Specter of the Fens MTG Card
2021-04-23 - Number 87
2021-04-23 - Number 11s
2021-04-23 - Number 11
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Specter |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Serves as both a creature presence and a hand-disruptive tool, pressuring opponents with multifaceted tactics.
- Its instant speed play offers flexibility, aligning well with reactive strategies and surprise maneuvers.
- Demands precise mana allocation and strategic deck building to fully harness its disruptive potential.
Text of card
Flying : Target opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
Foul specters hunt down those who try to back out of a deal with a daemogoth.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Specter of the Fens stands out by giving you the potential to disrupt your opponent’s hand while setting up for later turns. It’s a strategic play that adds value by not only placing a creature on the board but also by tactically removing options from your opposition.
Resource Acceleration: Although this card doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the traditional sense, it’s a cost-effective play that can be a game-changer. For a modest mana investment, it allows you to maintain pace with your opponent, keeping you both in the race while you plan your next move.
Instant Speed: With its ability to be played at instant speed, Specter of the Fens enables stealthy gameplay. This feature grants you the versatility to react to your opponent’s actions during their turn, keeping your resources optimized while strengthening your position on the battlefield.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Specter of the Fens invites players to strategize around its condition that an opponent discards a card. However, without solid supporting strategies in your deck, this requirement can be more of a hurdle than an advantage, especially if your foes have an empty hand.
Specific Mana Cost: The cost to get Specter of the Fens into play is not only specific to black mana but slightly on the higher side. This narrows down the archetypes that can effectively utilize the card and might not fit seamlessly into multicolor decks seeking a diverse mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing a total of five mana for a creature with average stats, Specter of the Fens faces tough competition from other cards with greater bang for the mana buck. Players may find better value in creatures or spells that offer more impactful effects or versatility for the same or lower mana investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Specter of the Fens offers adaptable gameplay options, aligning well with decks that leverage creature-based strategies or require defensive flexibility. Its flying ability provides a consistent aerial threat, making it a useful card in a variety of situations.
Combo Potential: This card can synergize well with strategies that capitalize on life loss or death triggers. Its potential to create recurring opportunities for damage or control elements can be invaluable in the right setup, opening up diverse combo avenues.
Meta-Relevance: With the ever-shifting dynamics of the meta, having a card that can act as a recurrent nuisance for opponents is essential. Specter of the Fens can hold its ground, especially in slower-paced or attrition-focused games, where incremental advantages can decide the outcome.
How to beat
Specter of the Fens presents a strategic unit in Magic: The Gathering with its menace ability, enabling it to dodge blockers unless they come in pairs. This nuisome flyer typically demands careful consideration from opponents who must manage their battlefield with ample blockers or face consistent aerial damage.
Combatting this creature, wisdom suggests removal spells, an area rich with options. Spells that can unconditionally destroy creatures, such as Murder, are straightforward solutions to the Specter threat. Alternatively, managing the Specter can be less resource-intensive through commonly played bounce spells or ones that neutralize it temporarily, such as Frost Breath. The aforementioned techniques prevent it from leveraging its menace while conserving your valuable removal resources for more formidable threats.
Finally, enhancing your deck with creature abilities like reach or cards that produce multiple tokens can ultimately negate the Specter’s evasion advantage. Continuous board presence is pivotal; even a single untapped creature with reach can serve as a robust deterrent against the flying specter. Hence, maintaining a balanced deck equipped with adequate responses will mitigate the impact of Specter of the Fens on the game.
Cards like Specter of the Fens
Specter of the Fens emerges as an obscure yet potential-filled creature in the dimension of MTG’s black-aligned flyers. When surveying similar cards, one could ponder on Vampire Nighthawk, a card esteemed for its lifelink and deathtouch abilities, lending not only aerial defense but also life maintenance for players. Specter of the Fens, while lacking these enticing abilities, compensates with its kicker mechanic, presenting an opportunity for late-game impact by entering the battlefield with additional +1/+1 counters when the player pays its kicker cost.
Another related card is Duskhunter Bat, which also shares a comparable low-cost investment for bringing an airborne threat to the board. It shines with its bloodthirst ability, which can quickly grow its power if an opponent has taken damage. Although Duskhunter Bat demands a specific scenario to be beneficial, Specter of the Fens maintains consistent performance with its option for late-game scalability.
Scrutinizing these members of MTG’s vast library, Specter of the Fens holds a strategic niche, providing players with flexibility in terms of timing and investment, making it a versatile option for decks capable of biding their time until the moment for an augmented assault is ripe.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Specter of the Fens MTG card by a specific set like Strixhaven: School of Mages and Strixhaven Art Series, 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 Specter of the Fens and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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 Magic products
Printings
The Specter of the Fens Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-04-23 and 2021-04-23. Illustrated by G-host Lee.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-04-23 | Strixhaven: School of Mages | STX | 87 | 2015 | normal | black | G-host Lee | |
| 2 | Strixhaven Art Series | ASTX | 11s | 2015 | art_series | borderless | G-host Lee | ||
| 3 | Strixhaven Art Series | ASTX | 11 | 2015 | art_series | borderless | G-host Lee |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Specter of the Fens 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 |
| Timeless | Legal |
