Spinal Centipede MTG Card

Grants a +1/+1 counter after death, maintaining board strength and advancing your creature’s power. Can unexpectedly augment creatures during instant-speed interactions, adding strategic depth to the game. Requires precise mana and strategizing to extract its full potential, creating a rewarding challenge.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Insect
Released	2018-10-05
Set symbol
Set name	Guilds of Ravnica
Set code	GRN
Power	3
Toughness	2
Number	86
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Zezhou Chen

Text of card

When Spinal Centipede dies, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control.

The Golgari adorn themselves with the exoskeletons of iridescent insects. It's only fair the insects do likewise.

Cards like Spinal Centipede

Spinal Centipede is an intriguing creature card that plays a unique role in the game of Magic: The Gathering. When we look at its nearest relatives in the creature pool, we see it shares similarities with cards like Hired Poisoner. Both cards provide a form of lasting impact upon death, with Spinal Centipede granting a +1/+1 counter to a creature you control when it dies, while Hired Poisoner offers deathtouch.

Another creature worth considering is Doomed Dissenter. Much like the Spinal Centipede, the Dissenter has an ability that activates upon death, in this case creating a 2/2 black Zombie creature token. This positions both cards as beneficial death-trigger assets within a player’s deck, particularly in strategies that revolve around sacrifice and recursion. However, unlike the temporary boost from Spinal Centipede, the Zombie token is a permanent presence on the battlefield.

By examining these comparisons, Spinal Centipede proves to be a versatile card in situations where controlling combat outcomes and enhancing surviving creatures is crucial. Its ability to impact the board post-mortem makes it a potentially strategic component in any Magic: The Gathering match.

Cards similar to Spinal Centipede by color, type and mana cost

Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Spinal Centipede grants an inherent advantage when it dies, transferring a +1/+1 counter to a creature you control. This ability ensures that even in death, the Centipede contributes to your board presence, perpetuating your resources and strengthening your creature lineup.

Resource Acceleration: While Spinal Centipede doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the traditional sense of ramping mana, its death-triggered ability can be considered a form of acceleration by empowering your next line of attack without extra mana investment, efficiently using the creature’s departure to bolster your offensive capabilities.

Instant Speed: Although not an instant itself, Spinal Centipede complements instant-speed play. Its ability to pass on a +1/+1 counter can work well with instant-speed tricks, allowing you to adapt on the fly during combat or your opponent’s turn. By trading during your opponent’s turn, you can swiftly pivot your enhancements to catch adversaries off guard.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Spinal Centipede forces you to devise strategies around its death-trigger, potentially requiring sacrifice outlets or other interactions to ensure you gain its benefit. This intricacy could clog your hand or battlefield with unnecessary enablers.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that demands one black mana, Spinal Centipede is not always the best fit. Multicolor decks might struggle to consistently meet this requirement, potentially stalling your early game progress.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Spinal Centipede enters the battlefield at three mana, which might be considered steep for a creature with a moderate power and toughness. In a game where speed and efficiency are paramount, investing three mana in a creature that does not provide immediate impact can set you back, especially when there are numerous two-drop creatures that could offer a quicker advantage.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Spinal Centipede’s simplicity allows it to be slotted into a variety of decks that benefit from its intrinsic death-trigger ability. Its distribution of a +1/+1 counter upon death makes it a flexible inclusion in decks focused on counter strategies or sacrifice themes.

Combo Potential: When paired with other cards that capitalize on creature deaths or +1/+1 counters, Spinal Centipede can become a key component in some synergistic plays. Its impact is felt whether it’s used as fodder for sacrifice effects or to bolster another creature’s power.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors aggressive or mid-range strategies, Spinal Centipede stands out as a creature that offers value even when removed from the battlefield. In such an environment, the Centipede ensures your board presence is sustained through thick and thin.

How to beat

Spinal Centipede might not be the mightiest creature in Magic: The Gathering, but it holds its ground with a unique death-trigger ability. When facing this pesky insect, the trick lies in minimizing the impact of its ability, which gives another creature of the centipede’s controller a permanent +1/+1 counter upon the centipede’s death. Removing Spinal Centipede without letting it hit the graveyard is key—exile effects or cards that bounce it back to the owner’s hand nullify the threat posed by its last-gasp power boost.

Strategic combat decisions also come into play. Refrain from blocking or attacking into it if it means the creature will die and pass along its boost. Additionally, prioritize spells that can neutralize multiple threats at once, like board wipes, to ensure that you’re not just dealing with Spinal Centipede but also preventing the distribution of counters among your opponent’s creatures.

Remember that while the Spinal Centipede can give your opponents a temporary edge, with proper removal tactics and by carefully choosing when to engage, you can mitigate its influence and maintain control of the board.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Spinal Centipede MTG card by a specific set like Guilds of Ravnica, 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 Spinal Centipede and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Spinal Centipede 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 Spinal Centipede card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2018-10-05	If another creature you control is dealt lethal damage at the same time as Spinal Centipede, they’re destroyed at the same time. That creature can’t receive a counter from Spinal Centipede’s ability in time to save it.