Street Spasm MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant
Abilities Overload

Key Takeaways

  1. Street Spasm offers multipurpose removal, clearing several threats or a single one as needed.
  2. The card’s instant speed and scalability provide tactical advantages during gameplay.
  3. Facing Street Spasm demands a varied and resilient creature strategy to handle its effects.

Text of card

Street Spasm deals X damage to target creature without flying you don't control. Overload (You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change its text by replacing all instances of "target" with "each.")


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Designed to sway the battlefield in your favor, Street Spasm can hit multiple targets, potentially clearing the board of smaller creatures. This ability to deal with numerous threats at once offers significant card advantage, as one spell can eliminate several of an opponent’s cards.

Resource Acceleration: While Street Spasm doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its scalable X cost allows flexibility in your mana expenditure. This means you can tailor your spell’s potency to the current state of your mana resources, delivering impact when you have an abundance of mana without being a dead card when resources are low.

Instant Speed: The versatile nature of Street Spasm, which can be cast at instant speed, offers strategic depth to gameplay. You can effectively disrupt opponents’ strategies by timing this removal spell during their turn, or even at the end of their turn to maintain the element of surprise and ensure you’re making the most informed decisions with your mana each round.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Despite its ability to be unleashed without a target, holding onto Street Spasm without unleashing may force you to discard other valuable cards due to hand size limits.

Specific Mana Cost: Street Spasm demands red mana, making it a less flexible choice for those decks that aren’t heavily invested in that particular color.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: To inflict substantial damage across multiple creatures, the mana investment in Street Spasm can be steep, possibly hindering your ability to play other spells in the same turn.


Reasons to Include Street Spasm in Your Collection

Versatility: Street Spasm serves as a flexible removal option, able to target a single creature or scale up to clear multiple threats, making it adaptable to various game scenarios.

Combo Potential: Thanks to its X cost mechanic, it can synergize with strategies that increase mana availability or damage output, amplifying its board-clearing capabilities.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta with creature-heavy decks or swarms of tokens, having Street Spasm can be pivotal in maintaining board control and preventing opponents from gaining the upper hand.


How to beat

Street Spasm is a unique spell capable of dealing damage to multiple creatures without flying. In MTG, this card can pivot games when used at the opportune moment. However, despite its potential, there are strategies to effectively counteract Street Spasm’s impact in the game. To begin with, creature-based decks should prioritize creatures with flying to naturally evade the damage from Street Spasm. Additionally, having instant-speed removal or counterspells in hand, such as Negate or Disallow, allows players to prevent Street Spasm from resolving.

Another effective approach is to diversify the threats on the battlefield. Rather than relying solely on ground creatures, include creatures with hexproof or indestructible, making it difficult for a single Street Spasm to clear your side. Cards like Selfless Spirit can also provide a safeguard, offering protection to your creatures from mass damage spells. Lastly, be mindful of your opponent’s mana availability since casting Street Spasm for its overload cost can turn the tide. Planning your moves around this can mitigate its potential impact, helping you maintain a strong battlefield presence.


Cards like Street Spasm

Street Spasm offers players a versatile option in dealing with multiple threats on the battlefield. It bears similarities to other spells like Anger of the Gods. Both cards allow for sweeping away numerous creatures, but Street Spasm presents a unique flexibility with its X cost, which can be tailored to the situation at hand. Moreover, unlike Anger of the Gods, it can be unleashed with its overload ability to bypass creatures you control.

Comparatively, Mizzium Mortars is another card that shares the trait of scalability. While it also comes with an overload alternative, Street Spasm differentiates itself by being able to target flyers, giving players an edge against aerial threats. On a separate note, both Pyroclasm and Volcanic Fallout offer cheaper board clearing alternatives. However, their set damage limits their ability to deal with larger creatures, something that isn’t a barrier for Street Spasm when more mana is invested.

In the scope of red board control spells in Magic: The Gathering, Street Spasm holds a strong position with its adjustable damage output and the potential to protect your own board, making it a noteworthy option for players crafting a strategy around mass removal abilities.

Anger of the Gods - MTG Card versions
Mizzium Mortars - MTG Card versions
Pyroclasm - MTG Card versions
Volcanic Fallout - MTG Card versions
Anger of the Gods - Theros (THS)
Mizzium Mortars - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Pyroclasm - Ice Age (ICE)
Volcanic Fallout - Conflux (CON)

Cards similar to Street Spasm by color, type and mana cost

False Orders - MTG Card versions
Chaoslace - MTG Card versions
Red Elemental Blast - MTG Card versions
Tunnel - MTG Card versions
Artifact Blast - MTG Card versions
Lightning Bolt - MTG Card versions
Active Volcano - MTG Card versions
Shock - MTG Card versions
Panic - MTG Card versions
Vertigo - MTG Card versions
Telim'Tor's Edict - MTG Card versions
Hearth Charm - MTG Card versions
Pyroblast - MTG Card versions
Fighting Chance - MTG Card versions
Shower of Sparks - MTG Card versions
Heat Ray - MTG Card versions
Overload - MTG Card versions
Engulfing Flames - MTG Card versions
Sonic Seizure - MTG Card versions
March of Reckless Joy - MTG Card versions
False Orders - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Chaoslace - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Red Elemental Blast - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Tunnel - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Artifact Blast - Antiquities (ATQ)
Lightning Bolt - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Active Volcano - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Shock - Arena Beginner Set (ANB)
Panic - Ice Age (ICE)
Vertigo - Ice Age (ICE)
Telim'Tor's Edict - Mirage (MIR)
Hearth Charm - Visions (VIS)
Pyroblast - Magic Online Theme Decks (TD0)
Fighting Chance - Exodus (EXO)
Shower of Sparks - Duel Decks: Heroes vs. Monsters (DDL)
Heat Ray - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Overload - Invasion (INV)
Engulfing Flames - Odyssey (ODY)
Sonic Seizure - Torment (TOR)
March of Reckless Joy - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Street Spasm MTG card by a specific set like Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari and Return to Ravnica, 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 Street Spasm and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Street Spasm Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2012-09-07 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by Raymond Swanland.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12012-09-07Duel Decks: Izzet vs. GolgariDDJ 302003normalblackRaymond Swanland
22012-10-05Return to RavnicaRTR 1062003normalblackRaymond Swanland
32013-11-01Commander 2013C13 1232003normalblackRaymond Swanland
42024-02-23Ravnica: Clue EditionCLU 1502015normalblackRaymond Swanland

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Street Spasm has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2013-04-15 Because a spell with overload doesn’t target when its overload cost is paid, it may affect permanents with hexproof or with protection from the appropriate color.
2013-04-15 Casting a spell with overload doesn’t change that spell’s mana cost. You just pay the overload cost instead.
2013-04-15 Effects that cause you to pay more or less for a spell will cause you to pay that much more or less while casting it for its overload cost, too.
2013-04-15 If you are instructed to cast a spell with overload “without paying its mana cost,” you can’t choose to pay its overload cost instead.
2013-04-15 If you don’t pay the overload cost of a spell, that spell will have a single target. If you pay the overload cost, the spell won’t have any targets.
2013-04-15 Note that if the spell with overload is dealing damage, protection from that spell’s color will still prevent that damage.
2013-04-15 Overload doesn’t change when you can cast the spell.

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