Spiteful Squad MTG Card

Spiteful Squad - Strixhaven: School of Mages

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Warlock
Abilities	Deathtouch
Released	2021-04-23
Set symbol
Set name	Strixhaven: School of Mages
Set code	STX
Power	0
Toughness	0
Number	237
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Manuel Castañón

Key Takeaways

Resourceful both in life and death, it benefits board presence through strategic counter distribution.
Integrates into counter-centric decks, elevating the impact of synergistic card interactions.
Demands careful mana planning and hand management to fully capitalize on its potential.

Text of card

Deathtouch Spiteful Squad enters the battlefield with two +1/+1 counters on it. When Spiteful Squad dies, put its counters on target creature you control.

"Don't you know first-years pay a toll to walk through here?"

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Spiteful Squad arrives on the battlefield setting the grounds for strategic plays. By placing counters on itself or transferring them upon death, it can keep a player ahead in the resource game, giving a persistent presence on the board that can outlast single removal spells.

Resource Acceleration: Although Spiteful Squad doesn’t directly accelerate resources in terms of mana, it offers a different kind of acceleration. With every blow it takes, it has the potential to grow stronger, thus accelerating your board’s threat level without requiring additional mana investment. This makes it a formidable multiplicator of on-board assets.

Instant Speed: While Spiteful Squad itself is not an instant, its synergy with instant-speed interactions cannot be overstated. It can serve as a deterrent to enemy attacks or spells knowing that any damage dealt can increase its power, or that dying in combat would strategically bolster another creature of yours at a moment’s notice.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Spiteful Squad enters the battlefield with a must-have for players to discard a card, which could put a damper on your hand especially when you’re running low on cards. This trade-off means you’re exchanging immediate resources for potential future benefits, a strategy that can backfire if you’re not careful.

Specific Mana Cost: The Spiteful Squad demands a precise mana arrangement that includes black and white mana. This requirement can make it tricky to fit into a multicolor deck that may not always have the right mana available. Deck builders need to plan their mana base carefully to ensure they can play the Squad without hiccups.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Mana efficiency is key in the game and with Spiteful Squad’s casting cost being on the higher side, it might not always align with your game tempo. Alternative creatures or spells could provide more immediate impact or value for the same or lesser mana investment, which should be considered when choosing cards for your deck.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Spiteful Squad is a flexible addition to decks that pivot around +1/+1 counters. Due to its unique ability to distribute counters upon death, it integrates seamlessly into strategies enhancing creature durability.

Combo Potential: This card excels in combinations with proliferate mechanics or when paired with cards that capitalize on counter manipulation, amplifying the tactical depth of such interactions.

Meta-Relevance: Spiteful Squad finds its place in a meta with frequent creature combat. Its persistent presence even after lethal damage can deter opponents and potentially swing the game in your favor.

How to beat

Spiteful Squad can be a tough nut to crack for any MTG player, with its devious ability to distribute +1/+1 counters upon death. Its presence on the battlefield demands strategic play. To effectively counter this squad, focus on exiling or bouncing it back to the hand, bypassing its death-trigger altogether. Cards like Path to Exile or Unsummon offer clean solutions, ensuring Spiteful Squad’s demise doesn’t lead to an empowered army for your opponent.

Alternative tactics include negating the Squad’s effects with cards that strip away abilities, such as Turn to Frog, reducing it to merely a creature without impact when it dies. It’s also wise to restrain from inflicting lethal damage unless you’re prepared to deal with the reinforced creatures that emerge from its ability. Instead, chip away at your opponents’ resources or maintain a strong defense until you can orchestrate a decisive and unanswerable play. Cunning and patience are your allies against the resilience of Spiteful Squad.

Ultimately, success against such cards comes down to anticipation and deck versatility—having the right answers at the right time—assuring that the Squad’s spitefulness is directed nowhere and ends in futility.

Cards like Spiteful Squad

Spiteful Squad is an intriguing card in the pool of MTG creatures that bolster defense strategies. It shares tactical similarities with Grizzled Leotau, which also acts as an early-game defensive presence with high toughness. However, Spiteful Squad brings a unique twist by adding +1/+1 counters to another creature when it dies, making for a stronger impact on the game’s progression.

When considering other cards with death-triggered abilities, it’s hard not to mention Blood Artist. Although Blood Artist is more subtle in its defense and doesn’t provide the same blocking power, it does offer a different form of resilience by siphoning life from opponents, which can be a game-changer. Another card worth comparing is Falkenrath Noble, which, like Spiteful Squad, impacts the board when death triggers, adding to the damage dealt to opponents and gaining you life.

In essence, Spiteful Squad merits attention among creatures that create lasting effects even after they leave the battlefield. Its ability to strengthen creatures across your army ensures that its defensive value transcends its presence on the board, marking its rank as a card with potent strategic value in MTG.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Spiteful Squad MTG card by a specific set like Strixhaven: School of Mages, 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 Spiteful Squad and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Spiteful Squad 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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Spiteful Squad card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2021-04-16	If Spiteful Squad has -1/-1 counters on it when it dies, the last ability will include those as well. This may result in the recipient also dying. Spiteful indeed.
2021-04-16	In some unusual cases, you may end up putting the appropriate counters on more than one permanent. For example, if you control The Ozolith when Spiteful Squad dies, you will put the appropriate number of each kind of counter onto both The Ozolith and the target creature.
2021-04-16	Spiteful Squad’s ability doesn’t cause you to move counters from itself to the target creature. Rather, you put the same number of each kind of counter Spiteful Squad had when it died onto that creature.