Kheru Spellsnatcher MTG Card
2014-09-26 - Number 45y
2014-09-26 - Number 45
2019-08-23 - Number 89
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Naga Wizard |
| Abilities | Morph |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Counters an opponent’s spell, then allows you to cast it for no mana, providing a double-edged tactical advantage.
- Despite its high mana cost, the instant-speed morph ability keeps opponents guessing and enhances strategic depth.
- Meticulous play is necessary to outmaneuver the card’s game-changing potential, ensuring your key spells aren’t hijacked.
Text of card
Morph (You may cast this card face down as a 2/2 creature for . Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.) When Kheru Spellsnatcher is turned face up, counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard. You may cast that card without paying its mana cost for as long as it remains exiled.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Kheru Spellsnatcher presents a unique opportunity to not just counter an opponent’s spell, but also to cast that spell yourself without paying its mana cost. This shift in dynamics can lead you to gain card advantage by effectively accessing an additional spell from your opponent’s deck.
Resource Acceleration: Even though Kheru Spellsnatcher doesn’t directly produce mana, its potential to cast an opponent’s powerful spell for free accelerates your resource availability. By bypassing the mana cost of the captured spell, Kheru Spellsnatcher provides indirect acceleration, allowing you to deploy more of your hand or save resources for other strategic plays.
Instant Speed: The morph ability of Kheru Spellsnatcher can be activated at instant speed, fitting seamlessly into your strategy as you navigate your turns. You can play the Spellsnatcher face down and wait for the ideal moment to unveil its power, keeping opponents on their toes and making it difficult for them to predict and play around your capabilities.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: For Kheru Spellsnatcher to fully utilize its ability to counter and copy a spell, it necessitates having mana open to unmorph it, which could lead to a decreased hand size as you need to hold back cards to bluff the available mana.
Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost demands a commitment to blue mana sources with both its mana cost and morph cost, potentially constraining it to decks that can reliably produce enough blue mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of six mana to morph and use its ability, Kheru Spellsnatcher requires a significant investment that might be better allocated to other spells or creatures with more immediate board impact in competitive play.
Reasons to Include Kheru Spellsnatcher in Your Collection
Versatility: Kheru Spellsnatcher is a multifaceted card that can be adapted to a wide array of deck builds. Its ability to counter spells and then allow you to cast them without paying their mana cost adds a layer of unpredictability and strategic depth to your game.
Combo Potential: This creature can be incorporated into combos that capitalize on casting opponents’ spells. It can create opportunities for unexpected plays and synergize with decks that utilize the Morph mechanic or those that aim to manipulate the stack and spell interaction.
Meta-Relevance: Kheru Spellsnatcher’s utility in the metagame is significant when facing decks that rely on crucial, high-impact spells. Being able to neutralize a key spell and then turn it against its original caster can be a game-changing move, making it a compelling card for game environments that are spell-heavy or combo-oriented.
How to beat Kheru Spellsnatcher
Kheru Spellsnatcher operates as a subtle trap within the strategic landscape of Magic: The Gathering. As a creature that counters a spell and, more compellingly, allows you to cast that spell without paying its mana cost, overcoming this card requires careful planning. To navigate around this blue trickster, play around its morph ability by casting spells when the opponent might lack the necessary mana to flip the Spellsnatcher. Alternatively, bait out the countering mechanism with less critical spells, preserving your game-changing plays for later.
It’s also wise to keep removal spells handy. Eliminating the Spellsnatcher before your opponent can utilize its morph ability ensures that your most impactful spells won’t be snatched away. Furthermore, using instant-speed removal in response to the morph ability can disrupt your opponent’s plans, leaving them with expended resources and no spell to show for it. Consider the board state and your opponent’s available mana before attempting to resolve key spells—patience and precision are your allies here.
Ultimately, while Kheru Spellsnatcher can be a formidable adversary, by playing smart and considering your opponent’s potential counterplays, you can minimize its impact and maintain control over the flow of the game.
Cards like Kheru Spellsnatcher
Kheru Spellsnatcher is a unique creature in the vast world of Magic: The Gathering. Its comparison might start with cards like Mystic Snake, which also offers the ability to counter a spell when entering the battlefield. However, Kheru Spellsnatcher’s morph ability adds a layer of surprise and strategy, as it allows the card to be turned face up and its spell-countering ability triggered at a moment’s notice.
Similarly, cards like Draining Whelk function within the spell countering genre, but Kheru Spellsnatcher demands no upfront mana to hold a threat at bay when played face down. Furthermore, unlike Draining Whelk that just counters a spell, Kheru Spellsnatcher permits you to cast the countered spell without paying its mana cost, significantly turning the tides of the game.
When examining versatility and potential impact on the game, Kheru Spellsnatcher stands out. The morph cost requires a notable six mana investment, which is something to consider when building a deck. Despite this, the sneaky nature of the morph mechanic coupled with the card’s ability to essentially hijack an opponent’s spell gives it a distinctive advantage in gameplay.
Cards similar to Kheru Spellsnatcher by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Kheru Spellsnatcher MTG card by a specific set like Khans of Tarkir and Khans of Tarkir, 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 Kheru Spellsnatcher 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
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Printings
The Kheru Spellsnatcher Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2014-09-26 and 2019-08-23. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2014-09-26 | Khans of Tarkir | KTK | 45y | 2015 | Normal | Black | Slawomir Maniak | |
| 2 | 2014-09-26 | Khans of Tarkir | KTK | 45 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Clint Cearley | |
| 3 | 2019-08-23 | Commander 2019 | C19 | 89 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Clint Cearley |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Kheru Spellsnatcher has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Kheru Spellsnatcher card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2014-09-20 | A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent, as well as Auras and Equipment that were attached to the permanent, aren’t affected. |
| 2014-09-20 | Any time you have priority, you may turn the face-down creature face up by revealing what its morph cost is and paying that cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. Only a face-down permanent can be turned face up this way; a face-down spell cannot. |
| 2014-09-20 | At any time, you can look at a face-down spell or permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down spells or permanents you don’t control unless an effect instructs you to do so. |
| 2014-09-20 | Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it’s turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn’t cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger. |
| 2014-09-20 | Because you’re already casting the card using an alternative cost (by casting it without paying its mana cost), you can’t pay any other alternative costs for the card, including casting it face down using the morph ability. You can pay additional costs, such as kicker costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those. |
| 2014-09-20 | If a face-down permanent leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or if the game ends. |
| 2014-09-20 | If the card has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value for X when casting it. |
| 2014-09-20 | Morph lets you cast a card face down by paying , and lets you turn the face-down permanent face up any time you have priority by paying its morph cost. |
| 2014-09-20 | The face-down spell has no mana cost and has a converted mana cost of 0. When you cast a face-down spell, put it on the stack face down so no other player knows what it is, and pay . This is an alternative cost. |
| 2014-09-20 | When the spell resolves, it enters the battlefield as a 2/2 creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. It’s colorless and has a converted mana cost of 0. Other effects that apply to the creature can still grant it any of these characteristics. |
| 2014-09-20 | You can target a spell you control with Kheru Spellsnatcher’s triggered ability. This will give you the ability to cast the card later without paying its mana cost. |
| 2014-09-20 | You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can easily be differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield in order to confuse other players. The order they entered the battlefield should remain clear. Common methods for doing this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield. |
