Needlepeak Spider MTG Card

Planar Chaos (PLC)
2007-02-02 - Number 105

Needlepeak Spider - Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)

Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)
2021-03-19 - Number 177

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Spider
Abilities	Reach
Power	4
Toughness	2

Key Takeaways

Needlepeak Spider manages board control despite not offering card draw, its reach key in defending against flyers.
This creature’s mana cost to power ratio advances resource management, enabling earlier strategic plays.
While single-colored, its mana requirement may limit its fit in varied mana base decks.

Text of card

Needlepeak Spider can block as though it had flying.

"It's a testament to the forests' devastation that giant spiders now make their homes amid Dominaria's barren spires." —Aznaph, greenseeker

Card Pros

Card Advantage: In a MTG match, sustaining hand superiority can pivot the tides of the game. Needlepeak Spider doesn’t directly give card draw but its reach attribute allows you to control the board by taking down flying creatures, preserving your other valuable cards.

Resource Acceleration: While Needlepeak Spider does not produce additional mana or tokens, it serves as a resource acceleration in terms of its efficient mana cost to power/toughness ratio. This allows you to deploy a significant defensive presence early in the game while saving resources for other strategies.

Instant Speed: Though not an instant itself, Needlepeak Spider interacts well in a deck with instant-speed elements. It provides a reliable blocker that can be cast beforehand, ensuring that your mana is freed up for instant-speed spells during the opponent’s turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Needlepeak Spider necessitates discarding a card to activate its ability. This can negatively impact your hand, particularly during late-game scenarios when each card’s value is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature requires red mana for casting, which might not always align with your deck’s mana base, particularly in multi-color decks where red sources are less abundant.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes two generic and two red mana, Needlepeak Spider’s mana expense is considerable, especially when evaluated against other creatures with similar or better abilities at a lower cost threshold.

Reasons to Include Needlepeak Spider in Your Collection

Versatility: Needlepeak Spider boasts the reach ability, which allows it to block flying creatures, making it a solid defensive choice for any deck that might struggle against aerial threats. Plus, its mountainwalk ability can turn it into an unblockable menace on the offense, given the right board state.

Combo Potential: This arachnid isn’t just a standalone play. In a deck with land modification strategies or abilities that grant land types, you can transform your opponent’s lands into Mountains, making the Spider unblockable and paving the way for direct damage.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the prevalence of flying creatures in many competitive formats, Needlepeak Spider can act as an excellent sideboard card. It slips into your deck easily when facing decks heavy with flyers, making it relevant for adapting to shifting metagame dynamics.

How to beat

Needlepeak Spider adds an intriguing dynamic to creature strategies in MTG with its reach attribute and the potential to be a formidable blocker against flying threats. When facing this arachnid, it’s essential to neutralize its defensive capabilities. Your best bet is to prioritize removal spells that can bypass its reach, such as direct damage spells—Lightning Bolt or Shock, which target creatures regardless of flying. You can also employ board wipe spells, such as Wrath of God or Damnation, to clear the field of any creatures including Needlepeak Spider.

Alternatively, take advantage of its single color by using protection or color-specific removal, like Doom Blade for non-black creatures or Aether Gust against red and green. Against Needlepeak Spider, enchantments like Pacifism can render it harmless without removing it from the board, allowing you to bypass it entirely. The key is to control the board and maintain pressure, ensuring that the Spider’s defensive strengths don’t impede your path to victory.

Remaining vigilant and managing your resources efficiently can help to diminish the impact of Needlepeak Spider on the game, and keep your opponent’s defense at bay while you press your own advantages on the battlefield.

Cards like Needlepeak Spider

In the realm of MTG card comparisons, Needlepeak Spider shares its creature type and reach ability with other spider cards like Canopy Spider and Giant Spider. These arachnids serve as natural predators to flying creatures, providing a solid defense against them. Needlepeak Spider stands out with its set-specific mechanic, allowing players to adapt and strengthen their creatures as the game progresses. Unlike Canopy Spider, Needlepeak Spider can evolve with its adaptability, gaining power and posing a more formidable threat on the board.

Canopy Spider is a classic defense option with its lower cost, but it stays static throughout the game. Giant Spider has been a go-to in many green decks for its sizable stature that gives ground and aerial defense. Yet, it lacks the dynamic adaptability of Needlepeak Spider. When evaluating their battlefield impact, the adapt feature on Needlepeak Spider could offer more strategic advantage, adapting to the ever-changing demands of the match and enhancing the player’s defensive capabilities.

Therefore, while Needlepeak Spider aligns with its arachnid counterparts in creature type and reach ability, its adaptability could very well tip the scales in a game, giving it a potential edge over its kin in specific scenarios within the MTG universe.

Giant Spider - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Needlepeak Spider MTG card by a specific set like Planar Chaos and Time Spiral Remastered, 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 Needlepeak Spider and other MTG cards: