Spirit Loop MTG Card
Mana cost | |
Converted mana cost | 2 |
Rarity | Uncommon |
Type | Enchantment — Aura |
Abilities | Enchant |
Released | 2006-10-06 |
Set symbol | |
Set name | Time Spiral |
Set code | TSP |
Number | 42 |
Frame | 2003 |
Layout | Normal |
Border | Black |
Illustred by | Wayne Reynolds |
Text of card
Enchant creature you control Whenever enchanted creature deals damage, you gain that much life. When Spirit Loop is put into a graveyard from play, return Spirit Loop to its owner's hand.
Cards like Spirit Loop
Spirit Loop stands out in MTG as an enchanting aura that both offers protection and sustenance to players. It shares similarities with cards like Unholy Strength, which boosts a creature’s power and toughness. However, Spirit Loop adds a unique twist with its life-gaining ability and recursion element that brings it back to the owner’s hand when the enchanted creature dies. This cycle of return presents a resilience that Unholy Strength lacks.
Another comparable aura is Lifelink, which also grants the life-gaining effect to the creature it enchants. The distinction lies in the permanence of the enchantment. Lifelink doesn’t return to a player’s hand, making Spirit Loop a more enduring choice in scenarios where creatures are likely to be destroyed. Albeit similar in function, Spirit Loop ensures continuous utility, outshining its one-time-use counterparts.
When assessing the durability and long-term advantages of auras in MTG, Spirit Loop emerges as a card with an excellent balance of creature enhancement and resilience. Its ability to return after a creature’s downfall is an asset that preserves card advantage, distinguishing it from many of its counterparts in the realm of enchantments.
Cards similar to Spirit Loop by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Spirit Loop offers a recurring form of card advantage for enchantment-focused decks. Attached to a creature, it enhances your battlefield presence and returns to your hand when the creature dies, ready to be played again. This cycle of use and reuse ensures that you consistently maintain card resources, which is integral in the late game where card advantage can decide the victor.
Resource Acceleration: While Spirit Loop itself doesn’t directly produce mana or tokens, the resource acceleration comes from its synergy with permanents that benefit from enchantments entering the battlefield. Cards like Serra’s Sanctum can tap for more mana with each enchantment, ramping up your potential to cast high-impact spells sooner than your opponents.
Instant Speed: One aspect of Spirit Loop that offers strategic depth is its ability to be played at sorcery speed, which encourages thoughtful play. This emphasises planning your moves and making the most of the Loop’s return-to-hand ability to outmaneuver spot removal and board wipes. While it’s not cast at instant speed, the reusability aspect at any point of your main phases can mimic the flexibility often associated with instant timing.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Spirit Loop can provide a recurring source of life gain, it’s important to note that should it ever go to the graveyard, returning it to hand requires another card to be discarded, a potential setback when trying to maintain card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Spirit Loop’s casting and maintenance costs are tied to white mana, which restricts its inclusion to solely white or multicolor decks, thereby narrowing its deck compatibility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Requiring two mana for an aura that only provides life gain with no additional control or board presence effects can be costly, especially when compared to other cards with greater impact for similar mana investments.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Spirit Loop offers a dual benefit of life gain and aura recur that can be integrated into a variety of decks, such as those focusing on enchantment synergies or lifegain strategies.
Combo Potential: This card can combo with cards that have benefits when enchantments come into play or when life is gained, opening up possibilities for powerful interactions within your deck.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where aggressive strategies prevail, Spirit Loop’s recurring ability to provide life sustain can be a key factor for staying in the game and outlasting opponents.
How to beat
Spirit Loop brings a unique edge to life gain strategies in MTG, offering both resilience and recurring benefits. Its aura enchants a creature, providing lifelink and ensuring that if the creature is destroyed, Spirit Loop returns to the owner’s hand, ready to be cast again. To effectively overcome this card, it’s crucial to disrupt the aura’s attachment. Players might consider using enchantment removals like Disenchant or versatile removal spells that can target both creatures and enchantments, such as Anguished Unmaking. Alternately, bouncing the enchanted creature to the owner’s hand with spells like Unsummon also nullifies Spirit Loop’s effect, requiring the opponent to spend more resources to reestablish their board presence.
Counterspells are also a strong line of defense. By countering Spirit Loop when initially cast, you prevent the attachment and the inevitable lifegain loop. Lastly, players can employ hexproof or shroud to shield their creatures, rendering opposing auras unable to attach. These tactics, when timed correctly, can significantly reduce Spirit Loop’s impact, turning the tide of the match in your favor.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Spirit Loop MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral, 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 Loop 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 Spirit Loop has restrictions
Format | Legality |
---|---|
Commander | Legal |
Legacy | Legal |
Modern | Legal |
Oathbreaker | Legal |
Vintage | Legal |
Duel | Legal |
Predh | Legal |