Spiteful Motives
Enchantment — Aura
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +3/+0 and has first strike.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Shadows over Innistrad
- Price
- $0.09
- EDHREC rank
- #24996
Spiteful Motives turns any creature into a surprise threat by granting first strike and +1/+0 for each aura attached to it — an effect that compounds fast in enchantress builds. Three mana for a single aura is a fair rate only if you're already stacking enchantments; otherwise, it's outclassed by nearly every other combat trick at this price.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Spiteful Motives sees virtually no play in competitive formats — Modern and Legacy have far more efficient aura packages, and the single-target nature of the effect doesn't justify the slot. Commander is where it gets the most traction, specifically in Voltron or enchantress strategies where multiple auras on one creature make the first strike clause genuinely dangerous. Outside those shells, the card is invisible.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.09 bulk tier
At $0.09, Spiteful Motives is deep bulk — you're paying for cardboard, not scarcity. There's no financial reason to hold it; pick it up if the synergy fits and don't think twice about the cost.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.