The MTG card Spell Snare is rising in price due to increased Modern play. If you have a copy, you might want to check which version it is, as this handy little counter spell can now cost anywhere from $2 to $100.
The older version of this card, from the Ravnica block MTG set, Dissension, has spiked in price by 476%, rising from just $1.70 to $9.80 in the course of about a month. But there are still very affordable versions (worth two to three quid) available thanks to The List, a reprint in Battlebond, and Modern Masters.
Meanwhile, foil versions of Spell Snare have risen to truly wacky prices. The Battlebond version is up to $14, but the Modern Masters and Dissension variants have both shot to $100 – according to MTG Goldfish’s price tracker.
As MTG counter spells go, Spell Snare is really intriguing. It only costs one mana – amazing – but there’s a heavy downside. It can only counter cards with a converted mana cost of exactly two, no more, and no less.
What good two mana spells can you counter? Our first thought is Orcish Bowmasters, but there are plenty of other targets. You can hose a good portion of Boros Energy, countering key pieces like Unstable Medallion, and shut down Ruby Storm’s combo by halting its card draw spells (sadly, it’s useless against Grapeshot).
You can also get revenge on Goro’s Vengeance, curtail Counterspells, and try, desperately, to slow down Bant Nadu’s endless parade of creatures.
However, there doesn’t seem to be one breakaway two-mana card behind this price spike. Spell Snare has been a part of the Jeskai Energy Control deck since Pro Tour Amsterdam, when Javier Dominguez piloted the deck to a top 8 finish, practically alone amidst a swarm of Nadu decks.
It seems, instead, that Jeskai Control has become a much larger part of the Modern metagame since the Pro Tour last month. Which makes sense – the next MTG banlist announcement is in August, and Modern players (including the Pro Tour winner) are pretty sure that Nadu is on the way out, which will leave Jeskai Control in a stronger position.
For more Magic: The Gathering content, check out this much more aggressive Modern card that’s also rising in price, and take a look at our MTG release schedule guide.
Source: Wargamer
