Spoils of Evil MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Instant
Released	1995-06-03
Set symbol
Set name	Ice Age
Set code	ICE
Number	163
Frame	1993
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Quinton Hoover

Key Takeaways

Spoils of Evil provides card advantage and boosts mana based on graveyard creature cards.
Its instant speed allows strategic play, reacting to opponents’ moves effectively.
Downsides include specific mana cost and the possible need to discard valuable cards.

Text of card

For each artifact or creature in target opponent's graveyard, add one colorless mana to your mana pool and gain 1 life.

"Virtue has its rewards, as does its opposite." —Lim-Dûl, the Necromancer

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Spoils of Evil can be a pivotal play, as it has the potential to draw you into multiple cards based on the number of creature cards in all graveyards, which can really tilt the scales in your favor during a match.

Resource Acceleration: The card not only helps you fortify your hand but also boosts your mana resources. For each creature card in the graveyards, Spoils of Evil generates one colorless mana, thus significantly ramping up your capability to cast high-impact spells much earlier than expected.

Instant Speed: Its instant speed is of immense strategic value, enabling you to wait until the most opportune moment within the turn cycle. This flexibility ensures you can react to your opponent’s moves, potentially making a monumental shift in the game at the last possible instant.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Spoils of Evil involves a specific condition that can sometimes work against you. You must have a card to discard, which means potentially losing a valuable piece of your strategy. This requirement could set you back if your hand is already limited, forcing tough decisions about what to sacrifice for the spell’s effect.

Specific Mana Cost: Spoils of Evil’s mana cost demands both black and generic mana, which might not always align with the color scheme of your deck. This restriction makes it less flexible, especially in multi-colored decks that don’t heavily feature black mana or in situations where your mana sources are compromised.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment for Spoils of Evil can be considered on the higher side, especially when compared to other cards within the same mana range. In the fast-paced context of many Magic the Gathering matches, the cost you pay must translate into significant advantages, and there might be other cards that provide more immediate or impactful benefits for the same or less mana.

Reasons to Include Spoils of Evil in Your Collection

Versatility: Spoils of Evil is a card that can be seamlessly integrated into a variety of deck archetypes, particularly those that thrive on life gain and capitalizing on opponents’ graveyard strategies.

Combo Potential: This card shines in combos, allowing you to gain life and mana in direct relation to the number of creature cards in all graveyards, setting the stage for powerful plays and unexpected turnarounds.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state that sees frequent creature-based interactions and graveyard play, Spoils of Evil becomes increasingly potent, offering a resource swing that can be crucial in the right metagame environment.

How to beat

Spoils of Evil is a powerful card known for its potential for massive life gain and mana boost in Magic: The Gathering, particularly in decks that exploit graveyard mechanics. Understanding the card’s strengths is crucial when devising a countering strategy. To effectively beat Spoils of Evil, disrupting the graveyard is your best bet. Cards like Rest in Peace or Relic of Progenitus can exile graveyards, rendering Spoils of Evil significantly less potent. These interventions can drastically reduce the amount of life and mana your opponent can gain.

Another strategy is to apply pressure early on in the game. Aggressive decks can force an opponent relying on Spoils of Evil to react to immediate threats rather than setting up for a big payoff. This might hinder their plan to fill the graveyard with numerous cards to exploit with Spoils of Evil later on. Consequently, maintaining board control and keeping their graveyard empty can contribute to a successful tactic against this card. It’s crucial to anticipate your opponent’s moves and always have an answer ready to disrupt their strategy.

Tackling Spoils of Evil head-on may be challenging, but with careful planning and the right moves, you can safeguard your game from being overturned by this formidable card’s effect.

Cards like Spoils of Evil

Spoils of Evil is an intriguing card that offers a significant boost in both life and mana in a single turn. This spell casts a spotlight on synergy with graveyards, reminiscent of other cards like Exsanguinate, which also provides a life gain based on another resource, in this case mana spent. However, Exsanguinate lacks the explosive mana ramp provided by Spoils of Evil.

In comparison, we see Rain of Filth with a similar mana acceleration theme. Rain of Filth, however, sacrifices land stability for instant mana with an inherent risk, differing from the safer, though conditional, boost from Spoils of Evil. Death’s Shadow also interacts with life totals, but inversely – it grows stronger as your life decreases, challenging the concept of gaining life as an unalloyed good.

To summarize, Spoils of Evil stands out in its unique blend of life gain and mana acceleration, affected directly by graveyard contents. It joins a distinct family of spells in Magic: The Gathering that turn the tides by leveraging different game states, making it a card worth considering for decks that manipulate graveyard resources.

Cards similar to Spoils of Evil by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Spoils of Evil MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age, 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 Spoils of Evil and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Spoils of Evil has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2004-10-04	The text “for each artifact or creature” means the sum of cards which are either creature and/or artifact. Artifact creatures are not double counted.