Spyglass Siren MTG Card
2023-11-17 - Number 405
2023-11-17 - Number 78
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Siren Pirate |
| Abilities | Explore,Flying |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
Flying When Spyglass Siren enters the battlefield, create a Map token.
Cards like Spyglass Siren
Spyglass Siren enters the arena of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering with abilities akin to a selective group of its merfolk counterparts. A creature like Triton Shorestalker shares the Siren’s unblockable trait, allowing both to slip past enemy defenses unchallenged. However, Spyglass Siren boasts a flexibility that Shorestalker does not, with the potential flash ability to surprise unwary opponents during combat.
Another relative in this niche is River Sneak, which also can’t be blocked. River Sneak, like our Siren, benefits from the merfolk synergy found within a deck, but it leans on a growing power mechanic as opposed to the instant-speed playability. Streambed Aquitects is a card that draws more parallels, offering additional utility in manipulating the board state by turning any land into an Island in addition to its unblockable status.
Each card has its unique strategic advantages in the game, yet the Spyglass Siren’s offering of flash provides an edge in reactivity and tactical diversity. Its unblockable nature coupled with instant-speed playability places Spyglass Siren in good standing amongst its peers within the realm of merfolk creatures in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Spyglass Siren by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Spyglass Siren. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Izzet Ensoul Artifact | Pioneer | Izzet Ensoul Artifact | Pioneer Challenge 32 2024-05-13 |
 | Dimir Midrange | Standard | Dimir Midrange | Standard Challenge 32 2024-05-18 |
 | Esper Midrange | Standard | Esper Midrange | Standard Challenge 32 2024-05-18 |
 | Ensoul Artifact | Pioneer | Ensoul Artifact | Pioneer League 2024-05-17 |
 | Simic Artifact Aggro | Standard | Simic Artifact Aggro | Standard Preliminary 2024-05-14 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Spyglass Siren provides players with the ability to peek at an opponent’s hand, potentially granting strategic insights that can lead to informed and advantageous decision-making throughout the match.
Resource Acceleration: Though not directly attributing to ramping up one’s mana, Spyglass Siren, synergizing with cards that capitalize on knowledge of the opponent’s hand, can essentially function as a resource accelerator by disrupting opponent strategies and preserving one’s own resources.
Instant Speed: The capability to cast Spyglass Siren at instant speed offers players flexibility to react to opponents’ threats or actions during their turn. This trait, combined with its disruptive nature, makes Spyglass Siren a valuable addition to decks designed around control and tempo.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Spyglass Siren’s ability necessitates discarding a card, which could potentially deplete your hand, leaving you at a strategic disadvantage in the game.
Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost requires both blue mana and colorless mana, making it less flexible and potentially challenging to play in multicolored decks that may not consistently have the necessary blue sources.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that might be considered steep for its provided effects, Spyglass Siren might not be the most mana-efficient creature in a deckbuilder’s arsenal when compared to other cards of similar function.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Spyglass Siren can thrive in blue-centric strategies, adept at either leading an aggressive tempo play or acting as a flexible counterspell component. Its ease of fitting into a variety of blue decks makes it a valuable addition.
Combo Potential: With its flash ability, the Spyglass Siren synergizes well in decks that capitalize on surprise tactics or need to hold mana for instant-speed interaction, providing both a threat and reactive potential concurrently.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment where control decks are prevalent, Spyglass Siren’s instant-speed capabilities allow players to keep pace, punctuating its relevance in competitive play circles.
How to Beat
Spyglass Siren proves to be a strategic play in the realm of blue creatures for Magic the Gathering players. With its capacity to become unblockable, this card can be a real nuisance, especially when equipped with artifacts or auras that enhance its power. It’s crucial for opponents to anticipate and undermine its effectiveness to maintain control of the game.
Managing the Siren involves a mix of removal spells, such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile, to eliminate the threat swiftly or to prevent its abilities from being activated. A well-timed counterspell can also do the trick, intercepting the Siren as it tries to make its entrance onto the battlefield.
Distracting the blue mages long enough to disrupt their game plan can also be key. Engaging them with threats that demand an immediate answer can shift their focus away from their evasive creatures. It’s essential to remain vigilant and adopt a proactive approach when facing cards with the potential to slip through defenses unchallenged – just like the Spyglass Siren.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Spyglass Siren MTG card by a specific set like The Lost Caverns of Ixalan and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, 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 Spyglass Siren 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 Spyglass Siren Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-11-17 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by David Astruga.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-11-17 | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan | LCI | 405 | 2015 | Normal | Black | David Astruga | |
| 2 | 2023-11-17 | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan | LCI | 78 | 2015 | Normal | Black | David Astruga |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Spyglass Siren has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Spyglass Siren card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-11-10 | If a resolving spell or ability instructs a specific creature to explore but that creature has left the battlefield, the creature still explores. If you reveal a nonland card this way, you won't put a +1/+1 counter on anything, but you may put the revealed card into your graveyard. Effects that trigger "whenever a creature explores" trigger as appropriate. |
| 2023-11-10 | If an ability instructs a creature to explore, its controller reveals the top card of their library. If it's a land card, they'll put it into their hand. Otherwise, they'll put a +1/+1 counter on that creature, then choose to either leave that card on top of their library or put it into their graveyard. |
| 2023-11-10 | If no card is revealed, most likely because that player's library is empty, the exploring creature receives a +1/+1 counter. |
| 2023-11-10 | In some unusual cases, noncreature permanents may explore. For example, if the creature card returned by Defossilize is somehow not a creature once it's on the battlefield, it can still explore. You'll take all the same actions, and you may end up putting a +1/+1 counter on the permanent. (Note that some effects target a creature, and those effects would still require a legal target to have it explore.) |
| 2023-11-10 | Map tokens are a kind of predefined token. Each one is a colorless artifact with the artifact subtype Map and the ability ", , Sacrifice this artifact: Target creature you control explores. Activate only as a sorcery." |
| 2023-11-10 | Once an ability that causes a creature to explore begins to resolve, no player may take any other actions until it's done. Notably, opponents can't try to remove the exploring creature after you reveal a nonland card but before it receives a counter. |
| 2023-11-10 | Some spells or abilities might cause a creature to explore multiple times in a row. If you reveal a nonland card when a creature explores and leave it on top of your library, then the creature explores again immediately afterwards, you'll reveal the same card again. |