Street Spasm MTG Card
Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
Mana cost | |
Converted mana cost | 1 |
Rarity | Uncommon |
Type | Instant |
Abilities | Overload |
Text of card
Street Spasm deals X damage to target creature without flying you don't control. Overload (You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change its text by replacing all instances of "target" with "each.")
Cards like Street Spasm
Street Spasm offers players a versatile option in dealing with multiple threats on the battlefield. It bears similarities to other spells like Anger of the Gods. Both cards allow for sweeping away numerous creatures, but Street Spasm presents a unique flexibility with its X cost, which can be tailored to the situation at hand. Moreover, unlike Anger of the Gods, it can be unleashed with its overload ability to bypass creatures you control.
Comparatively, Mizzium Mortars is another card that shares the trait of scalability. While it also comes with an overload alternative, Street Spasm differentiates itself by being able to target flyers, giving players an edge against aerial threats. On a separate note, both Pyroclasm and Volcanic Fallout offer cheaper board clearing alternatives. However, their set damage limits their ability to deal with larger creatures, something that isn’t a barrier for Street Spasm when more mana is invested.
In the scope of red board control spells in Magic: The Gathering, Street Spasm holds a strong position with its adjustable damage output and the potential to protect your own board, making it a noteworthy option for players crafting a strategy around mass removal abilities.
Cards similar to Street Spasm by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Designed to sway the battlefield in your favor, Street Spasm can hit multiple targets, potentially clearing the board of smaller creatures. This ability to deal with numerous threats at once offers significant card advantage, as one spell can eliminate several of an opponent’s cards.
Resource Acceleration: While Street Spasm doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its scalable X cost allows flexibility in your mana expenditure. This means you can tailor your spell’s potency to the current state of your mana resources, delivering impact when you have an abundance of mana without being a dead card when resources are low.
Instant Speed: The versatile nature of Street Spasm, which can be cast at instant speed, offers strategic depth to gameplay. You can effectively disrupt opponents’ strategies by timing this removal spell during their turn, or even at the end of their turn to maintain the element of surprise and ensure you’re making the most informed decisions with your mana each round.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Despite its ability to be unleashed without a target, holding onto Street Spasm without unleashing may force you to discard other valuable cards due to hand size limits.
Specific Mana Cost: Street Spasm demands red mana, making it a less flexible choice for those decks that aren’t heavily invested in that particular color.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: To inflict substantial damage across multiple creatures, the mana investment in Street Spasm can be steep, possibly hindering your ability to play other spells in the same turn.
Reasons to Include Street Spasm in Your Collection
Versatility: Street Spasm serves as a flexible removal option, able to target a single creature or scale up to clear multiple threats, making it adaptable to various game scenarios.
Combo Potential: Thanks to its X cost mechanic, it can synergize with strategies that increase mana availability or damage output, amplifying its board-clearing capabilities.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta with creature-heavy decks or swarms of tokens, having Street Spasm can be pivotal in maintaining board control and preventing opponents from gaining the upper hand.
How to beat
Street Spasm is a unique spell capable of dealing damage to multiple creatures without flying. In MTG, this card can pivot games when used at the opportune moment. However, despite its potential, there are strategies to effectively counteract Street Spasm’s impact in the game. To begin with, creature-based decks should prioritize creatures with flying to naturally evade the damage from Street Spasm. Additionally, having instant-speed removal or counterspells in hand, such as Negate or Disallow, allows players to prevent Street Spasm from resolving.
Another effective approach is to diversify the threats on the battlefield. Rather than relying solely on ground creatures, include creatures with hexproof or indestructible, making it difficult for a single Street Spasm to clear your side. Cards like Selfless Spirit can also provide a safeguard, offering protection to your creatures from mass damage spells. Lastly, be mindful of your opponent’s mana availability since casting Street Spasm for its overload cost can turn the tide. Planning your moves around this can mitigate its potential impact, helping you maintain a strong battlefield presence.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Street Spasm MTG card by a specific set like Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari and Return to 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 Street Spasm 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 Street Spasm Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2012-09-07 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by Raymond Swanland.
# | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2012-09-07 | Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari | DDJ | 30 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland | |
2 | 2012-10-05 | Return to Ravnica | RTR | 106 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland | |
3 | 2013-11-01 | Commander 2013 | C13 | 123 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland | |
4 | 2024-02-23 | Ravnica: Clue Edition | CLU | 150 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Raymond Swanland |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Street Spasm has restrictions
Format | Legality |
---|---|
Commander | Legal |
Legacy | Legal |
Modern | Legal |
Oathbreaker | Legal |
Vintage | Legal |
Duel | Legal |
Pioneer | Legal |
Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Street Spasm card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
Date | Text |
---|---|
2013-04-15 | Because a spell with overload doesn’t target when its overload cost is paid, it may affect permanents with hexproof or with protection from the appropriate color. |
2013-04-15 | Casting a spell with overload doesn’t change that spell’s mana cost. You just pay the overload cost instead. |
2013-04-15 | Effects that cause you to pay more or less for a spell will cause you to pay that much more or less while casting it for its overload cost, too. |
2013-04-15 | If you are instructed to cast a spell with overload “without paying its mana cost,” you can’t choose to pay its overload cost instead. |
2013-04-15 | If you don’t pay the overload cost of a spell, that spell will have a single target. If you pay the overload cost, the spell won’t have any targets. |
2013-04-15 | Note that if the spell with overload is dealing damage, protection from that spell’s color will still prevent that damage. |
2013-04-15 | Overload doesn’t change when you can cast the spell. |