Spelleater Wolverine MTG Card

Power boost from graveyards makes Spelleater Wolverine a huge force if instant and sorcery count is high. Its requirement for specific mana and reliance on graveyard setup may limit deck inclusion. Unique double strike ability can quickly turn the tides of combat in your favor.

Spelleater Wolverine - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Wolverine
Released	2020-04-24
Set symbol
Set name	Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
Set code	IKO
Power	3
Toughness	2
Number	137
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Uriah Voth

Text of card

Spelleater Wolverine has double strike as long as there are three or more instant and/or sorcery cards in your graveyard.

"The monster that scares me the most isn't the biggest." —Taelya, Lavabrink pyromage

Cards like Spelleater Wolverine

Spelleater Wolverine finds its niche within the pantheon of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. This card shares common ground with other creatures that get stronger when instants or sorceries are in the graveyard. Enigma Drake, for instance, counts the number of instants and sorceries in your graveyard and sets its power accordingly. While Enigma Drake considers both card types for its power boost, Spelleater Wolverine focuses on double strike as a reward for having three or more instants or sorceries stashed away.

Delving into another parallel, we encounter Crackling Drake, which not only receives a power increment from the graveyard’s instants and sorceries but also allows you to draw a card upon entering the battlefield. While Crackling Drake offers more versatility and a built-in card advantage, Spelleater Wolverine stands out with its potential for massive, swift damage thanks to its double strike ability. Lastly, Bloodfire Enforcers can gain first strike and trample if there’s an instant and a sorcery in the graveyard, but Spelleater Wolverine provides a consistent combat threat without needing both card types present.

Ultimately, Spelleater Wolverine holds a unique position with its easy-to-achieve condition for a powerful double-strike ability, which can rapidly tilt the combat phase in your favor and must be considered when assembling a deck with a penchant for casting numerous instants and sorceries.

Decks using this card

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

#	Name	Format	Archetype	Event
	Mono-Red Aggro	Historic	Other	MTGA Pauper: Historic Pauper Tournament (6 Jan '24)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Spelleater Wolverine offers a unique approach to card advantage once you’ve reached a certain threshold of instants and sorceries in your graveyard. The ability to multiply its power can swiftly shift the game’s dynamic, essentially giving you a potent threat that demands an answer from your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: While not a direct source of resource acceleration, the Wolverine’s enhanced power can rapidly reduce your opponent’s life total, applying pressure and potentially accelerating the path to victory. Faster games can equate to more efficient use of your resources over the course of a match.

Instant Speed: Spelleater Wolverine benefits greatly from instant speed spells in your deck. The prowess-like ability to grow in power with each instant and sorcery cast can create surprise blocking or attacking scenarios, making it a formidable creature at instant speed interactions, especially when your graveyard has the right setup.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Spelleater Wolverine’s abilities are contingent on having instant or sorcery cards in your graveyard. This can often necessitate discarding valuable cards earlier on, or relying on casting spells that may not align with your game strategy just to power up the creature.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes red mana, Spelleater Wolverine demands a specific mana base. This makes it less versatile and typically confines it to red-inclusive decks, potentially limiting its playability across various deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The Wolverine comes with a three mana cost, which for a 3/2 creature might seem steep when compared to other creatures in the same mana range that can offer immediate impact or possess inherently stronger abilities without additional setup.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Spelleater Wolverine thrives across multiple deck builds, particularly those looking to leverage spellcasting frequency. Its prowess at playing off of noncreature spells ensures adaptability in various aggressive strategies.

Combo Potential: With each instant or sorcery card in your graveyard, this creature becomes a more formidable threat, synergizing well with strategies aimed at quickly filling the graveyard with spells to amplify its power.

Meta-Relevance: As the MTG meta shifts toward a spell-dense environment, Spelleater Wolverine becomes increasingly relevant. It’s well-suited to disrupt opponents’ plans and gain a power edge in spell-heavy matchups.

How to beat

Spelleater Wolverine is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering that stands out with its ability to capitalize on instants and sorceries in your graveyard. Fueled by spells, it gains double strike as soon as you have three or more instants and sorcery cards in your graveyard, making it a formidable opponent when it’s powered up.

To effectively handle this threat, players need to focus on graveyard management. Keep the Wolverine’s graveyard empty by employing cards like Scavenging Ooze which can not only remove potential instant and sorcery cards but also gain you life. Another option is to use cards like Rest in Peace to exile graveyards entirely, neutralizing the Wolverine’s potential completely. The key is to limit the number of spells your opponent can access or leverage cards that alter graveyard mechanics, which in turn will keep the Spelleater Wolverine from becoming too powerful and unmanageable on the battlefield.

Keep in mind that strategies involving creature removal, like Murder or Doom Blade, remain effective before the Wolverine gets its double strike ability. Quick and accurate removal can ensure that this creature doesn’t become a persisting problem. By proactively managing your opponent’s graveyard or removing the Wolverine before it gains double strike, you’ll maintain a strong position in the game.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Spelleater Wolverine MTG card by a specific set like Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, 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 Spelleater Wolverine and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Spelleater Wolverine has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2020-04-17	If Spelleater Wolverine loses double strike after it deals first-strike damage, it won’t deal regular combat damage. If it gains double strike after other creatures have dealt first-strike damage, it won’t deal first-strike damage.