Mardu Shadowspear MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Human Warrior
Abilities Dash
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Mardu Shadowspear pressurizes opponents, potentially forcing unfavorable trades or premature removals.
  2. Its Dash ability boosts resource management by saving board presence and enabling repeated plays.
  3. Instant speed Dash provides surprise attacks and strategic flexibility during gameplay.

Text of card

Whenever Mardu Shadowspear attacks, each opponent loses 1 life. Dash (You may cast this spell for its dash cost. If you do, it gains haste, and it's returned from the battlefield to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Mardu Shadowspear offers a different kind of card advantage by consistently pressuring your opponent, leading them to potentially make unfavorable trades or use removal spells on what is otherwise a low-cost threat.

Resource Acceleration: Even though this card does not directly produce mana or treasure, its Dash ability allows for repeated use from the hand, essentially saving resources on the board that might otherwise be lost to removal, thus indirectly accelerating your overall resource management.

Instant Speed: The Dash ability of Mardu Shadowspear can be activated at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to wait until your opponent’s end step to bring it into play. This enables you to leave mana open for other spells and surprises your opponent with sudden battlefield presence that can attack immediately.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Mardu Shadowspear’s ability may necessitate discarding a card, which could deplete your hand and reduce your options, especially if maintaining card advantage is key to your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: The Shadowspear requires a specific blend of mana colors that align with the Mardu identity (white, black, and red). This makes it less flexible, confining it to Mardu decks, and can be a stumbling block if your mana base isn’t properly tuned to accommodate the cost.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Mardu Shadowspear brings distinct skill to the battlefield, its mana cost is substantial when compared to other one-drop creatures. This can affect its playability in fast-paced games where mana-efficiency is crucial for establishing early board presence.


Reasons to Include Mardu Shadowspear in Your Collection

Versatility: Despite its specific color identity, Mardu Shadowspear can be integrated into a variety of aggro and midrange decks. Its ability to dash enables surprise attacks that can be exceedingly useful in multiple scenarios.

Combo Potential: Not only can this card serve as an early threat, but its ability to trigger lifeloss upon attacking makes it a prime candidate for synergizing with strategies that benefit from opponents losing life or creatures dealing combat damage.

Meta-Relevance: In a metagame that favors quick, decisive plays, Mardu Shadowspear’s low mana cost and immediate impact on the board present a strong case for inclusion. It can pressure life totals early on, shaping the pace of the match in your favor.


How to beat

Mardu Shadowspear is a unique creature card that brings early pressure to the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. It is known for its dash ability, allowing you to swing for damage early in the game. To outmaneuver this aggressive play, it is crucial to have removal ready or creatures capable of blocking and surviving the attack. Control strategies utilizing sweepers can efficiently handle Mardu Shadowspear alongside other early threats.

Effective countermeasures include cheap removal spells like Fatal Push or Lightning Bolt that can deal with the Shadowspear before it becomes a recurring nuisance. Instant-speed interactions are particularly potent as they can disrupt the dash mechanic, preventing your opponent from using the Shadowspear as a reliable source of damage. It’s also worth considering life gain strategies or the use of robust blockers to diminish the impact of its triggered ability when it attacks.

By adapting your deck with these strategies, maintaining card advantage, and keeping your life total in a safe range, you can negate the advantages Mardu Shadowspear provides to an aggressive opponent’s strategy in your MTG matches.


BurnMana Recommendations

The Mardu Shadowspear is a dynamic choice for MTG enthusiasts looking to add a punch to their aggressive strategies. The card’s ability to pressure opponents from the get-go, along with its tactical instant speed dash, makes it a beneficial asset in any Mardu-themed deck. However, understanding both its strengths and limitations is crucial for optimizing its use in your gameplay. For a comprehensive understanding of when to wield this card’s power to your advantage, and learn how to integrate Mardu Shadowspear into your deck-building arsenal for maximum impact, we invite you to join us for an in-depth exploration. Hone your skills and deck with the recommendations we provide for an edge in your MTG experience.


Cards like Mardu Shadowspear

Mardu Shadowspear holds a distinctive place in the pantheon of aggressive one-drop creatures. When carefully contrasting with other cards in the same vein, it exudes uniqueness. Comparable to Rakdos Cackler, another one-mana creature, Mardu Shadowspear offers an immediate impact with its dashing ability. However, Rakdos Cackler presents a choice for the player—enter as a 2/2 creature or unleash and be unable to block.

Another similar card is Vampire Lacerator, which also thrives in aggressive strategies and has a comparable power for one mana. Yet, Mardu Shadowspear’s ability to trigger life loss on attack and its potential to return to hand adds a layer of strategic play to the game. Then we have Soldier of the Pantheon, praised for its mana cost and protection from multicolored spells, yet the Shadowspear excels with its recurring dash mechanic.

In weighing these options, Mardu Shadowspear becomes an intriguing choice for MTG players who value swift pressure and tactical flexibility on the battlefield. Its ability to inflict consistent life point erosion and its dash potential subtly tips it as a favored contender among its peers.

Rakdos Cackler - MTG Card versions
Vampire Lacerator - MTG Card versions
Soldier of the Pantheon - MTG Card versions
Rakdos Cackler - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Vampire Lacerator - Zendikar (ZEN)
Soldier of the Pantheon - Theros (THS)

Cards similar to Mardu Shadowspear by color, type and mana cost

Stone-Throwing Devils - MTG Card versions
Will-o'-the-Wisp - MTG Card versions
Vampire Bats - MTG Card versions
Bog Rats - MTG Card versions
Muck Rats - MTG Card versions
Vebulid - MTG Card versions
Urborg Skeleton - MTG Card versions
Carrion Rats - MTG Card versions
Foulmire Knight // Profane Insight - MTG Card versions
Dark Supplicant - MTG Card versions
Bile Urchin - MTG Card versions
Rimebound Dead - MTG Card versions
Plague Beetle - MTG Card versions
Festering Goblin - MTG Card versions
Sleeper Agent - MTG Card versions
Knucklebone Witch - MTG Card versions
Nightshade Stinger - MTG Card versions
Smolder Initiate - MTG Card versions
Kjeldoran Dead - MTG Card versions
Deathgreeter - MTG Card versions
Stone-Throwing Devils - Arabian Nights (ARN)
Will-o'-the-Wisp - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Vampire Bats - Renaissance (REN)
Bog Rats - Chronicles (CHR)
Muck Rats - Portal (POR)
Vebulid - Urza's Saga (USG)
Urborg Skeleton - Invasion (INV)
Carrion Rats - Torment (TOR)
Foulmire Knight // Profane Insight - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Dark Supplicant - Legions (LGN)
Bile Urchin - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Rimebound Dead - Coldsnap (CSP)
Plague Beetle - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Festering Goblin - Tenth Edition (10E)
Sleeper Agent - Tenth Edition (10E)
Knucklebone Witch - Lorwyn (LRW)
Nightshade Stinger - Lorwyn (LRW)
Smolder Initiate - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Kjeldoran Dead - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Deathgreeter - Shards of Alara (ALA)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mardu Shadowspear MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Fate Reforged, 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 Mardu Shadowspear and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Mardu Shadowspear Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2015-01-23 and 2015-01-23. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 557172015normalblackDan Scott
22015-01-23Fate ReforgedFRF 742015normalblackMark Poole
32015-01-23Fate Reforged PromosPFRF 742015normalblackDan Scott

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Mardu Shadowspear has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2014-11-24 If a creature enters the battlefield as a copy of or becomes a copy of a creature whose dash cost was paid, the copy won’t have haste and won’t be returned to its owner’s hand.
2014-11-24 If you choose to pay the dash cost rather than the mana cost, you’re still casting the spell. It goes on the stack and can be responded to and countered. You can cast a creature spell for its dash cost only when you otherwise could cast that creature spell. Most of the time, this means during your main phase when the stack is empty.
2014-11-24 If you pay the dash cost to cast a creature spell, that card will be returned to its owner’s hand only if it’s still on the battlefield when its triggered ability resolves. If it dies or goes to another zone before then, it will stay where it is.
2014-11-24 You don’t have to attack with the creature with dash unless another ability says you do.

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