Spellskite
Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Horror
: Change a target of target spell or ability to this creature. ( can be paid with either 
or 2 life.)
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Secret Lair Drop
- Price
- $12.55
- EDHREC rank
- #968
Spellskite is one of the most efficient protection pieces in the game — a two-mana artifact creature that redirects any spell or ability targeting something it isn't, taxing your opponent's removal for
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Umbris, Fear Manifest
Umbris, Fear Manifest exiles cards from opponents' libraries whenever a Horror enters under your control, and Spellskite is a Horror — meaning it triggers Umbris on entry and then sits back as a redirect shield protecting Umbris itself from targeted removal.
Plagon, Lord of the Beach
Plagon, Lord of the Beach cares about Horrors, and Spellskite fills that type requirement while also guarding whatever engine Plagon, Lord of the Beach has assembled from single-target disruption.
Captain N'ghathrod
Captain N'ghathrod mills opponents and steals their creatures, so protecting key theft pieces matters; Spellskite absorbs the removal spells that would otherwise break up Captain N'ghathrod's board presence.
Arcum Dagsson
Arcum Dagsson is a high-value tutor target that opponents want dead immediately, and Spellskite soaks up kill spells and activated abilities aimed at Dagsson for the cost of or two life each time.
Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy
Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy is an explosive mana doubler that draws immediate threat assessment; Spellskite gives Kinnan's pilot a way to redirect the first removal spell and buy the extra turn needed to find a win.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Spellskite is a staple — any deck protecting a combo piece, a high-value commander, or an enchantment aura runs it because the redirection effect scales with how many spells opponents throw at your board. In Legacy and Vintage, Spellskite has seen play as a sideboard and sometimes maindeck answer to Auras, Equipment strategies, and decks that rely on targeting specific permanents, though the power ceiling of those formats limits how often it shows up in tuned lists. Modern is where Spellskite built its reputation, historically countering Splinter Twin and blocking Infect mid-combo before both strategies rotated out of the competitive conversation — it still appears in sideboards targeting Aura strategies or anything that requires a single target to resolve. Pioneer and Standard are off the table entirely, and Pauper is a non-starter at uncommon rarity.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
There's no true budget replacement for Spellskite because the redirection effect is unique — Swiftfoot Boots and Lightning Greaves give hexproof or shroud to a single creature at lower cost, but they don't intercept spells aimed at other permanents or serve as a repeatable tax engine. If the goal is simply keeping a commander alive rather than protecting an entire board state, those Equipment options cover most of that at under $2 combined, with the trade-off that they require equipping and don't help enchantments, other creatures, or planeswalkers.
Price Context
Current price
$12.55 mid tier
At $12.55, Spellskite sits in the mid tier — notable enough to feel it, cheap enough that it's a one-time purchase you slot into multiple decks over years. The effect is genuinely irreplaceable at this price point, and the card sees enough cross-format demand to stay in this range without significant volatility.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Umbris, Fear Manifest
- Plagon, Lord of the Beach
- Captain N'ghathrod
- Arcum Dagsson
- Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.