Spiteful Motives MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant, Flash |
| Released | 2016-04-08 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Shadows over Innistrad |
| Set code | SOI |
| Number | 183 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Marco Nelor |
Key Takeaways
- Enhances creatures, giving them +3/+0 and first strike, facilitating aggressive in-game tactics.
- Instant speed allows surprise plays, making it a versatile and unpredictable tool.
- Diverse applications, from attacking to defending, make it a worthy collection addition.
Text of card
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.) Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +3/+0 and has first strike.
Having infiltrated the Lunarch Council, the Skirsdag await the perfect moment to strike.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Spiteful Motives gives you an edge in creature-based strategies by turning any creature into a significant threat. This can pressure your opponent to use their removal spells prematurely, effectively earning you a card advantage as they’ll have fewer resources to deal with your upcoming plays.
Resource Acceleration: While Spiteful Motives doesn’t directly accelerate resources in terms of mana, it accelerates your damage output, which can be crucial in races. This can lead to winning the game several turns earlier than expected, effectively bypassing the need for additional mana resources.
Instant Speed: The ability to cast Spiteful Motives at instant speed ensures that you keep your opponents guessing. You can surprise an adversary by turning a seemingly harmless blocker into a lethal attacker after they’ve declared their blockers, leveraging the element of surprise to your advantage.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Spiteful Motives requires careful play, as it does not include a discard effect but it necessitates strategic hand management to ensure its cast isn’t disrupting your flow of cards and leaving you at a disadvantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Demanding both red and generic mana, this card slots primarily into red or multicolor decks, potentially restricting its inclusion in more diverse or color-agnostic strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Priced at four mana, Spiteful Motives competes with various other enchantments and spells. This may prompt players to consider other options that provide similar or greater benefits for less mana investment.
Reasons to Include Spiteful Motives in Your Collection
Versatility: Spiteful Motives is a flexible card that can be effortlessly slotted into various deck archetypes. Its ability to grant a creature +3/+0 and first strike opens up many possibilities for both offensive and defensive tactics.
Combo Potential: This enchantment pairs well with creatures that benefit from increased power or have tap abilities, as first strike can be a significant combat advantage. It can also synergize with spell-based strategies that capitalize on casting instants and sorceries.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state where quicker, aggressive plays can dominate, Spiteful Motives elevates a creature’s threat level, making it a key card for taking the initiative or turning the tide in creature-focused matchups.
How to beat
Spiteful Motives can be quite the game changer with its flash ability, allowing players to instantly turn a creature into a significant threat. The card gives a boost with +3/+0 and first strike, making even the unassuming creatures a dangerous force in combat. Understanding it can come into play at any time is vital in strategizing your defense against it.
When faced with this enchantment, the best approach is to minimize potential targets. Removing creatures before your opponent can cast Spiteful Motives reduces its impact significantly. Board wipes and spot removal are extremely useful here. Furthermore, countering it directly with spells can prove effective, especially since its strength lies in the surprise factor. Be mindful of your opponent’s untapped mana and the cards they could have in hand.
Lastly, negating combat advantages through deathtouch or having creatures with higher toughness can turn the tables, even against a powered-up adversary. In essence, a proactive strategy and keen awareness of the board state are crucial in overcoming the threat posed by Spiteful Motives in the game.
Cards like Spiteful Motives
Spiteful Motives is an intriguing enchantment in Magic: The Gathering that equips creatures with both a power boost and first strike capabilities. In comparison, Madcap Skills, another enchantment, offers a significant power increase and makes creatures harder to block but lacks the first strike ability. This gives Spiteful Motives an edge in combat, ensuring the enchanted creature can often avoid damage while dealing it efficiently.
Comparably, we see Goblin War Drums, which grants all creatures you control menace, complicating blocking for opponents but, unlike Spiteful Motives, it doesn’t amplify a single creature’s power or offer first strike. The individual empowerment from Spiteful Motives can often be more impactful in a game, especially when boosting a creature with additional abilities or synergies.
In the landscape of creature-enhancing enchantments, Spiteful Motives carves out its niche by combining a solid power bump with the strategic advantage of first strike—making it a valuable card for aggressive strategies aiming to dominate the battlefield swiftly. The card, with its particular mix of traits, offers a unique proposition that can turn any creature into a formidable threat.
Cards similar to Spiteful Motives by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Spiteful Motives MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad, 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 Spiteful Motives 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Spiteful Motives has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
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.
