Spider Climb MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
| Released | 1997-02-03 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Visions |
| Set code | VIS |
| Number | 120 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Ron Spencer |
Text of card
You may choose to play Spider Climb as an instant; if you do, bury it at end of turn. Enchanted creature gets +0/+3 and can block creatures with flying.
Cards like Spider Climb
Spider Climb is an intriguing entrant in the realm of creature enhancement spells in Magic: The Gathering. It shares some similarities with cards like Giant’s Strength or Fists of Ironwood which also provide creatures with extra abilities or stats. Where Spider Climb shines is in its grant of both the reach ability, allowing creatures to block flying threats, and a beneficial toughness increase.
While Giant’s Strength offers a bonus to both power and toughness, it lacks the strategic advantage of reach. Fists of Ironwood, closely related in concept, bestows an additional token generation feature yet doesn’t affect a creature’s toughness or grant reach. In this light, Spider Climb holds its own by focusing on defensive enhancement, particularly against aerial assaults, a tactical boon in many game situations.
Evidently, Spider Climb has a distinctive place among enhancement spells with its particular blend of defense-boosting characteristics. While its counterparts may augment power or create tokens, Spider Climb’s specialization in heightening reach and toughness can often turn the tides of air combat in a player’s favor.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Spider Climb provides a unique mix of defense and offense, potentially tangling up an opponent’s plans. When attached to a creature, it grants not only vigilance but also reach, maintaining presence on the board during your turn and opponents’ as well.
Resource Acceleration: By enabling your creatures to block additional threats, Spider Climb effectively saves resources that might be spent on removing flying threats, allowing you to invest mana and cards elsewhere for strategic growth.
Instant Speed: The ability to cast Spider Climb at instant speed ensures you have the flexibility to respond to unfolding threats, adapting your strategy on the fly and efficiently managing your resources during the heat of battle.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Spider Climb comes with the hitch of needing you to discard another card from your hand. This can be a serious drawback when your hand size is already waning, forcing you to give up potential plays for future turns.
Specific Mana Cost: The card’s casting requirement of a particular palette of mana can create hurdles in multicolored decks. Unless your mana base is well-tuned, Spider Climb might not always be castable when you need it the most.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its mana cost, Spider Climb is on the higher side when compared with other options in the game. This can slow down your tempo significantly, especially when facing decks that maximize efficiency and speed.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Spider Climb can be a flexible addition to decks that focus on creature survivability, as it offers an affordable way to grant your key creatures the ability to dodge ground-based threats or reach enemy blockers.
Combo Potential: This card pairs well with strategies that capitalize on creatures reaching the opponent unblocked. By giving your creature reach and vigilance, you open up the field for potential synergies with cards that benefit from attacking each turn.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state that heavily features flying creatures, Spider Climb can instantly turn your ground troops into effective aerial defenders, maintaining board control against strategies that rely on evasive attackers.
How to beat
Spider Climb is a card that draws its strength from versatility in creature enhancement. What makes Spider Climb interesting is the way it boosts a creature’s power by granting it reach and potentially altering the course of aerial combat. This instant spell can turn any ground dweller into an aerial threat eliminator, making it a strategic shield against flying assailants.
To navigate around Spider Climb’s advantages, opting for creature removal spells can be effective. Since Spider Climb is dependent on a creature to be present, removing a creature from the battlefield before it can gain its benefits is a solid plan. Additionally, counter spells are excellent at ensuring Spider Climb never resolves, maintaining a clear sky for your offensive maneuvers.
Considering this, it’s crucial to stay a step ahead, be it by outpacing the opponent’s mana availability or by creating scenarios where Spider Climb becomes a less impactful play. Anticipating moments to disrupt your opponent’s strategy is key. With these tactics, facing off against Spider Climb can become a manageable aspect of a broader game plan.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Spider Climb MTG card by a specific set like Visions, 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 Spider Climb and other MTG cards:
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- 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Spider Climb has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Spider Climb card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2009-10-01 | The sacrifice occurs only if you cast it using its own ability. If you cast it using some other effect (for instance, if it gained flash from Vedalken Orrery), then it won’t be sacrificed. |
Guide to Flash card ability
Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.