Spirit Cairn MTG Card
2002-05-27 - Number 26
2014-06-16 - Number 48
2018-12-07 - Number 37
2020-04-17 - Number 100
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment |
Text of card
Whenever a player discards a card from his or her hand, you may pay o W. If you do, put a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying into play.
It marks the border between here and hereafter.
Cards like Spirit Cairn
Spirit Cairn shows its presence in the world of MTG as a unique enchantment capable of generating defensive units. It’s quite alike to Drake Haven, where cycling or discarding cards becomes an engine to create creature tokens. Yet, Spirit Cairn brings forth Spirits, a ubiquitous creature type with synergy across numerous decks, contrasting with Drake Haven’s penchant for Drake tokens.
Delving deeper, we find Suture Priest, which is another enchantment with a token-centric approach, rewarding players for creature summons. While Suture Priest focuses on life gain and punishing opponents per creature played, Spirit Cairn shines in its defensive flexibility, spawning blockers for each card discarded or cycled. Then there is Mobilization, offering consistent soldier tokens creation, but Spirit Cairn stands out with its reactive nature, integrating well with discard strategies.
Through weighing the strengths and synergies of these cards, it becomes evident that Spirit Cairn holds a valuable position within enchantment strategies in MTG, particularly for its defensive prowess and compatibility with widely adopted Spirit tribal themes.
Cards similar to Spirit Cairn by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Spirit Cairn can be a consistent source of creature tokens to either block incoming attacks or apply pressure on the opponent. This sequential generation of tokens can equate to card advantage as it turns each discarded card from any player into a tangible board presence.
Resource Acceleration: While Spirit Cairn itself doesn’t directly accelerate mana resources, the tokens it creates can be utilized with other cards to benefit from effects that require sacrificial costs or as a way to enhance the value of death-triggered abilities, subtly boosting the efficiency of your plays.
Instant Speed: Its ability to create 1/1 white Spirit creature tokens can be activated at instant speed. This allows for strategic play during your opponent’s turn, holding up mana for counterspells or other instant speed interactions and only using it to create a token if no better option presents itself, keeping your adversaries guessing.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Spirit Cairn card necessitates the discard of another card to generate a spirit token. This prerequisite can deplete your hand, leaving you at a disadvantage, especially if you don’t have a strategy for card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Spirits Cairn’s activation cost includes white mana, which means it aligns itself primarily within white or multicolored decks. This mana stipulation can be restrictive, not fitting seamlessly into all deck types.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost to not only play but activate Spirit Cairn can be steep relative to other options in the game. Competing cards might offer more immediate or impactful board presence or utility without necessitating constant mana investment or card discard.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Spirit Cairn exhibits a high degree of versatility as it can be integrated into decks that focus on cycling or discarding cards. Its ability to create 1/1 white Spirit creature tokens provides a steady stream of blockers or an army for aggressive strategies.
Combo Potential: This enchantment pairs well with cards that allow you to cycle through your deck, or effects that trigger when creatures enter the battlefield. It can become a key component in intricate combo plays that capitalize on either of these mechanics.
Meta-Relevance: Given the fluctuating nature of the meta, Spirit Cairn can be a valuable asset in formats where discard strategies are prevalent. It helps to maintain board presence and can deter opponents from targeting your hand, knowing that you can benefit from their disruption attempts.
How to beat
Spirit Cairn is a unique enchantment that has been a part of some interesting deck strategies in Magic: The Gathering. It primarily capitalizes on the frequency of creatures being cycled or discarded to create a defensive wall of 1/1 white Spirit creature tokens. To effectively counter this card, it is essential to utilize spell removal or enchantment destruction. Cards such as Disenchant or Naturalize can eliminate Spirit Cairn from the battlefield efficiently, thus stunting the token generation strategy of the opposing player.
Another tactic is to attack the opponent’s hand and resources directly, reducing their ability to cycle or discard. Hand disruption spells, like Thoughtseize or Duress, can strip away key cards before they can be used to fuel Spirit Cairn. Alternately, graveyard interaction tools like Scavenging Ooze can help manage the creatures in the graveyard, preventing the overrun of tokens. Notably, denying your opponent card cycling options will impair the efficiency of Spirit Cairn, as it relies on the cycling mechanism to activate its ability.
Strategies that include board wipes such as Wrath of God can be pivotal in clearing out the accumulated Spirit tokens and resetting the state of play. By understanding and countering the activation conditions of Spirit Cairn, a player can deftly navigate the matchup and maintain control of the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Spirit Cairn MTG card by a specific set like Judgment and Vintage Masters, 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 Spirit Cairn 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
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Printings
The Spirit Cairn Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2002-05-27 and 2020-04-17. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2002-05-27 | Judgment | JUD | 26 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Gary Ruddell | |
| 2 | 2014-06-16 | Vintage Masters | VMA | 48 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Gary Ruddell | |
| 3 | 2018-12-07 | Ultimate Masters | UMA | 37 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Noah Bradley | |
| 4 | 2020-04-17 | Commander 2020 | C20 | 100 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Noah Bradley |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Spirit Cairn has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Spirit Cairn card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-12-07 | If a player discards a card during their cleanup step due to having too many cards in hand, any appropriate abilities that trigger on discarding that card (such as Spirit Cairn’s ability) trigger. If this happens, those triggered abilities are put onto the stack and players receive priority in that cleanup step to cast spells or activate abilities (normally, no players may take actions during a cleanup step). Another cleanup step is created following that one. |
| 2018-12-07 | You can’t pay multiple times to create more than one token each time you resolve Spirit Cairn’s triggered ability. |