Spike Breeder
Creature — Spike
This creature enters with three +1/+1 counters on it.
, Remove a +1/+1 counter from this creature: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature., Remove a +1/+1 counter from this creature: Create a 1/1 green Spike creature token.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Stronghold
- Price
- $0.26
- EDHREC rank
- #26162
Spike Breeder is a self-sustaining +1/+1 counter engine that can spread counters to your whole board while growing new Spike tokens — the catch is that every activation costs four mana and a counter, so it plays slow without support. Pair it with Death's Presence or any counter-doubling effect and the math tips decisively in your favor.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Spike Breeder actually lives — the 100-card singleton format gives it access to the counter-synergy pieces it needs, and a 40-life game gives it time to grind. In Legacy and Vintage it's technically legal but functionally unplayable; four mana for a 1/1 that moves counters around has never competed with those formats' turn-one and turn-two threats. Spike Breeder is a Commander card, full stop.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Death's PresenceAshnod's AltarSpike Breeder
Infinite death triggers; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite sacrifice triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
$0.26 bulk tier
At $0.26, Spike Breeder is pure bulk — you're buying it for the effect, not any scarcity premium. The price is stable and unlikely to move unless a high-profile counter synergy deck pushes demand, so pick it up cheaply and don't think twice.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.