I think this spider is cute but not so strong.
but he can block some flying creatures very good because he has good defence.
you don't neccecary need very much creatures to have the best use of it.
Aaron's Random Card Comment of the Day #14, 10/14/10
If you’ve been following the tone of my Random Card Comments over these first few weeks, you might think that I wish we hadn’t printed any cards at all. There’s something wrong with every single one of them! We don’t know what we’re doing!
It’s not that bad, really. I’m typically very supportive of the cards as we’re making them, and then very critical of them once time has pássed and I have some perspective. If you play enough games, watch enough games, read enough articles, build enough decks, crack enough boosters, talk to enough people, and just go back and stare at binders or old player’s guides or Multiverse records like I do, eyes always open, you’ll find imperfections, most tiny, some glaring--lessons you hope to apply to all the future cards and sets and rules changes and ancillary products you work on. Most cards and sets and mechanics have imperfections; the key is not to despair over them but rather to file them away so that each subsequent decision you make is that much more sound.
That said, this card has no such imperfections. It has very clean rules text, it is costed as cheaply as it can be, it does what you need it to do, it has resonant flavor and an evocative-enough name, its presence can single-handedly alter the tempo of a limited format. Heck, this card would probably be in more modern core sets if I didn’t love Giant Spider as much as I do.
Tempest and Stronghold were beloved sets--they really pushed the envelope of how aggressive limited formats could be, had a new take on storytelling, and contained lots of high-impact tournament cards. But what stands out to me is how many simple core-set-staple cards were in those sets: Wind Drake, Horned Turtle, Lightning Elemental, Master Decoy, Gravedigger, Canopy Spider, and tons more. While it is true that some were borrowed from the just-completed Portal set, it was good design and good foresight to make sure "normal" Magic had access to those cards as well. Tempest and Stronghold really set the standard for modern common creature curves.
I was looking back at the Multiverse record for this version of Canopy Spider (the Tenth Edition one), and it almost wasn’t reprinted in that set. In its place initially was another Stronghold common, Skyshroud Archer. I had made a comment that the Archer felt weird because it gave flyers -1/-1 instead of damaging them, which I guess didn’t feel very green to me then. It’s probably fine for green to do it color-pie-wise, and giving -1/-1 is certainly more powerful than doing 1 damage, but nowadays I think damage would best serve the Archer metaphor (which wasn’t a big concern at the time). Maybe we’ll make that card in the future. Anyway, I’m glad the Spider was printed instead. It makes games simpler and is probably a better card in most situations. Great card all around.
Haqashtar
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(6 votes)
I have lots of fond memories of this card from when I started playing. Very solid cost and it disrupts evasion.
pigknight
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(5 votes)
He gives storm crow big hugs.
Stray_Dog
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(6 votes)
He/she is like Giant Spider's little brother (or sister) ^_^
I would have looked at it differently if I was playing during pre-M10 days, before Lightning Bolt was brought back. Even with it back, having one extra toughness over Deadly Recluse can still have its implications.
Otherwise, my mind goes "take Grizzly Bears, add reach, subtract one power and add one toughness." and makes a pleasant sigh at the fairness of the card. In a vaccum, it can also block Grizzly Bears with neither creature being destroyed, which is interesting to me.
MasterOfEtherium
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
hez gotz littlez skullz
bay_falconer
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I prefer Deadly Recluse. Yeah, it can get Shocked (which in the days when Lightning Bolt wasn't Standard-legal, was a problem), but red doesn't have many flyers for me to worry about anyway.
Comments (11)
but he can block some flying creatures very good because he has good defence.
you don't neccecary need very much creatures to have the best use of it.
If you’ve been following the tone of my Random Card Comments over these first few weeks, you might think that I wish we hadn’t printed any cards at all. There’s something wrong with every single one of them! We don’t know what we’re doing!
It’s not that bad, really. I’m typically very supportive of the cards as we’re making them, and then very critical of them once time has pássed and I have some perspective. If you play enough games, watch enough games, read enough articles, build enough decks, crack enough boosters, talk to enough people, and just go back and stare at binders or old player’s guides or Multiverse records like I do, eyes always open, you’ll find imperfections, most tiny, some glaring--lessons you hope to apply to all the future cards and sets and rules changes and ancillary products you work on. Most cards and sets and mechanics have imperfections; the key is not to despair over them but rather to file them away so that each subsequent decision you make is that much more sound.
That said, this card has no such imperfections. It has very clean rules text, it is costed as cheaply as it can be, it does what you need it to do, it has resonant flavor and an evocative-enough name, its presence can single-handedly alter the tempo of a limited format. Heck, this card would probably be in more modern core sets if I didn’t love Giant Spider as much as I do.
Tempest and Stronghold were beloved sets--they really pushed the envelope of how aggressive limited formats could be, had a new take on storytelling, and contained lots of high-impact tournament cards. But what stands out to me is how many simple core-set-staple cards were in those sets: Wind Drake, Horned Turtle, Lightning Elemental, Master Decoy, Gravedigger, Canopy Spider, and tons more. While it is true that some were borrowed from the just-completed Portal set, it was good design and good foresight to make sure "normal" Magic had access to those cards as well. Tempest and Stronghold really set the standard for modern common creature curves.
I was looking back at the Multiverse record for this version of Canopy Spider (the Tenth Edition one), and it almost wasn’t reprinted in that set. In its place initially was another Stronghold common, Skyshroud Archer. I had made a comment that the Archer felt weird because it gave flyers -1/-1 instead of damaging them, which I guess didn’t feel very green to me then. It’s probably fine for green to do it color-pie-wise, and giving -1/-1 is certainly more powerful than doing 1 damage, but nowadays I think damage would best serve the Archer metaphor (which wasn’t a big concern at the time). Maybe we’ll make that card in the future. Anyway, I’m glad the Spider was printed instead. It makes games simpler and is probably a better card in most situations. Great card all around.
I would have looked at it differently if I was playing during pre-M10 days, before Lightning Bolt was brought back. Even with it back, having one extra toughness over Deadly Recluse can still have its implications.
Otherwise, my mind goes "take Grizzly Bears, add reach, subtract one power and add one toughness." and makes a pleasant sigh at the fairness of the card. In a vaccum, it can also block Grizzly Bears with neither creature being destroyed, which is interesting to me.