Spark Trooper
Creature — Elemental Soldier
Trample, lifelink, haste
At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice this creature.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- RW
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Gatecrash
- Price
- $0.19
- EDHREC rank
- #18286
Spark Trooper enters swinging — 6 power with trample and haste for four mana, and it staples a 6-point life gain onto that hit. The catch is the end-step sacrifice, which makes it a one-shot threat rather than a board presence, and that trade-off is exactly what defines where it belongs.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Spark Trooper is a fringe role-player: it fits life-gain-matters builds and commanders that want a burst of life on a specific turn, but the mandatory sacrifice means it contributes nothing to board presence after the first attack. In Legacy and Vintage, four mana for a 6/1 that disappears is too slow and too fragile to compete — both formats have faster, more resilient threats. Modern and Pioneer don't offer Spark Trooper a home either; aggressive red decks want damage that sticks or goes to the face directly, and a haste attacker that gains the opponent's life total back for them is closer to a liability. Oathbreaker is the one spot where its lifelink burst could combo with a specific planeswalker's ability, but even there it's narrow.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.19 bulk tier
At $0.19, Spark Trooper is deep bulk — easy to acquire, easy to trade for, and priced exactly where its niche role warrants. Don't expect the price to move; it's a casual card with a small audience, and supply is wide.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.