Skyfisher Spider MTG Card


Skyfisher Spider - The Brothers' War
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Spider
Abilities Reach
Released2022-11-18
Set symbol
Set nameThe Brothers' War
Set codeBRO
Power 3
Toughness 3
Number221
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byHenry Peters

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides card advantage and resource acceleration, intensifying strategic depth in MTG.
  2. Demands specific resources and comes with a high mana cost, affecting deck composition.
  3. Versatile with combo potential, it counters flying threats and is meta-relevant.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Skyfisher Spider MTG card by a specific set like The Brothers' War, 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 Skyfisher Spider and other MTG cards:

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Text of card

Reach When Skyfisher Spider enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice another creature. When you do, destroy target nonland permanent. When Skyfisher Spider dies, you may gain 1 life for each creature card in your graveyard. If you do, exile Skyfisher Spider from your graveyard.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Skyfisher Spider’s ability to draw a card upon entering the battlefield provides an immediate benefit, enhancing your hand and giving you more options for future plays.

Resource Acceleration: As a creature that can untap two lands when it enters the battlefield, Skyfisher Spider can indirectly contribute to resource acceleration, potentially allowing you to cast additional spells or activate abilities the same turn.

Instant Speed: Though not an instant itself, Skyfisher Spider’s flash ability functions similarly. It permits you to play the spider during your opponent’s turn, preserving the element of surprise and maximizing the strategic value of your mana.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Casting Skyfisher Spider necessitates discarding a card from your hand, which can be a strategic drawback when you’re already grappling with a depleted hand size or trying to maintain card advantage against your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: The specific mana cost that Skyfisher Spider demands may not seamlessly align with all deck strategies, particularly those that are not tuned to optimize the required green mana. This can limit the spider’s inclusion to decks that can reliably produce the right mana colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the cost-to-benefit ratio, the mana investment for Skyfisher Spider is on the higher side compared to other creatures with similar abilities or impact. Deckbuilders might hesitate to include it when there are options available that provide utility or power without as steep of a mana commitment.


Reasons to Include Skyfisher Spider in Your Collection

Versatility: Skyfisher Spider is a crafty addition to any MTG collector’s creative deck builds. Its reach ability can halt pesky fliers, and its mana cost allows it to be played in both fast-paced and long-drawn-out games.

Combo Potential: This arachnid weaves its web well within various synergies. As a creature, it can be flickered or bounced back to your hand for repeated use, while also working with mechanics that care about creature types or the number of creatures on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: Dominating the skies can be crucial. With flying creatures being a frequent threat, having Skyfisher Spider in your collection ensures you have a response ready. It’s a defensive staple when anticipating aerial assaults and can be a meta game-changer against decks focusing on airborne superiority.


How to beat

The Skyfisher Spider is a creature that can be a tricky obstacle in Magic: The Gathering, particularly due to its reach and vigilance capabilities. These attributes make it a defensive stalwart, capable of blocking both ground and aerial assaults while staying ready to block again. The key to overcoming the Skyfisher Spider involves strategies that bypass its blocking advantages.

One strategy is to utilize spells that can remove it before it has the chance to block, such as direct removal spells. Cards such as Murder or Path to Exile can cleanly deal with the spider. Alternatively, evasion tactics can also prove effective. Incorporating creatures with abilities like flying or trample ensures that your attacks can go over or through the Skyfisher Spider’s defenses. Lastly, you could also opt for a more controlling approach, using enchantments like Pacifism or claustrophobia to neutralize the spider without directly engaging it.

Adapting your gameplay to include these strategies can significantly reduce the impact of a Skyfisher Spider on the board, maintaining the flow of your game plan and moving you towards victory.


Cards like Skyfisher Spider

In the realm of creature-based control, the Skyfisher Spider provides MTG players with a unique utility, akin to other arachnids in the game. Baloth Spider serves as a close relative with a similar reach ability, enabling it to fend off flying threats. What makes Skyfisher Spider stand out is its activated tap ability, which adds a layer of defense against aerial assaults.

Looking at Spinneret Sliver, another creature with a comparative matchup, it bestows all Slivers with the reach capability. While it lacks an activated ability, it compensates by bringing tribal synergy to the table. On a different note, Stingerfling Spider also arrives as a force against flyers, with an enter-the-battlefield effect that destroys a creature with flying, providing a one-time removal advantage.

When assessing these options, Skyfisher Spider reveals its worth by offering perpetual control over the board’s aerial space. While others have their situational benefits, Skyfisher Spider’s repeatable action ensures a robust defensive position in games where fliers dominate. The utility of the card solidifies its position as a creature of choice for control-oriented MTG decks.

Spinneret Sliver - MTG Card versions
Stingerfling Spider - MTG Card versions
Spinneret Sliver - MTG Card versions
Stingerfling Spider - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Skyfisher Spider by color, type and mana cost

Gyome, Master Chef - MTG Card versions
Woodwraith Strangler - MTG Card versions
Savra, Queen of the Golgari - MTG Card versions
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Creakwood Liege - MTG Card versions
Noxious Hatchling - MTG Card versions
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Poison-Tip Archer - MTG Card versions
Golgari Findbroker - MTG Card versions
Canker Abomination - MTG Card versions
Storrev, Devkarin Lich - MTG Card versions
Rotwidow Pack - MTG Card versions
Polukranos, Unchained - MTG Card versions
Gyome, Master Chef - MTG Card versions
Woodwraith Strangler - MTG Card versions
Savra, Queen of the Golgari - MTG Card versions
Mortipede - MTG Card versions
Creakwood Liege - MTG Card versions
Noxious Hatchling - MTG Card versions
Corpsejack Menace - MTG Card versions
Rot Farm Skeleton - MTG Card versions
Reaper of the Wilds - MTG Card versions
Graverobber Spider - MTG Card versions
Vhati il-Dal - MTG Card versions
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord - MTG Card versions
Meren of Clan Nel Toth - MTG Card versions
Desecrator Hag - MTG Card versions
Poison-Tip Archer - MTG Card versions
Golgari Findbroker - MTG Card versions
Canker Abomination - MTG Card versions
Storrev, Devkarin Lich - MTG Card versions
Rotwidow Pack - MTG Card versions
Polukranos, Unchained - MTG Card versions

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Skyfisher Spider has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2022-10-14 Notably, this means that players won't get to know what nonland permanent you plan to target before you choose whether to sacrifice a creature.
2022-10-14 Skyfisher Spider's first triggered ability doesn't have any targets. If you choose to sacrifice another creature, a second triggered ability (called a "reflexive" triggered ability) goes on the stack and you choose a target nonland permanent at that time. Players may respond to that second ability as normal.