Hatchery Spider MTG Card


Undergrowth powers card advantage, directly summoning creatures to the battlefield for potentially game-changing plays. Perfect for ramp decks, Hatchery Spider can economize mana and synergize with graveyard-centric strategies. While mana-heavy and demanding in color, this card can be pivotal in late-game scenarios and versatile decks.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Spider
Abilities Reach,Undergrowth
Power 5
Toughness 7

Text of card

Reach Undergrowth — When you cast this spell, reveal the top X cards of your library, where X is the number of creature cards in your graveyard. You may put a green permanent card with converted mana cost X or less from among them onto the battlefield. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.


Cards like Hatchery Spider

Hatchery Spider stands tall among creature cards with its unique ability to delve into your library for more creatures with its undergrowth mechanic. In the realm of green creature spells, it bears similarity to cards like See the Unwritten, which also scouts your deck for powerful creatures. Nonetheless, Hatchery Spider demands a slightly different strategy, leveraging the number of creature cards in your graveyard to potentially spell free value.

Comparatively, we observe Sifter Wurm, another creature that lets you peek at your library when it comes into play. While Sifter Wurm offers direct life gain in addition to the card advantage, it lacks the synergy with a self-milling strategy that Hatchery Spider so elegantly capitalizes on. Another creature of note is Golgari Grave-Troll, which, while not directly fetching creatures from the library, grows stronger with each creature card resting in your graveyard and can fill the graveyard to fuel the Spider’s undergrowth ability.

Assessing these similar cards helps illustrate the potential of Hatchery Spider in decks that focus on graveyard strategies. It can be a powerhouse in decks that self-mill, turning the graveyard into an extended hand and providing significant advantage when the conditions are right.

See the Unwritten - MTG Card versions
Sifter Wurm - MTG Card versions
Golgari Grave-Troll - MTG Card versions
See the Unwritten - MTG Card versions
Sifter Wurm - MTG Card versions
Golgari Grave-Troll - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Hatchery Spider by color, type and mana cost

Thorn Elemental - MTG Card versions
Penumbra Wurm - MTG Card versions
Stone-Tongue Basilisk - MTG Card versions
Thriss, Nantuko Primus - MTG Card versions
Beanstalk Giant // Fertile Footsteps - MTG Card versions
Somberwald Beastmaster - MTG Card versions
Cultivator Colossus - MTG Card versions
Garruk's Horde - MTG Card versions
Krosan Tusker - MTG Card versions
Hundroog - MTG Card versions
Enormous Baloth - MTG Card versions
Ancient Ooze - MTG Card versions
Cytospawn Shambler - MTG Card versions
Panglacial Wurm - MTG Card versions
Molimo, Maro-Sorcerer - MTG Card versions
Duskdale Wurm - MTG Card versions
Avenger of Zendikar - MTG Card versions
Pelakka Wurm - MTG Card versions
Engulfing Slagwurm - MTG Card versions
Kalonian Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Thorn Elemental - MTG Card versions
Penumbra Wurm - MTG Card versions
Stone-Tongue Basilisk - MTG Card versions
Thriss, Nantuko Primus - MTG Card versions
Beanstalk Giant // Fertile Footsteps - MTG Card versions
Somberwald Beastmaster - MTG Card versions
Cultivator Colossus - MTG Card versions
Garruk's Horde - MTG Card versions
Krosan Tusker - MTG Card versions
Hundroog - MTG Card versions
Enormous Baloth - MTG Card versions
Ancient Ooze - MTG Card versions
Cytospawn Shambler - MTG Card versions
Panglacial Wurm - MTG Card versions
Molimo, Maro-Sorcerer - MTG Card versions
Duskdale Wurm - MTG Card versions
Avenger of Zendikar - MTG Card versions
Pelakka Wurm - MTG Card versions
Engulfing Slagwurm - MTG Card versions
Kalonian Behemoth - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Hatchery Spider can be a powerhouse when it comes to card advantage. Upon casting, its undergrowth ability lets you look at a number of cards from the top of your library equal to the number of creature cards in your graveyard, potentially putting a creature directly onto the battlefield. This means the more creatures you’ve played and cycled through, the greater the reward, potentially swinging the game in your favor by adding valuable creatures to your side without losing a card from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: As a green card, Hatchery Spider plays well with decks focused on ramping up your mana resources. While it doesn’t directly accelerate resources, getting a free creature onto the battlefield via its undergrowth ability effectively saves you mana. Moreover, with a base casting cost that scales with your graveyard, late-game scenarios could see the spider cast for much less than its standard seven mana, expediting your ability to play other high-cost cards.

Instant Speed: Although Hatchery Spider doesn’t operate at instant speed, the creatures it can potentially put on the battlefield could have instant-speed abilities or flash, offering an unexpected advantage during combat or at the end of your opponent’s turn. This indirect benefit can be a game-changer, adding an element of surprise and tactical depth to your plays.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Hatchery Spider can be less appealing in situations where its undergrowth ability requires you to pitch beneficial creatures from your graveyard, potentially hindering your long-term strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that demands three green mana, Hatchery Spider demands significant commitment to green, which might not sit well in multicolor decks craving mana flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The seven mana needed to summon Hatchery Spider places it firmly in the late-game category. This can be problematic in fast-paced games where lower-cost creatures and spells can dominate the board before the Spider even has a chance to weave its web.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Hatchery Spider can be a pivotal card in decks that utilize creature-based strategies or those that harness the graveyard. Its ability to pull creatures from the library directly onto the battlefield gives deck builders new angles to exploit.

Combo Potential: With its undergrowth ability, this card thrives in decks optimized to fill the graveyard. The potential to combo with cards that self-mill or sacrifice creatures for value increases with Hatchery Spider in your arsenal.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where large creatures can dominate, Hatchery Spider holds its ground. When the meta shifts towards longer, grindier matches, its significance grows, making it a threat that can swing the game in your favor.


How to beat

Hatchery Spider is a unique green creature known for its undergrowth ability, enabling players to look at a number of cards from their library and put a green creature card among them onto the battlefield. To counteract this potent force of arachnid might, it’s essential to understand the mechanics that can disrupt its effectiveness. Firstly, removal spells that can target creatures regardless of their size or cost, such as Path to Exile or Doom Blade, can quickly eliminate Hatchery Spider before it has the opportunity to bring another creature into play.

Another strategy involves graveyard hate cards like Rest in Peace or Tormod’s Crypt, which can inhibit the undergrowth benefit by removing the creature cards from the graveyard that Hatchery Spider would count. Control decks that can counter creature spells or prevent them from entering the battlefield, like with Counterspell or Essence Scatter, are also effective. Finally, board wipes such as Wrath of God can clean the slate entirely, dealing with both the Hatchery Spider and any creatures it may have brought along.

Chess-like maneuvering is key against Hatchery Spider, as preemptive actions can undermine its advantages, ensuring that this eight-legged green behemoth and its web of influence are kept in check throughout the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

In your journey through the strategic depths of Magic the Gathering, cards like the Hatchery Spider offer intriguing dynamics that can turn the tides of battle. Mastering such cards can give your deck a unique edge, especially if you enjoy intricate graveyard-play. Understanding when and how to deploy the Hatchery Spider’s strengths, and those of similar cards, can elevate your gameplay several notches. Always aim to adapt your strategy to the evolving meta and explore new deck synergies with an analytical mind. To delve deeper into strategic optimizations and card synergies, join our community, and harness the full potential of your MTG arsenal. Enhance your collection, refine your deck-building skills, and outmaneuver opponents with finesse.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hatchery Spider MTG card by a specific set like Guilds of Ravnica and Guilds of Ravnica Promos, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Hatchery Spider and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Hatchery Spider Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-10-05 and 2018-10-05. Illustrated by Livia Prima.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-10-05Guilds of RavnicaGRN 1322015NormalBlackLivia Prima
22018-10-05Guilds of Ravnica PromosPGRN 132s2015NormalBlackLivia Prima

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hatchery Spider has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Hatchery Spider card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2018-10-05 A land card that produces green mana, even a Forest, normally has no color.
2018-10-05 Because tokens aren’t cards, they never count for undergrowth abilities.
2018-10-05 Creature cards with other types, such as artifact creature cards, count for undergrowth abilities.
2018-10-05 Hatchery Spider’s ability triggers as you cast it, and that ability resolves before the spell itself. It resolves even if that spell is countered.
2018-10-05 If a card in your library has in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.