Spare Supplies MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Artifact
Released	2020-09-25
Set symbol
Set name	Zendikar Rising
Set code	ZNR
Number	254
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jason Felix

Key Takeaways

Provides crucial card advantage by replenishing hand resources upon sacrifice, maintaining strategic options.
Its instant speed activation affords flexibility, allowing strategic card draws at the most opportune moments.
Despite a higher mana investment, Spare Supplies adds subtle yet significant value to gameplay and resource management.

Text of card

Spare Supplies enters the battlefield tapped. When Spare Supplies enters the battlefield, draw a card. , , Sacrifice Spare Supplies: Draw a card.

"It's better to carry a little extra weight than to find yourself halfway down a baloth's throat with no knife." —Doral, Bala Ged guide

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Spare Supplies provides a steady stream of card draw, offering a crucial replenishment to hand resources when later sacrificed. This ensures you don’t run out of options as the game progresses.

Resource Acceleration: Despite its initial investment, when Spare Supplies is sacrificed, its return in resources can be pivotal, giving you the extra mana needed to turn the tide or deploy multiple strategies in a single turn.

Instant Speed: The ability to cash in Spare Supplies at instant speed adds a layer of flexibility to your gameplay. You can end your opponent’s turn by drawing a card, which keeps your defenses up while subtly improving your board state.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Spare Supplies necessitates discarding another card from your hand just to get it onto the battlefield. This can potentially set you back, especially when your hand size is critical for maintaining game presence.

Specific Mana Cost: Despite being an artifact, the initial investment and later activation cost require colorless mana. This could pose a challenge in mana-tight situations or in decks that heavily rely on colored mana sources for synergy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Weighing the cost and benefit of including Spare Supplies in your deck can be tricky. For an artifact that eventually draws a card, needing two mana to cast and another two to activate can feel steep, especially compared to other card draw options available in the current MTG meta.

Reasons to Include Spare Supplies in Your Collection

Versatility: Spare Supplies is a colorless artifact card that seamlessly slots into a wide range of decks. Its ability to provide card draw upon exiting the battlefield makes it a subtle but effective way to maintain card advantage in longer games.

Combo Potential: This card can be particularly synergistic in decks built around sacrificing artifacts for value or utilizing tap and untap mechanics. The draw effect when Spare Supplies is sacrificed can trigger a variety of combo enablers within artifact-centric strategies.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where games are drawn out or resources are rigorously contested, having a dependable source of card draw in the form of Spare Supplies helps keep your hand filled with options. Its low-cost investment and eventual card draw can be fundamentally crucial for outlasting opponents in grindy matchups.

How to beat

Spare Supplies stands out in the realm of artifact cards with its simple yet strategic utility. Many players appreciate the versatility it brings to their decks, providing a card draw upon entering and leaving the battlefield. Its primary advantage comes from the fact that it doesn’t require an immediate investment beyond its initial casting cost, allowing players to activate its ability when it best suits their game plan.

To effectively counter Spare Supplies, consider the pacing of your plays. Apply pressure early in the game before your opponent can take full advantage of the extra card draw. Additionally, artifact removal spells like Abrade or Shatter are straightforward solutions to remove Spare Supplies from the battlefield before your opponent can benefit from its exit draw effect. It’s also useful to keep in mind that cards with abilities triggering upon the death of an artifact can be strategically advantageous against Spare Supplies. This way, you not only remove the artifact but also capitalize on its destruction.

Decisive action and smart removal can ensure that the incremental advantage provided by Spare Supplies won’t turn the tide against you. Keep these strategies in mind, and Spare Supplies will be nothing more than a minor hurdle in your path to victory.

Cards like Spare Supplies

Spare Supplies from Magic: The Gathering eases into the world of artifact cards with an appealing enter the battlefield effect. Much like Golden Egg, another artifact, it draws you a card upon entering the arena. Where Spare Supplies takes a different route is its ability to be sacrificed later in the game for an additional card, providing a delayed two-for-one value over time.

Examining Mind Stone, we can see another kinship in utility. Mind Stone allows for an immediate mana ramp with its mana-generating ability and can also be sacrificed for card draw. However, it does not offer card draw upon entry, distinguishing Spare Supplies as a slow-burn option for card advantage.

Elsewhere, Ichor Wellspring stands as a close relative in the artifact family, drawing a card when it enters and leaves the battlefield. Though it grants card draw more rapidly compared to Spare Supplies’ investment over turns, it lacks the latter’s inherent flexibility of remaining on the board as a resourceful asset until the card draw is needed.

In essence, Spare Supplies offers a unique blend of immediate and deferred card advantage, securing its place as a strategic option among artifact card draws in Magic: The Gathering’s diverse catalogue.

Cards similar to Spare Supplies by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Spare Supplies MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar Rising, 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 Spare Supplies and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Spare Supplies has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Timeless	Legal