Spell Snip
Instant
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 
.
Cycling 
(, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Shards of Alara
- Price
- $0.09
- EDHREC rank
- #26348
Spell Snip counters a spell and leaves a 1/1 Insect token on the board — that combination on a two-mana instant is the whole pitch. Outside of dedicated token or amass strategies, the token rarely justifies the slot over a clean counterspell.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Spell Snip struggles to justify its slot against Counterspell, Arcane Denial, or Negate — the token isn't reliable pressure at a table of four. Pauper is where Spell Snip has the most honest shot, since the common-card pool compresses competition and token generation has real incremental value. In Legacy and Vintage the card doesn't see meaningful play; the formats are too fast and the counterspell bar too high for a conditional two-mana answer that makes a 1/1.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.09 bulk tier
At $0.09, Spell Snip is deep bulk — you're essentially paying for the cardboard. There's no financial case to hold copies; supply is wide and demand is narrow enough that the price floor is already the floor.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.