Spell Snare
Instant
Counter target spell with mana value 2.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- The List
- Price
- $1.49
- EDHREC rank
- #8483
Spell Snare counters any two-mana spell for one blue mana — and in most formats, two-mana spells are the most dangerous plays on the board. Francisco, Fowl Marauder // Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator decks run it because stopping a Counterspell, Arcane Signet, or Cyclonic Rift at instant speed for one mana is exactly the kind of efficient interaction a tempo-forward pirate build wants.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Francisco, Fowl Marauder // Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
Francisco, Fowl Marauder // Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator wants to keep mana up for combat tricks and spell-copying payoffs, and Spell Snare fits that gameplan perfectly — one mana held back can blank the most commonly played spells in the format while the rest of your mana develops the board.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Modern and Legacy, Spell Snare targets the richest two-mana slot in those formats — Tarmogoyf, Ragavan, Dark Confidant, Counterbalance — which kept it a staple for years, though the shift toward one-mana threats has softened its stock. In Commander, the calculus is different: the two-mana slot is where most ramp, removal, and interaction lives, making Spell Snare a live draw almost every game. It won't hit a commander, won't stop a six-mana haymaker, and hits nothing in a resolving combo turn built around three-plus-mana spells — so it rewards knowing what your table's danger cards actually cost. In Pioneer and Standard it's legal but rarely optimal, outclassed by broader counters that don't ask you to profile correctly.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$1.49 cheap tier
At $1.49, Spell Snare sits in the cheap tier and punches well above that price point given its cross-format pedigree. It's a safe pick-up — demand across Modern, Legacy, and Commander keeps copies in circulation without significant price pressure in either direction.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Francisco, Fowl Marauder // Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.