Web-Slinging is a new MTG alternative cost introduced with Spider-Man set. In this article, we’ll talk about everything you need to know about it, including:
- How does web-slinging work?
- What are the best ways to enable web-slinging?
- And more!
Without further ado, let’s get right to it.
How Does Web-Slinging Work?
You can cast a card for its web-slinging cost, by paying that cost and returning a tapped creature your control to its owner’s hand.
On most cards, web-slinging cost is cheaper than the card’s regular cost. Thus, you are saving some mana, but you do need to return a tapped creature to your hand.
You can mitigate that downside by returning a creature with enters or leaves effect.
Some cards actually cost more if you cast them for their web-slinging costs. These will provide benefits in some other ways.
With that said, let’s take a look at a couple of cards. They will make these rules clearer.
Examples
Here’s Spider-Man, Web-Slinger, a pretty straightforward common with web-slinging mechanic.
Of course, you can cast it for its regular cost. Three mana for a 3/3 is mediocre, even in Draft.
Thankfully, there’s a cheaper alternate casting cost. You can cast it for a single white mana, if you also return a tapped creature your control to its owner’s hand. A single mana for a 3/3 is certainly above rate!
However, you also need to return a tapped creature to your hand. That’s usually a real downside. Unless that tapped creature has an enters-effect. (Think cards like Spirited Companion or Witch Enchanter.) In that case, you can actually extract more value from web-slinging, turning disadvantage into advantage.
Other Web-Slinging Benefits
While most cards offer cheaper web-slinging costs, that’s not always the case. Some cards reward you in other ways. One such card would be Spiders-Man, Heroic Horde.
A two mana 2/3 is a fine stat-line for Draft and Sealed. However, its web-slinging cost is actually much higher that its mana cost. You need to pay a total of six mana in addition to returning a tapped creature to your hand.
However, you’re paid off with 3 life and a couple of 2/1 Spiders. Now, that’s a really potent punch for a card that you can also play early. It kinda feels like a modal card, giving you two relevant options in both stages of the game.
Note that this is one card that you won’t mind returning to your hand with your other web-slinging cards. This way, you’ll be able to reuse its cast-trigger.
MTG Web-Slinging – FAQ
So, now you know how web-sling works in general. You might still wonder about some specific scenario, and we tried to cover those in this section.
If you still won’t find the answer to your question, let a comment below. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Enweb is a different name for the web-slinging mechanic. It’s used on Arena and Magic Online.
Web slinging doesn’t change the timing restrictions. Thus, you can only cast web-slinging instants and cards with flash at instant speed.
Such cards can be really useful, as they can safe your tapped creature from a removal spell or board clear.
No, you can’t. Returning a tapped creature is a part of paying the web-slinging cost.
We’ve already mentioned that you want to return creatures with enters or leaves effects. That’s a good way to get additional value from them.
On top of that, you also want ways to tap your creatures. The simplest solution is to attack, but you can’t always do that safely. That’s why you’d probably want to play some mana dorks (Llanowar Elves) or cards that allow you to tap your creatures (Cryptolith Rites, Warden of the Inner Sky).
No, you can’t. Web-slinging works with tapped creatures your control, not own.
The creature will return to its owner’s hand — in that case your opponents. However, you are certainly able to pay for web-slinging effects this way.
When you’re casting your commander from the Command zone, you need to pay the tax, even if you’re paying an alternate cost. Thus, the commander tax still gets tacked onto the web-slinging’s cost.
Alas, death and taxes are inevitable.
Yes, there is. With the Amazing Spider-Man, which you can see below.
Conclusion
So, that’s all about the web-slinging rules. Now you know how it works, and how you can take advantage of it. Hopefully, this will result in plenty of wins and some awesome plays too.
Do you like this mechanic? Want to open some cards featuring it? In that case, you can order a Spider-Man Play booster box. It will surely contain plenty of web-slinging cards, as well as a bunch of amazing Spider-Man heroes and villains.
Perhaps you might even get the best card in the set, Soul Stone! Or at least, some cool looking alternate-art cards. There’s plenty of those present, for example the Comic Panel cards are pretty unique
Until next time, have fun and keep on slinging!