Locations
Welcome back!
This is part three of me going over some of the best Spider-Man cards, so if you happened to miss the first two parts, be sure and go back to check those out. You can find all the details of what's going on there, but essentially, I love Spider-Man as a character, and I wanted to talk about some of the gems in the set.
As usual, these are going to be a combination of cards that could be competitive all-stars or just cards that I like a lot, with great flavor, so nothing is really off-limits.
Let's begin!
Heroes' Hangout
Heroes' Hangout is another card that has actually been seeing a bit of play as a four-of in Gruul Pioneer decks. The fact that it triggers prowess, while also pumping two of your creatures, or finding you a second, relevant spell to trigger prowess again makes this quite the formidable threat. This costing one mana, along with being able to cast the found card until the end of your next turn really pushes this over the top, in my estimation.
Shadow of the Goblin
This is an interesting card. Based on the "Undying Vengeance" flavor word ability, you'd think that the first part of the card let you exile cards from the top of your library to play. That's a pretty common ability for red enchantments, but no! Instead, the "Unreliable Visions" flavor word just lets you rummage instead. While these two abilities feel at odds, being able to rummage every turn, trigger mayhem, and also have a second ability that triggers off of your mayhem spells, is a pretty good value for two mana
This feels like a cool build around, especially in a deck with cards like Oscorp Industries, which we'll talk about later.
Lizard, Connors's Curse
Similar to how a lot of other cards in the set remind me of older Magic cards, Lizard is really giving Wolfir Silverheart vibes. I really like a 5/5 for four-mana, even though, let's be honest, it's not the best value in 2025. Still, the Blastoderm-esque creatures will always have a soft spot for me.
The "Lizard Formula" flavor word here is very cool. While making an opponent's creature a 4/4 is not ideal, taking away their abilities if need be can be clutch. Additionally, if you just want to turn your 1/1 into a more formidable 4/4, that's also an option, and I think the versatility here is really valuable.
Radioactive Spider
It still surprises me that one-mana creatures with deathtouch, like Rats, Scorpions and Spiders, often see some amount of play, and Radioactive Spider is a great one. Not only does the Spider also have reach, but being able to tutor for any other Spider Hero card in your deck is great. Even if you don't use that, you're still basically playing a Dragon Sniper, which is a Tarkir card that sees a good deal of play.
Sandman, Shifting Scoundrel
Flint Marko is doing his best Multani, Yavimaya's Avatar impression here. For three-mana, getting a creature that is typically base 3/3 and scales with the turns of the game is great, but he also has a pseudo-evasive ability, preventing small creatures from chumping him, and you're able to return him to the battlefield at will, along with an additional land. That ability seems great, especially in a deck with a good number of fetch lands, and the fact that you can use it at instant speed means using it at the end of your opponent's turn is fair game. Worth noting outside of one token, Sandman is the only creature with the "Sand" creature type.
Web of Life and Destiny
When I see an eight-mana mythic enchantment, I know some shenanigans are going to ensue. This is basically everything I want from an expensive enchantment: a built-in way for it to cost less mana, along with a way to get a free creature into play not only on the turn you play it, but every turn afterward. This is a card that can produce a lot of value turn after turn. One thing that seems unintuitive, however, is that the creatures don't have haste. The Web triggering
Carnage, Crimson Chaos
Carnage is another card that is seeing a bit of competitive play. As you might expect, I see the similarities between Carnage and Crypt Champion from Dissension. They both cost four mana, they're both Black and red, they both attack for four, and they both get creatures back that cost three or less. Basically, the same card, amirite?
In all seriousness, the decks that can take advantage of both Carnage's mayhem cost, as well as his ability to get a creature back are getting quite the deal at two mana, so that makes him a great addition to discard strategies. Worth noting that I also saw Shadow of the Goblin in some of the decks that Carnage has appeared in.
We'll continue with more gold cards in part four! Thanks for reading and I'll catch ya next time!
Frank Lepore
