Spire Mangler MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Insect
Abilities	Flying, Flash
Released	2019-01-25
Set symbol
Set name	Ravnica Allegiance
Set code	RNA
Power	2
Toughness	1
Number	86
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Tomasz Jedruszek

Key Takeaways

Boosts flying creatures’ power at instant speed, tipping combat balance favorably.
Flexibility in timing maximizes its potential, disrupting opponent strategies.
Demands careful hand management due to its casting cost and impact.

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.

Text of card

Flash Flying When Spire Mangler enters the battlefield, target creature with flying you control gets +2/+0 until end of turn.

Its mandibles can leave a rider in the clouds astride a headless griffin.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Spire Mangler can surprise opponents by boosting one of your creatures’ power, potentially swinging combat in your favor and turning what would be a simple trade into a valuable removal for your opponent’s creature.

Resource Acceleration: Although Spire Mangler doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its low casting cost and effect can speed up your board impact, effectively allowing you to utilize your mana and creatures more efficiently in the early to mid-game.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Spire Mangler at instant speed gives you the flexibility to maximize its combat trick potential. You can wait until the last moment during the combat phase to disrupt your opponent’s calculations or to make game-altering block and attack decisions.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Casting Spire Mangler often necessitates effectively reducing your hand size, placing players in a tight spot when their hand is already running low on cards. This can be especially problematic in game states where maintaining card advantage is critical.

Specific Mana Cost: Spire Mangler demands a strict mana cost that includes black mana, constraining deck building options. Players running multicolored decks might find it challenging to consistently meet this requirement, potentially limiting the card’s strategic versatility in broader formats.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana you invest in bringing Spire Mangler into play may seem steep relative to its impact on the board. When every mana point counts, players might hesitate to allocate resources for this creature when there are other more influential cards available within the same cost bracket.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Spire Mangler can seamlessly fit into Black-centric or multicolored decks, particularly those that need a quick power boost in the flying department. Due to its Flash ability, it serves as an instant speed surprise, enhancing its fit across various playstyles.

Combo Potential: The ability to instantly boost another flying creature’s power not only works great in aerial combat but can also synergize with effects that rely on creatures’ power. This card can be a decisive factor in intricate in-game interactions, significantly impacting your board state.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where flyers reign supreme or games often hinge on combat tricks, Spire Mangler’s capabilities can prove to be exceptionally valuable. Its ability to ambush opponents and shift combat in your favor aligns well with aggressive and tempo strategies popular in certain meta environments.

How to Beat Spire Mangler

Spire Mangler emerges as a unique creature in the MTG realm with its flying ability and instant speed buff to another attacking creature with flying. This bat, while not the strongest on its own, can surprise an opponent, boosting another creature and potentially turning the tide of an aerial combat in your favor.

When it comes to defending against Spire Mangler, it’s crucial to keep removal spells handy, as instant speed interaction can neutralize this surprise before it affects the battlefield. Cards such as Shock or Fatal Push can be particularly effective, ensuring the flying creature is dealt with before it can inflict significant damage or alter combat outcomes. Furthermore, since Spire Mangler only affects flying creatures, enhancing your defenses with flying blockers or spells like Gust of Wind can disrupt your opponent’s strategy, essentially negating the buff Spire Mangler provides.

In summary, strategically timing your removal or counterspells and shoring up your flying defenses can nullify the tricks up Spire Mangler’s sleeve. By staying vigilant and prepared for its combat tricks, you can maintain control over the aerial battlefield and mitigate the impact of this crafty creature in your matches.

Cards like Spire Mangler

Spire Mangler silently swoops into the dynamic environment of flying creatures within Magic: The Gathering. Sharing the skies with cards like Heir of the Wilds, Spire Mangler offers an immediate impact on the board by giving a flying creature +2/+0 until end of turn when it enters the battlefield at instant speed. Contrast this with Heir of the Wilds, which grants a smaller power boost and lacks flying but offers consistent value with deathtouch.

Momentary Blink is another card that resonates well with Spire Mangler, capitalizing on enter-the-battlefield effects. Though it doesn’t provide a power boost, it offers a chance to reuse abilities of creatures like Spire Mangler multiple times. However, with Spire Mangler, the tempo gain can be significant, potentially providing a surprise finish in a close game with its flash ability trading for efficiency over Blink’s repeatability.

Overall, within the pantheon of MTG creature strategies, Spire Mangler might not offer the persistent threat of some alternatives. Still, its tactical advantage in speed and surprise can be crucial in the right deck, demonstrating a specialized niche for flying buffs in ephemeral but decisive moments of the game.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Spire Mangler MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica Allegiance, 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 Spire Mangler and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Spire Mangler has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
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 Spire Mangler card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.