Hey Web Heads, are your Spidey Senses tingling?

 

Mine are.

 

The MTG x Marvel's Spider-Man Universes Beyond set is just around the corner, so we here at the cardboard corner are checking out webslingers, zipping up our onesies, and getting a head start on making unbased assumptions about all of the snazzy new cards hitting shelves September 19th. Like all UB sets, its an outside IP imagined within the Magic design ecosystem, but this set takes things a smidge further by setting its feet firmly in our world. Although we haven't seen a card named "New York City," this set is oozing with modernity, while examining the dichotomy of heroism and villainy, good versus evil, and nerds and the spiders who bite them.

Personally, I'd rather sink my teeth into a bagel and schmear, but I might be hungry.

 

 

That's an ok way to start the card reviews, right? If we're being honest (and I think you'd respect us more if we were,) Universes Beyond can be a tough sell for enfranchised players sometimes, especially if the marketing is unclear (releaseing huge ATLA spoilers in the middle of Spider-Man spoilers,) and the execution feels confusing (MTG Arena will have a mechanically identical set released, but with different names and artworks.) Between those factors, and the less fantastical elements of the Spider-Man franchise (New Capenna and Duskmourne did a lot of work to introduce modern technology into MTG to help ease players into accepting cameras, phones, flashlights, and televisions into the game,) the IP doesn't feel like as much of a slam-dunk hit as Final Fantasy, or Avatar the Last Airbender.

 

That said, despite some in-community apprehension, I have to think of the community I want Magic to have, one that welcomes new people into the fun and friendship that MTG has historically been the basis of.  Games change, especially those that live as long as Magic, and sometimes we have to reckon with that. Magic is dead, long live Magic. Whichever side of the fence you fall on, I get you, and I hope you can find ways to enjoy the game that feel good for you and your friends. If you think this set is for the birds, here's something else for you to enjoy, on the house ;)

 

Anyhow, I should leave the editorializing to the Daily Bugle: here's a dork in pajamas.

 

 

Let's start with the ol' webhead himself, Spider-Man, Web-Slinger! First things first, Magic doesn't make a habit of printing Legendary ANYTHING at common, so that's a kinda spectacular. This is part of a cycle of what appears to be 10 common rarity legends that could very well shake up two of Magic's most popular formats: Commander and Pauper.

 

Many of these common legends aren't anything to write home about, but all of them have strong enough/interesting enough interactions and functionality that I could see a limited commander format based around them. On top of that, cards like Spider-Man, Web-Slinger  or Beetle, Legacy Criminal could have viable homes in Pauper decks like Thraben Inspector/Glint Hawk and Faithless Looting/Kiln Fiend, adding consistency or helpful tricks to established archetypes. I can't begin to tell you how torn I am about considering putting some of these Universes Beyond cards into my Universes Within Pauper decks. Magic has changed so much these past six years; am I ready to change with it, or in spite of it?

 

We ask the deep questions around here.

 

 

Let us consider the Spider-Punk. He is a rebel, who gives others the power to rebel. Of all the cards in the set, I think this one best understood the assignment. In lieu of crashing out about the socio-political power this card draws from, let me tell you about how cool it'll be in Standard. You know who's a spider? Twitching Spider and Relentless X-ATM092. You know who likes unpreventable damage? Screaming Nemesis and Frenzied Baloth. You know what magic players like? Redundancy and power and the unwillingness to compromise on your core beliefs. Hobie Brown feels like the third heat, ready to galvanize gruul in ways that ought to make the 2025-26 season very interesting.

 

 

I like this card, but I hate this card's name. It should be Peter Porker, Spider-Ham. WOTC if you're reading this, I know why you thought this was the right way to do it, but you're wrong, even if you printed like 3 more Spider-Hams.

 

Outside of that, what we're here for is the fact that this is a Bloomburrow lord like we used to have back in the old days, except our pig is here to help out EVERYONE from that set. Sure this will specifically be helpful for the typal synergies that have green in their identities (squirrels, rabbits, frogs, and raccoons,) but I think it's bazonkers that EIGHTEEN different creature types are getting that blanket +1/+1. While I'm sure this will be a powerhouse in Commander and Modern, I'm actually very interested in the implications this will have in digital formats. As you might know, WOTC will not be using the Spider-Man theming in its MtG Arena app, and will instead have a mechanically identical set reskinned to take place in the Magic Multiverse proper. What in the planes could this card possibly be? A heroic pig riding a spider thought the omenpaths?

 

 

Speaking of Multiversal Ramafications, Multiversal Passage is another play on the powerful Prismatic Vista/Fabled Passage archetypes, except it doesn't deckthin the way one would usually expect. A playset of these could be your basic lands, like all of them for your whole deck, on account of how good it is at turning on the Verge Lands' second mana ability. Sure, you won't always want to shock yourself to have this passage enter untapped, but you won't have to if you're playing for a mid to late game finish with Sunburst Soup. 

 

 

NO SEGUE, JUST ROCK.

 

One of the most powerful artifacts in the MARVEL universe lands with this new set, and mouths are agape over its projected impact. First off, its a black-locked mana rock that can't be destroyed. That would be enough, right? No Mama, its never enough, because you can have the stone eat one of the souls of the creatures you love to have it gain a permanent reanimation spell on your upkeep. No finality counters, no sac at end of turn, and its keyworded with harnessed, which could become a gate for other powerful cards in sets to come. Its trying new things, making new space, and adding an inevitable point of pressure to your opponent's list of woes.  The Soul Stone is poised to make one helluva splash when it lands, and I for one would rather be the splasher than the splashee...

 

 

With Great Power comes a 2/1 green Spider with reach? Sure! In two turns though, for 1GWU, you get a 4/4 that makes your spiders all web-sling in for GWU.  Use it not just to swarm the board with your spider-friends for cheap, but to reset your exhaust triggers, your ETBs and your LTBs, but also to be able to do this outside of color identity.

 

Also, if you keep the spider token alive, the first one is free.

 

There's a lot to talk about here, but let's start with the non-legendary clone theme going on in this set. I think this is really strong, as at no time in Magic's history have there been so many opportunities to re-re-re-trigger abilities or stack effects otherwise locked behind the legendary tag. This feels super abusable, especially with menaces like Vivi Ornitier and Electro, Assaulting Battery running around the format.

Also, I love that these story arcs are being imagined as Sagas. That's a form/function win that keeps me warm at night.

 

Also also, its great to have Bill Sienkiewicz retuning to MTG. His original contributions were not so big in this industry, but in comics he's a legendary storyteller who I expect we'll see plenty more of as the MAGIC x MARVEL crossovers mature in the coming years. I'd recommend his entry into the 30 Days of Night franchise because his color work is so mature in that, but others will say that his ELECTRA and X-MEN NEW MUTANTS. Let us know if you've got your own opinion True Believer!

 

 

I think Electro has been done dirty on the big screen, and not because of anything Jamie Foxx did. This card is busted in half as an apology to the actor and the character for how poorly they were presented in both Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man: No Way Home, and will combo with Vivi Ornathopter if Vivi Ornitier and Agatha's Soul Cauldron aren't emergency banned before you read this. I feel like any further analysis of this card would be stating the obvious and I respect your ability to know power creep when you see it, so that's the end of the thought. Electro stronk. Everyone about to die. The end.

 

 

And then lastly, its another Spider-Man! Surprised? Don't be!

 

Last time I talked about the development work WOTC has done in artifact tokens, but I didn't comment on one of their newer tech in the realm of counters. Stun counters have been around since Dominaria United, and were made to solve the memory issue inherent to a lot of blue and white tap abilities. 

 

Enter Sleep-Cursed Faerie, and Ambling Stormshell. These nerds stun themselves with not one, not two, but three counters. They're perfect targets for Spidey's on-attack ability, giving me plenty of hope for Azorious surprise aggro in the coming year of Standard's metagame.

 

What did you think Spider-Fans? Is the set shaping up to be all you hoped for and more? Which Spider-Person are you most excited to craft around? If you haven't already signed up, here's an invitation to join us for the Spider-Man prerelease, September 19th through 25th.

 

I hear it'll be a Thwippin' good time.

 

+++++

 

Ben Doane has been a member of the Pandemonium Team since 2019, and has been playing wargames, rpgs, and tcgs since 2004 and earlier. When not blogging, Ben runs the wargames and mailing departments, and also puts together the store's newsletters. Her current favorite card is this one.