[SCD] Spell Snare

[perm]

Just wondering, how good of a card is this in modern? I see quite a few lists run it, but has anyone run analytics on the prevalence of 2 CMC prevalence in modern?

[SpikeyMikey]

I think it's more a matter of people not knowing the format. I can't think of a deck I would want Spell Snare in. I mean, in Legacy, there are a number of serious 2 mana threats; Tarmogoyf, Dark Confidant and Counterbalance are all things you want to keep off the table. In Modern, Tarmogoyf is a pretty mediocre threat (I think the $100 price tag is more speculation and hype than real power). Snapcaster Mage doesn't see much play because control and aggro-control are so bad.

The main threats in the format are Wild Nacatl, Deceiver Exarch et al., Birthing Pod and the red rituals. Of those, only the rituals (and Manamorphose) are going to fall into that 2cmc slot. I think Pierce is a much better 1cc counter. It hits the stuff you want Snare to hit but it hits other things as well.

[Mr. Safety]

Agreed...I have tried Spell Snare multiple times in modern, and it always falls short. Spell Pierce is far and above more useful, especially in a format that isn't really afraid to tap out.

[Admiral_Arzar]

I've found Spell Snare to be the nuts, because it hits 'Goyf, Dark Confidant, Tribal Flames, Manamorphose, Pyretic/Desperate Ritual, Gaddock Teeg, Melira, Lightning Helix, Qsali Pridemage, Mana Leak, Remand, Terminate, Doom Blade, Smother, Go For the Throat, Cranial Plating, Fling, Atog, Shrapnel Blast, Arcbound Ravager, Peer Through Depths, Telling Time, Coralhelm Commander, Lord of Atlantis, Silvergill Adept...

Need I continue?

[SpikeyMikey]

I've found Spell Snare to be the nuts, because it hits 'Goyf, Dark Confidant, Tribal Flames, Manamorphose, Pyretic/Desperate Ritual, Gaddock Teeg, Melira, Lightning Helix, Qsali Pridemage, Mana Leak, Remand, Terminate, Doom Blade, Smother, Go For the Throat, Cranial Plating, Fling, Atog, Shrapnel Blast, Arcbound Ravager, Peer Through Depths, Telling Time, Coralhelm Commander, Lord of Atlantis, Silvergill Adept...

Need I continue?

Well over half of the cards you listed are also countered by Spell Pierce. Of the remaining 40%, another half indicate your opponent is playing either a bad deck or a bad version of a good deck (all the fish creatures, Atog). I don't run cards to beat bad decks. I do it by playing good cards and being better than bad players. The only ones on that list that are actually threatening are (depending on what you're playing) Dark Confidant, Gaddock Teeg, Melira, Sylvok Outcast, Qasali Pridemage and possibly Arcbound Ravager and Tarmogoyf. Obviously, in some circumstances some of those cards are not threatening at all. My Bant deck doesn't give a damn about Qasali Pridemage, Gaddock Teeg, Tarmogoyf or Dark Confidant. Twin doesn't care about Tarmogoyf, Confidant (usually), Ravager or sometimes Teeg.

Basically, while there are a number of spells that Spell Snare *can* counter, the number of spells that it can counter that are relevant is pretty low. You're going to see Birthing Pod or Chord of Calling into Melira more often than you're going to see her hardcast. Pod is a more relevant threat than Melira and harder to deal with outside of counters.

[Mr. Safety]

Most of the cards listed by the Admiral are also creatures...and the format already requires you to have a premium of creature removal (typically 5-6 spot removals at a minimum.)

The only matchup where Spell Snare has shined for me was Affinity, because of all of the 2 mana threats they use (Ravager, Plating, Atog, Shrapnel Blast)

[Admiral_Arzar]

Most of the cards listed by the Admiral are also creatures...and the format already requires you to have a premium of creature removal (typically 5-6 spot removals at a minimum.)

The only matchup where Spell Snare has shined for me was Affinity, because of all of the 2 mana threats they use (Ravager, Plating, Atog, Shrapnel Blast)

I have to deal with Tribal Zoo (as well as Affinity and Burn) in my meta, and Snare is absolutely bonkers against that deck. Countering Bob for 1 mana on the draw is such a blow-out, not to mention that it saves you from being gunned down by huge Tribal Flames in the late game (when they will have sufficient mana to pay for Spell Pierce).

[Mr. Safety]

Well reasoned. I haven't faced much Tribal Zoo lately. I have been mostly playing on MWS (is there another outlet for modern? I haven't found one yet...) and it seems to be dominated by Affinity and multiple versions of Urza-tron/Tooth and Nail. Whenever I play modern on MWS, I can usually guess it will either be one of those 2, or sometimes Naya zoo. Oddly, I haven't seen much of Splinter Twin at all on MWS.

I still think Spell Pierce is a better 'general' counterspell to the format, but only because I play anywhere from 5-6 spot removals and sometimes wipers like Explosives, Crime//Punishment, and Black Sun's Zenith. I usually like to just use the removal for Bob, then have Spell Pierce available to protect my own stuff, or counter their removal.

I'm not saying Spell Snare is bad. To the contrary, when it's good it's really good. When it's bad (like against Urza-tron) its dead. Spell Pierce is also dead 8/10 times in that matchup, so I've taken the difficult route of using Deprive, supplemented by Mana Leak and Spell Pierce.

[Dsch]

I see Spell Snare as a must to any pure control deck trying to compete with the nowadays meta. Affinity and Zoo are too fast, and Snare answers their main threats.

[Mr. Safety]

I see Spell Snare as a must to any pure control deck trying to compete with the nowadays meta. Affinity and Zoo are too fast, and Snare answers their main threats.

There is no such thing as viable pure control in modern's metagame right now. If you build it to beat Splinter Twin/Storm Combo you lose horribly to zoo. If you design it to beat zoo, you lose frequently to Twin/Storm.

I'm not saying it can't be done...I'm just saying a pure-blue control deck right now is a little underwhelming. I think Vial Merfolk could get there, but it has a hard matchup to zoo. Better counterspells need to be available.

Control in modern relies in soft counters (Spell Pierce, Mana Leak, Rune Snag) to control early development so they can make it to the mid game and drop Damnation, Wrath of God, Cryptic Command, Maelstrom Pulse, or Engineered Explosives. Only then can you start developing an end-game to win from there.

I do however agree with your notion that Spell Snare is good against Affinity. Counter their Cranial Platings and Arcbound Ravagers and they are left with a slow (and bad) aggro deck.

[Dsch]

There is no such thing as viable pure control in modern's metagame right now. If you build it to beat Splinter Twin/Storm Combo you lose horribly to zoo. If you design it to beat zoo, you lose frequently to Twin/Storm.

I agree with you, mate. Thats why the ”trying to compete”...
Lets blame it all on WotC, they should not have banned Wafo-Tapa, hahaha.

[Mr. Safety]

I agree with you, mate. Thats why the ”trying to compete”...
Lets blame it all on WotC, they should not have banned Wafo-Tapa, hahaha.

I am playing BUG control in modern...but it isn't pure control (in the permission sense.) Most of the control options are sorcery-speed reactive measures rather than permission spells. It has a healthy dose of countermagic, but it certainly isn't dependant on it. It plays 2 Spell Snares maindeck, just for reference.

http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/s...Deck-BUG-Gifts