Smoldering Spires MTG Card
2010-02-05 - Number 143
2017-06-16 - Number 96
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Land |
Text of card
Smoldering Spires enters the battlefield tapped. When Smoldering Spires enters the battlefield, target creature can't block this turn. : Add to your mana pool.
Cards like Smoldering Spires
Smoldering Spires brings a unique twist to the land cards in Magic: The Gathering. Like most lands, it can tap for mana, but it also shares a resemblance to Teetering Peaks, a land that gives a creature +2/+0 until end of turn when it enters the battlefield. Smoldering Spires offers a different kind of tactical advantage by causing a target creature to lose the ability to block that turn, which can be just as situationally beneficial.
Another card worth mentioning is Spinerock Knoll. While it doesn’t affect creatures directly, it holds a latent power that can impact the game profoundly. It allows you to exile a card with its hideaway ability and play it later, a stark contrast to the immediate but temporary benefit granted by Smoldering Spires. Then there’s also Rogue’s Passage, enabling a creature to be unblockable for a turn—a powerful effect that guarantees your damage will hit the opponent.
Analyzing these comparisons, Smoldering Spires stands out as a versatile card in a player’s arsenal, providing immediate tactical advantages that can shift the battlefield dynamics in your favor, a potent feature for aggressive strategies in the game.
Cards similar to Smoldering Spires by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Smoldering Spires doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, but it does enable an advantageous board state as it enters. By forcing an opponent’s creature to become unable to block this turn, it potentially clears the way for strategic attacks, effectively giving you the edge in creature control without losing card resources.
Resource Acceleration: This land comes into play tapped, which may seem like a drawback. However, the fact that it provides not only a mana but a strategic advantage by affecting the battlefield immediately upon entry means you’re gaining tempo by accelerating the utility of your resources without expending additional cards from your hand.
Instant Speed: While Smoldering Spires is not a spell that can be cast at instant speed, its effect when it enters the battlefield is similar to an instant speed “tap target creature” effect. This disruptive quality can be effectively timed during your main phase just before the attack, which mirrors the strategic deployment usually associated with instant speed interactions, giving you a comparative advantage at a crucial point in the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Smoldering Spires lacks such a drawback, but in a landscape filled with lands offering extra capabilities, its absence of a more dynamic ability may be seen as a downside when optimizing your deck.
Specific Mana Cost: While this card can provide an immediate tactical advantage by ensuring a creature cannot block this turn, it requires red mana. Decks without red mana sources will be unable to capitalize on Smoldering Spires, thereby restricting its versatility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Entering the battlefield tapped is a subtle cost, effectively slowing down your mana development. In faster-paced games, this can be a significant hindrance, making Smoldering Spires a less attractive option when compared to other cards that don’t set back your tempo.
Reasons to Include Smoldering Spires in Your Collection
Versatility: Smoldering Spires offers flexibility in deck construction by providing both a land drop and a temporary way to deal with potential blockers. Its ability to enter the battlefield tapped and grant your creatures an opening to attack can be particularly useful in aggressive red decks.
Combo Potential: This card holds potential in strategies that capitalize on ETB (enter the battlefield) triggers or landfall abilities. While not a combo enabler on its own, it can smoothly integrate into a sequence of plays, paving the way for a successful turn.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state where the board is often stalled with creatures, Smoldering Spires can provide the push needed to swing in for crucial damage. As long as aggressive strategies find their place in the meta, cards like Smoldering Spires will be relevant for tipping the scales in your favor during key turns.
How to beat
Smoldering Spires presents a challenging scenario by temporarily disabling one of your potential blockers after it enters the battlefield. The key to overcoming this land card in MTG lies in planning your plays around its enter-the-battlefield effect. Anticipate that one of your creatures will be unable to block and adjust accordingly, maintaining a board presence with multiple creatures or holding up instant-speed removal to handle aggressive threats.
To further manage the impact of Smoldering Spires, pay attention to landfall triggers and sequencing. Deploying your blockers post-combat or after the land has been played can nullify the disadvantage. In addition, many players find leveraging flying or reach creatures advantageous, as they are often not the targets of Smoldering Spires’ effect. Lastly, saving instant-speed interaction for opponents’ biggest threats ensures you can minimize the tempo loss even when one of your creatures is temporarily out of commission.
Pivoting your strategy in this way will diminish the efficacy of Smoldering Spires in your opponent’s arsenal, allowing you to retain control of the board and ultimately increase your chances of prevailing in the match.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Smoldering Spires MTG card by a specific set like Worldwake and Archenemy: Nicol Bolas, 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 Smoldering Spires and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Smoldering Spires Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2010-02-05 and 2017-06-16. Illustrated by Rob Alexander.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2010-02-05 | Worldwake | WWK | 143 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 2 | 2017-06-16 | Archenemy: Nicol Bolas | E01 | 96 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Smoldering Spires has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |