EVE)
Cancel - Ixalan (XLN)
Deluge - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Stoic Rebuttal - Modern Masters 2015 (MM2)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Spell Snip MTG card by a specific set like Shards of Alara, 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 Spell Snip and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Spell Snip has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2008-10-01 Cycling is an activated ability. Effects that interact with activated abilities (such as Stifle or Rings of Brighthearth) will interact with cycling. Effects that interact with spells (such as Remove Soul or Faerie Tauntings) will not.

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