[Singe Card Discussion] Spell Snare

[Tao]

Why does it see so little play? I maindeck it in many decks and always get a "WTF" "l0l" or "n00b" from my opponents on MWS.

It is a true hardcounter in the current meta:

- Flash Hulk: Flash, Lim-Dul's Vault
- Solidarity: Reset, Impulse, Remand
- Tomb / Chalice Aggro: Chalice at 1, Umezawa's Jitte
- Threshold / Fish: Counterbalance, Counterspell, Meddling Mage, Werebear, Dark Confidant, Predict
- Sui / Red Death: Dark Confidant, Hymn to Tourach, Sinkhole, Anurid
- Tendrils-Combo: Burning Wish, Infernal Tutor
- Sliver: everything
- Survival of the Fittest: Survival, Burning Wish, Werebear
- Landstill: Standstill, Counterspell, Counterbalance

Ok, it is not that good against Goblins, but it still counters Hooligan and Piledriver.

[Silverdragon]

Ok, it is not that good against Goblins, but it still counters Hooligan and Piledriver.

Goblins has Vial and Lackey so more often than not it is a blank card against them. I agree in the current meta it is a great card, however pre-Flash it was really bad so I think that's why you still get responses like "n00b".

Anyway who cares about what some random idiot on MWS says?

[Arrowni]

I am currently testing the card and I can vouch for the fact its dead most of the time. Its also a life saver against Flash, but I'm still undecided between it and Stifle in overall usefulness.

When people lose against my Keeper deck so bad that they cannot stand after the game they always tell me how it sucks. Also I love when they insist that I cannot beat combo yet I keep defeating that Hulk deck people like to hype.

[Cubus]

While it's true that there are sufficient 2-mana spells in the meta to make Spell Snare useful, the use of running counters is that it gives you control over what your opponent plays. Spell Snare does no such thing in most matchups.

I agree that it might be viable now that everyone is running Flash Hulk though.

[Nihil Credo]

While it's true that there are sufficient 2-mana spells in the meta to make Spell Snare useful, the use of running counters is that it gives you control over what your opponent plays. Spell Snare does no such thing in most matchups.
Pardon? I'm missing the point here. Are you arguing against the use of all conditional counters?

[Pale Moon FTW]

It's pretty good it's just that there are a lot of better counterspells out there, at least FoW, Counterspell and Daze are better so you'll have to run quite a few counters before Spell Snare comes into consideration.

[kicks_422]

I think it's better off as an SB card to be brought in against Deadguy, TES, Thresh, Fish, MeatHooks, and Flash.

That's a lot of match-ups, but there's also a lot of MU's that it's not that useful.

[SpatulaOfTheAges]

I think it's better off as an SB card to be brought in against Deadguy, TES, Thresh, Fish, MeatHooks, and Flash.

That's a lot of match-ups, but there's also a lot of MU's that it's not that useful.

I'm pretty sure all the match-ups where it's dead were killed off by Hulk-Flash, since they were all mid-game decks, like Goblins.

[Cubus]

Pardon? I'm missing the point here. Are you arguing against the use of all conditional counters?Yes, I am. Spell Snare is only good in matchups where the things you'd normally counter happen to have CMC 2. Fortunately, in the current meta, 80% of the decks runs Flash.

[eternaldarkness]

I think spell snare is a good card maindeck in the current metagame. You'll always have something to counter with it in every match-up. Also against decks that doesn't have many targets (goblins, but that is on the decline anyway), it can easily pitch to Force of Will.

But the best reason to play Spell Snare is that it counters Flash for a single blue mana. Yup, best reason to play the card after you've dedicated slots to Force.

The ability to counter flash for a single mana is very important as Flash builds have evolved to include Force, daze and even duress. Spell Snare simply put gives you the edge in a counter battle against flash by making more efficient use of your available mana.

The only competition to Snare is Stifle which can also stop the Flash combo for one mana and can even counter fetchlands. Its a toss-up between the two and depends on playstyle and metagame. Against fish and slivers, spell snare is an easy maindeck card.

[mogote]

It's pretty good it's just that there are a lot of better counterspells out there, at least FoW, Counterspell and Daze are better so you'll have to run quite a few counters before Spell Snare comes into consideration.
I don't see how Counterspell is better at the moment. You need at least two Islands in play to get it online which is a burden with regards to the current metagame emphasis on the early game.


I think spell snare is a good card maindeck in the current metagame. You'll always have something to counter with it in every match-up. Also against decks that doesn't have many targets (goblins, but that is on the decline anyway), it can easily pitch to Force of Will.
Exactly. You'll rarely run into decks now where Spell Snare is not useful. This might change once Flash (hopefully) gets banned but for now I would definately rate it as maindeck material.

[Doks]

I run it MB in my control builds for about 4 month and I am completely convinced.

It is something like a tempo boost as countering a CC2 threat or critter on the draw is a very strong play for only U.
And it has obviously very big advantages in counterwars fighting against other control and its keycards like Counterbalance or Standstill.

Especially against controls traditional enemy, black decks, Snare stops the Shades/Sink Holes/Hymns/Verdicts and it helps in the harder aggro-control MUs: Mages/Werebear/Avenger/Slivers/Priests and so on.

Often, the MU against Goblins is bad enough so 2-3 Slots due to Spell Snare won't be any kind of waste.


So far,

Doks