Spark Harvest MTG Card


Spark Harvest allows for momentum swings by offering selective removal in exchange for creature or planeswalker sacrifices. Integrates well with graveyard-based strategies, turning low-value creatures into effective removal tools. Incorporates flexibility in timing, enabling tactical plays and targeted threat elimination during critical game moments.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery

Text of card

As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice a creature or pay . Destroy target creature or planeswalker.

With the harvest of Domri's spark, the Elderspell began to fuel Bolas's ascension to godhood.


Cards like Spark Harvest

Spark Harvest stands as a unique removal spell in Magic: The Gathering’s ever-expanding array of options. Its resemblance to other sacrifice-based removal spells such as Bone Splinters is clear — both cards offer a cost-effective way to destroy a creature. However, Spark Harvest provides versatility that Bone Splinters lacks. For an additional payment of four mana, Spark Harvest does not require a creature sacrifice, making it adaptable in a wider range of situations.

Another comparison can be made with the more mana-intensive Murder, which outright destroys a target creature but at the cost of three mana. Spark Harvest shines here by its single black mana requirement, though at the expense of the aforementioned sacrifice or additional mana for its alternate casting cost. Cost-effectiveness is the key – sacrificing a creature that has outlived its usefulness or paying the extra mana can be a small price to pay when the removal of a key threat is on the line.

Examining its place in Magic: The Gathering’s pantheon of spells, Spark Harvest offers a dual-option utility that helps it hold its own in many strategic situations, providing players with both an economic and tactical edge.

Bone Splinters - MTG Card versions
Murder - MTG Card versions
Bone Splinters - MTG Card versions
Murder - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Spark Harvest by color, type and mana cost

Raise Dead - MTG Card versions
Mind Twist - MTG Card versions
Contract from Below - MTG Card versions
Spoils of War - MTG Card versions
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Bloodcurdling Scream - MTG Card versions
Organ Harvest - MTG Card versions
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Bubbling Muck - MTG Card versions
Chorus of Woe - MTG Card versions
Reanimate - MTG Card versions
Soul Strings - MTG Card versions
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Stir the Grave - MTG Card versions
Cry of Contrition - MTG Card versions
Deathmark - MTG Card versions
Call to the Netherworld - MTG Card versions
Raven's Crime - MTG Card versions
Raise Dead - MTG Card versions
Mind Twist - MTG Card versions
Contract from Below - MTG Card versions
Spoils of War - MTG Card versions
Tendrils of Despair - MTG Card versions
Bloodcurdling Scream - MTG Card versions
Organ Harvest - MTG Card versions
Duress - MTG Card versions
Bubbling Muck - MTG Card versions
Chorus of Woe - MTG Card versions
Reanimate - MTG Card versions
Soul Strings - MTG Card versions
Restless Dreams - MTG Card versions
Cabal Therapy - MTG Card versions
Confront the Past - MTG Card versions
Stir the Grave - MTG Card versions
Cry of Contrition - MTG Card versions
Deathmark - MTG Card versions
Call to the Netherworld - MTG Card versions
Raven's Crime - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Spark Harvest facilitates control over the battlefield by letting you trade one of your creatures or planeswalkers for a potentially more valuable target on the opposing side, thus swinging the game’s momentum in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: With its additional cost that can be paid with either mana or by sacrificing a creature, Spark Harvest integrates with strategies that benefit from creatures entering the graveyard, effectively turning a low-value creature into a valuable removal spell without the need for additional mana.

Instant Speed: While Spark Harvest itself may not be an instant, the flexibility it offers to use at critical moments, such as just before your turn begins, allows for strategic plays that can dismantle your opponent’s plans by removing key threats when it’s most advantageous for you.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Spark Harvest necessitates the sacrifice of a creature or planeswalker as an additional cost to cast it. This requirement can be a steep price, especially if you’re already behind on the board or lacking in creatures to sacrifice without negatively impacting your game state.

Specific Mana Cost: While Spark Harvest can be cast for a single black mana if you fulfill the sacrifice requirement, this can be restrictive for multicolored decks that might struggle to produce black mana consistently or need to prioritize their mana for other spells.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: If opting to pay the alternative cost without sacrificing, Spark Harvest costs a total of five mana—four generic and one black—which can be quite high for a single targeted removal spell. Other removal options in the game may offer similar benefits without such a steep mana investment or additional costs.


Reasons to Include Spark Harvest in Your Collection

Versatility: Spark Harvest provides flexible removal options for any black-aligned deck. It enables players to eliminate key threats, be they creatures or planeswalkers, at a potentially low cost, making it a useful tool across various game scenarios.

Combo Potential: When building around sacrifice mechanics, Spark Harvest shines brightly. It can be paired with cards that trigger upon sacrificing a creature, turning a necessary evil into a strategic advantage.

Meta-Relevance: Infamously known for its shifting landscape, the MTG meta can sometimes be dominated by creature-heavy or planeswalker-centric decks. Spark Harvest serves as a cost-effective answer to such trends, ensuring you maintain tempo while dealing with imminent threats.


How to beat Spark Harvest

Spark Harvest is a versatile removal spell in Magic: The Gathering, allowing players to target and destroy a creature or planeswalker at a low cost. Such efficiency makes it a respected card in decks that can reliably sacrifice creatures to pay its alternate casting cost. To confront this powerful card, it’s crucial to maintain a strategy that minimizes its impact. Holding back on playing your most valuable creatures until Spark Harvest has been used can be effective. As it’s a sorcery, maximizing the use of instant-speed effects to protect or regenerate your key creatures can mitigate the damage Spark Harvest inflicts on your board presence.

Another approach is utilizing cards that deter sacrifice-based strategies, such as creatures that replace themselves upon death or generate a benefit when sacrificed. Implementing graveyard recursion can also help you bounce back from a Spark Harvest’s effect. Additionally, keeping up countermagic for crucial turns or running cards that grant hexproof or indestructible to your permanents can provide the protection you need against targeted removal.

In essence, fielding a dynamic strategy that can adapt to removal-heavy opponents allows you to sidestep the potential drawbacks of a Spark Harvest and maintain your position in the game. Understand your opponent’s tactics and keep your responses versatile to outplay this potent card.


BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring the depths of MTG strategy can transform average decks into formidable arsenals, and Spark Harvest plays a pivotal role in this metamorphosis. It’s a card that, when properly integrated with the right combo pieces or metagame tactics, can drastically alter the landscape of your matches. Practical applications of Spark Harvest offer a high degree of board control and opportunistic plays that could tilt the balance of the game. If you’re keen on tweaking your deck to utilize this potent removal spell or are looking for ways to counteract it efficiently, connect with more like-minded players and delve deeper into the strategic nuances of MTG. Enhance your gameplay with us today.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Spark Harvest MTG card by a specific set like War of the Spark and Commander Legends, 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 Spark Harvest and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Spark Harvest Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-05-03 and 2020-11-20. Illustrated by Kieran Yanner.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-05-03War of the SparkWAR 1052015NormalBlackKieran Yanner
22020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 1502015NormalBlackKieran Yanner

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Spark Harvest has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2020-11-10 You must sacrifice exactly one creature or pay an extra to cast this spell; you can't cast it without paying one of those costs, and you can't pay either multiple times. Players can respond to Spark Harvest only after it's been cast and all its costs have been paid. No one can try to destroy the creature you sacrificed to stop you from casting this spell or to make it cost more mana.