Scarlet Spider, Ben ReillyScarlet Spider, Ben Reilly | Art by Javier Charro

This week I'm swinging back into action with another Commander deck tech, this time focusing on a really cool legendary creature from the Marvel's Spider-Man set featuring the web-slinging mechanic, Scarlet Spider, Ben ReillyScarlet Spider, Ben Reilly!

If you're like me, you may be asking "Who?" So I did a quick lookup, and Ben Reilly is a clone of Spider-Man, created by the villainous Jackal to fight Spider-Man, but he ended up helping Spider-Man instead. When Peter Parker briefly walked away from being Spider-Man, Ben Reilly stepped in for him.

There's a lot more to his story if you want to dig in further, but he's basically another alternate version of Spider-Man.

What Does Scarlet Spider, Ben ReillyScarlet Spider, Ben Reilly Do?

Scarlet Spider is a three-mana 4/3 Spider Human Hero with trample and the web-slinging ability for . His Sensational Save ability is tied to if you cast Scarlet Spider using web-slinging, he enters with X +1/+1 counters on him, where X is the mana value of the returned creature.

This is a good time to walk through what exactly web-slinging entails, from the Marvel's Spider-Man release notes:

Web-slinging represents an alternative cost. If another effect allows you to play a card for a different alternative cost, including "without paying its mana cost," you can't also choose to pay its web-slinging cost. If any additional costs from other sources are applied, you must pay those.

You must follow all normal timing rules when casting a spell with web-slinging. For creatures, that usually means you must cast it during a main phase of your turn while the stack is empty.

The creature you return must be tapped at the time you pay costs, but doesn't necessarily need to be tapped before you start casting the spell. For example, if you tap a creature with a mana ability to pay part of the spell's web-slinging cost, you could also return that creature to your hand to pay the cost.

If any permanent has an ability that triggers when the permanent you return leaves the battlefield, that ability will be put on the stack after you finish casting the spell, and it will resolve before that spell.

Attacking is one way to ensure the creature you want to return to your hand with web-slinging is tapped, but I've included other ways to tap creatures outside of combat. Now, the greater mana value the creature you return with Scarlet Spider's web-slinging ability, the more +1/+1 counters he enters with, and since he's got trample, that equates to better life-total smashing. Keep in mind that creatures with X in its casting cost the X will be zero when calculating the Sensational Save resolution.

The deck uses Scarlet Spider's web-slinging to reuse creatures with awesome enters abilities, while trying to cram on as many +1/+1 counters as you can on Scarlet Spider. So it's a little bit Voltron, and a lot of value grind!

Key Cards for Scarlet Spider, Ben ReillyScarlet Spider, Ben Reilly

Sneaking Big Creatures In

The first thing I looked for are ways to cheat the mana costs of creatures so that when I return them with web-slinging I can put a bunch of +1/+1 counters on Scarlet Spider.

Creatures with the warp ability from Edge of Eternities are perfect for this, and Anticausal VestigeAnticausal Vestige even has a leaves ability so you can take advantage of that a few extra times. Similarly, Nova HellkiteNova Hellkite and Germinating WurmGerminating Wurm have enters triggers you can take advantage of a few extra times thanks to web-slinging.

Use Sneak AttackSneak Attack to put a creature onto the battlefield for just one red mana, and return it to your hand with web-slinging before you have to sacrifice it. The creature you put on the battlefield with Ilharg, the Raze-BoarIlharg, the Raze-Boar's attack trigger will be popping back into your hand at the beginning of your end step anyway, so why not web-sling it back for extra +1/+1 counters.

Oviya, Automech ArtisanOviya, Automech Artisan can cheat out a creature for just one green mana that you can return with web-slinging if you've got another way to tap it, but since I've got some Vehicles in the deck, I could use Oviya's ability to put one on the battlefield with two extra +1/+1 counters.

Goreclaw, Terror of Qal SismaGoreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma helps play higher mana creatures so long as they have power four or greater. Ghalta, Primal HungerGhalta, Primal Hunger is the dream card to return with Scarlet Spider's web-slinging, adding a whopping twelve +1/+1 counters to him and easily letting you cast Ghalta again for just two green mana.

In the middle game you should be able to cast Primeval ProtectorPrimeval Protector for just a few mana, and it does a pretty good Ghalta impression for nearly as many +1/+1 counters when you return it to hand.

Once you've added a bunch of counters to Scarlet Spider, it should be cheap to cast Lumbering MegaslothLumbering Megasloth, which will be another decent target for Scarlet Spider's web-slinging later. Cavern-Hoard DragonCavern-Hoard Dragon can get really cheap against artifact-themed decks. You can remove five +1/+1 counters from Scarlet Spider to cast Hierophant Bio-TitanHierophant Bio-Titan for just two green mana, and it makes an excellent target for Scarlet Spider's web-slinging later.

Fun With Web-Slinging

I added a few other creatures with web-slinging for more value grind. Spiders-Man, Heroic HordeSpiders-Man, Heroic Horde's webslinging is a bit expensive, but if you pay it you gain life and create two 2/1 Spider tokens. Spider-Man, Brooklyn VisionarySpider-Man, Brooklyn Visionary's enters ability is land ramp, and the web-slinging ability shaves a few mana from its regular mana value.

Next up I went looking for ways to tap creatures for web-slinging if the coast isn't clear for attacking, and the lands Holdout SettlementHoldout Settlement and Survivors' EncampmentSurvivors' Encampment don't even cost a non-land slot!

Vehicles make an excellent way to tap creatures, so I've got Smuggler's CopterSmuggler's Copter and High-Speed HoverbikeHigh-Speed Hoverbike in the deck. Thunderous VelocipedeThunderous Velocipede adds additional +1/+1 counters to your other Vehicles and creatures when the enter.

The station ability of Sledge-Class SeedshipSledge-Class Seedship is another way to tap creatures, and once it's charged up and can attack, it can put a creature card from your hand onto the battlefield, which you can tap to station after combat and return it with web-slinging.

The convoke ability of Calamity of CindersCalamity of Cinders is a nifty way to sweep the battlefield while missing your tapped creatures, and after the smoke clears you can return one of them with Scarlet Spider.

Value Creatures

Next I went looking for value creatures you're happy to bounce back to your hand with web-slinging, and it's no surprise that Eternal WitnessEternal Witness, Reclamation SageReclamation Sage, and Wood ElvesWood Elves made the cut.

New card Lizard, Connors's CurseLizard, Connors's Curse is wild here because its enters ability doesn't end when Lizard, Connors's CurseLizard, Connors's Curse leaves the battlefield, so if you return it with web-slinging you can cast it again and transform another creature into a vanilla Lizard.

If not needed for a land drop earlier in the game, I see casting Disciple of FreyaliseDisciple of Freyalise and sacrificing a large Scarlet Spider to draw a bunch of cards and gain life, and then return it to your hand with web-slinging and six +1/+1 counters for Scarlet Spider.

Kogla, the Titan ApeKogla, the Titan Ape and Kogla and YidaroKogla and Yidaro have awesome enters abilities, but Etali, Primal ConquerorEtali, Primal Conqueror kicks things up a notch. And if you ever get to web-sling Etali back to your hand and cast it again, you're well on your way to winning your game!

If you get to cast mana creatures, like Birds of ParadiseBirds of Paradise, Llanowar ElvesLlanowar Elves, and Fyndhorn ElvesFyndhorn Elves on turn one, on turn two you can tap them for mana, return them to your hand to web-sling Scarlet Spider, and then likely have mana to cast the one mana creature the same turn. Sure, it's only going to be worth one +1/+1 counter, but an early 5/4 trampling commander can start the life total smash party right!

An early Pawpatch RecruitPawpatch Recruit makes a solid creature to return with web-slinging since you can cast it later when you have enough mana to kick in the offspring ability. Sakura-Tribe ScoutSakura-Tribe Scout taps itself to put a land from your hand onto the battlefield - untapped! - and then it's eligible for web-slinging.

Wasteland ViperWasteland Viper can come down for some early chip damage, and when you web-sling it back to your hand you'll be able to use its bloodrush ability - giving an attacking creature deathtouch works quite well with a really large Scarlet Spider since it has trample.

Spiders and More

Marvel's Spider-Man brings a lot of Spider goodies to Magic, and if your commander is a Spider then SwarmyardSwarmyard deserves a slot if your deck doesn't have too many color requirements.

A lot of people play and love ArachnogenesisArachnogenesis and totally miss out on the fact that it only prevents damage from non-Spider creatures, so you can use it to ambush attackers with extra Spiders that can team up with Scarlet Spider to take down one or two attackers and any non-Spiders that get through will deal no damage to you.

Sanctum of EternitySanctum of Eternity is here to return Scarlet Spider to your hand for more web-slinging good times.

TerrasymbiosisTerrasymbiosis is an awesome card draw engine for a commander that can add multiple +1/+1 counters. The Earth CrystalThe Earth Crystal helps power out higher mana creatures that you can return with Scarlet Spider's web-slinging, and of course doubles the counters he gets from it!

Ohran FrostfangOhran Frostfang gives your attackers deathtouch, and if they also have trample then they'll be very difficult to stop you from dealing combat damage to your opponents and drawing cards.

Since web-slinging doesn't change the timing for casting creature spells, I've got a few ways to let you cast creatures as though they have flash with Yeva, Nature's HeraldYeva, Nature's Herald, Savage SummoningSavage Summoning, and Progenitor's IconProgenitor's Icon so that Scarlet Spider's web-slinging can be used to save a creature from dying.

How Does This Scarlet Spider, Ben ReillyScarlet Spider, Ben Reilly Commander Deck Win?

This deck is solidly a Bracket 2 (Core) deck, with no game-ending combos. It wants to win with combat damage. There are several ways to boost Scarlet Spider to a size where commander damage is a real victory condition.

And since bigger is better when you have trample, I have of course found room for Blackblade ReforgedBlackblade Reforged for late-game life total smashing!

Scarlet Spider, Ben ReillyScarlet Spider, Ben Reilly Commander Deck List

Conclusion

If creature combat, plenty of interaction, and value grinding is your jam, give this deck a whirl! What other cards would you put in your Scarlet Spider, Ben ReillyScarlet Spider, Ben Reilly Commander deck?

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