Spikeshell Harrier
Artifact Creature — Robot Turtle
When this creature enters, return target creature or Vehicle an opponent controls to its owner's hand. If that opponent's speed is greater than each other player's speed, reduce that opponent's speed by 1. This effect can't reduce their speed below 1.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Aetherdrift
- Price
- $0.13
- EDHREC rank
- #21659
Spikeshell Harrier is a five-mana 3/4 with flying and ward — reasonable stats, reasonable protection, no meaningful upside over cheaper alternatives in any format. The cost is that you're paying five for a body that doesn't advance a board state, close a game, or enable anything.
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 |
Spikeshell Harrier is legal across every major constructed format but doesn't show up in any of them — five mana for a vanilla-adjacent flier is nowhere near competitive in Modern, Pioneer, or Legacy, where that slot demands immediate impact. In Standard it's outclassed by creatures that provide enter-the-battlefield effects or stronger statlines at the same cost. Commander is the only home where a 3/4 flier with ward might theoretically survive long enough to matter, but even there the format's density of efficient threats means Spikeshell Harrier sits at the bottom of the consideration pile unless a specific deck is hunting for budget flying bodies with minimal text.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.13 bulk tier
At $0.13, Spikeshell Harrier is deep bulk — you can pick up a playset for pocket change. That price accurately reflects demand: it won't climb without a combo or synergy discovery that doesn't currently exist.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.