MTG: “Swing” for Lethal with Spider-Man Cards
Marvel’s Spider-Man swings into Magic this weekend, and you’ll definitely want to have these web-slingers in your arsenal!
Welcome in, Planeswalkers, Praetors, and Friendly Neighborhood Heroes! Magic: The Gathering has unveiled the latest Universes Beyond set, and it’s one straight from the comics! That’s right, everyone’s favorite wall-crawling hero (or menace if you read the Bugle) is swinging to your gaming table. Peter, Gwen, and Miles are ready to battle it out with the likes of Green Goblin, Kraven, and Venom, with you and your play group at the helm.
Say what you will about Universes Beyond, this is a set to get excited for. Marvel is a massive splash right now, and Spidey has always been one of their entry-level heroes for new fans. While the set does lack a little cohesion, it makes up for it with fun, powerful new cards and combos. It’s a lot of fun to crack and play, and I think fans of both comics and Magic will find something to love here. I know that pie chart is basically a circle, but there are a few outliers.
Why the Spider-Man Set is Awesome
Right out of the gate, this set is jam-packed with iconic Spider-Man characters. You have multiple variants of the classic web-slinger, plus all his allies, villains, and side characters. If you enjoyed Into the Spiderverse, you’ll find all of your favorites in this set, from Spider-Noir all the way to Peter Porker. Each card feels thematic, like it swung right off the page and onto your gaming table. Many of the Spider heroes have Flying or Reach, but even the ones that don’t have keywords that feel like their characters. Spider-Pig, for example, creates a Food Token when he enters, and can buff your animal creatures, representing his more cartoon universe.
Speaking of comic pages, the special treatments in this set are a collector’s dream. From Sagas that look like panels in a comic book to iconic covers reimagined as mega hit cards, this set has some bangers. A personal favorite of mine is the Heroic Intervention, which features the first Spider-Man cover as the art. All in all, an incredible set to open, with no shortage of amazing pulls.
Where the Set Struggles
Personally, I can’t find anything to complain about with the new set. I’ve loved Spider-Man since I was a kid, so I might be a little biased, but it’s a fun and gorgeous set. However, talking to players at the prerelease, they pointed to a lack of cohesion in the set. Where a lot of sets have an overarching theme or series of themes, Spider-Man seems to be trying to do too many things at once. While that isn’t necessarily a bad thing in the long run, it does make for a slightly frustrasting Limited experience. For my money, it drafts just fine, but I will admit you have to work a little harder for the synergies. Either way though, I love the set, and I think the vast majority of fans will as well.
Will you be picking up the Spider-Man cards?
