We went from no MTG Spider-Man spoilers to tons in a matter of hours. Edge of Eternities isn’t even out yet. Heck, the MTG Arena Early Access event for the set is literally ongoing, but the relentless train of MTG spoilers cannot stop.
The good news is that, in addition to some very exciting characters suddenly appearing, these cards actually look quite good. Whether you want some incredibly flavorful or just want the perfect card for your Cat, Boar, or Squirrel deck, Spider-Man has something for you.
Peter Parker/Amazing Spider-Man
Peter Parker looks like an interesting card for Standard and Commander. Giving some Ajani, Nacatl Pariah vibes, Peter Parker isn’t nearly as strong as the Modern Horizons 3 card, but it does have a lot going for it. Offering two bodies, and one that Transforms into something powerful, this could potentially see some constructed play, especially if Convoke is a reasonably supported mechanic post-rotation.
Admittedly, Amazing Spider-Man does take a ton of mana to make him work, which will be difficult in constructed formats. If Peter Parker could transform at instant speed, this may be a different story, but spending seven mana to transform this creature and Web-Sling something into play is too slow for constructed. Commander is an entirely different story.
As a mechanic, Web-Slinging is rather interesting. There is some awkward anti-synergy here since Spider-Man himself has Vigilance, but unlike Ninjutsu, you don’t need to be attacking to Web-Sling; you just need to have a tapped creature. This could create some space for Station lands in Spider-Man Standard. You are still casting these cards, however, so unlike Ninjutsu, countermagic is fair game.
This creature will need some specific support to be constructed viable, but Peter Parker should have no problem finding space in a wide variety of Commander decks. The mental imagery of seeing an Eldrazi Titan come swinging in Spider-Man style is quite funny.
Spider-Man 2099
Spider-Man 2099 is the highlight of these initial spoilers. The From the Future downside is incredibly significant, but in the right deck, it might not matter. While you can’t cast Spider-Man 2099 early on, there’s nothing stopping you from cheating him into play via other means. Resurrecting him with Unearth, for example, is perfectly legal since you’re not casting Spider-Man 2099.
This is no Abhorrent Oculus, but in the right deck, Spider-Man 2099 doubles as both a relevant threat and a decent removal tool. As long as you’re consistently playing cards from exile with things like Expressive Iteration, Spider-Man 2099 should be able to continually provide value. This is the type of card that isn’t very difficult to break.
Spider-Man 2099’s colors lend themselves really well to Impulse Draw strategies, as well. I would not be surprised if this saw constructed play, and it easily fits in a bunch of different Commander decks. The downside, however, likely means that if Spider-Man 2099 appears in constructed, it won’t be as a four-of.
As cool as this card is, however, the recent Jace Reawakened card has a similar downside, which resulted in it seeing no play at all.
Spider-Ham, Peter Porker
Spider-Ham may be a joke in the Spider-Man multiverse, but he’s anything but in MTG. Spider-Ham, Peter Porker will likely see some serious consideration in a wide variety of Food decks. Many of the creature types that Spider-Ham buffs naturally appear in Food strategies, synergizing with Spider-Ham’s entry ability.
Any of the listed creature type matters decks would consider Spider-Ham for Commander, and the card may have a home in Pioneer Golgari Food decks. Spider-Ham also synergizes quite well with many of the cards from Bloomburrow, which could even give it a Standard home. For two mana, Spider-Ham is a fantastic deal.
Spider-Man Noir
While the first few cards are obviously meant for exploration past Limited, Spider-Man Noir isn’t. The card isn’t bad as far as an uncommon goes, and could be interesting in some Surveil-themed Commander decks. His flavor is also quite amusing, encouraging players to attack with creatures alone.
For the most part, however, this card isn’t doing anything impressive, but it’s nice to see Noir in the set.
SP//dr, Piloted by Peni
SP//dr, Piloted by Peni is yet another card geared for Limited. That said, there is a niche that might allow SP//dr to see some Commander play. If you’re interested in turning sideways with a ton of smaller, Modified creatures, SP//dr, Piloted by Peni could become a powerful draw engine.
Notably, this card doesn’t have the ‘one or more’ clause, meaning that you’ll draw a card for every Modified creature you deal damage with. If you can consistently resolve this card and draw 2-3 cards the same turn with it, SP//dr could be a consideration for your go-wide Commander deck.
Outside of that, however, SP//dr will not see play. The card is far too expensive for what it grants. Compare this to Enduring Curiosity, for example, which does the same thing without the Modify restriction for less mana. That card still isn’t good enough for formats beyond Standard, which means SP//dr won’t be able to compete at all.