The 32 Best Spiders in Magic Ranked

Last updated on April 6, 2024

Ishkanah, Grafwidow | Illustration by Christine Choi

Spiders are some of the most polarizing creatures in the animal kingdom. They’re very helpful, trapping and feeding off common household pests. They’re also a source of fear and absolute terror, so much that some video games have an arachnophobia accessibility setting.

Fantasy settings often include oversized spiders, and Magic has a bunch of them, too. But which of them are the best? And which cards pay you off for running a bunch of arachnids?

The only thing I’ll spoil is that none of these is named Boris.

What Are Spiders in MTG?

Doom Weaver | Illustration by Helge C. Balzer

Spider is a creature type that represents the eight-legged creepy-crawlies we know well. Spiders tend to be mono-green cards and have reach, although there are some black spiders, multicolor spiders, and non-reaching spiders.

Spiders have been around since the Giant Spider printed in Alpha, and they predate the reach keyword ability. A number of spiders from that time still have the ability, just in a full-text form.

Magic has quite a few cards that generate Spider tokens, as well as other cards that have a spider flavor to them. There’s enchantments like Spider Umbra that grant reach, removal spells like Eaten by Spiders and Spider Food that destroy creatures with flying, and an enchantment that becomes a spider in the form of Hidden Spider.

I’m focused on looking at these spiders for Commander reasons, so shout out your favorite spiders for other formats in the comments!

Unranked: Ishkanah, Broodmother

I don’t play Alchemy or MTG Arena often enough to tell you when their exclusive cards are good, but I can say that I like the design of Ishkanah, Broodmother for what it is. The lord ability gives your spiders +1/+2, which is better and more in line with spiders than the typical +1/+1. The spells in its spellbook are all spider-related too, so this Ishkanah gains points for pure thematic cohesion.

Unranked: Spinnerette, Arachnobat

Is Spinnerette, Arachnobat a good card? Some might argue that anything from Unfinity automatically should be counted as silver-bordered, but I disagree. If Wizards didn’t put an acorn on it, it’s fair game. You’re probably only using Spinnerette in an attractions build, like a Commander deck fronted by The Most Dangerous Gamer. You know what? I might just do that.

#32. Stingerfling Spider

Creatures that impact the board when they enter the battlefield are generally better than those that don’t, just as a speed thing. Stingerfling Spider only gets a flier, which won’t matter if there aren’t any.

#31. Webspinner Cuff

Webspinner Cuff fits in with its spider brethren, but it can also be used in artifact, equipment, or modified decks. It’ll take a total of 7 mana to attach it to a creature between the Cuff’s mana value and the reconfigure cost, so there’s that.

#30. Spitting Spider

I might be underrating Spitting Spider. Letting you trade in lands for damage to fliers is really neat, and I can see this fitting into a deck that lets you play lands from your graveyard somehow.

#29. Deathtouch Spiders, Tier 2

Rather than sprinkle in a bunch of similar cards throughout the list, let’s tackle a bunch of them at once. I originally had all deathtouch spiders in one slot, but there are enough that they can be split into tiers.

Ruins Recluse has an activated ability that adds +1/+1 counters, which is probably why it’s a 1/1 rather than a 1/2. Good if you’re playing around with counters and proliferating, but otherwise not so much. Kessig Recluse also has deathtouch, but it costs more to bring out than some smaller deathtouchers. Hoarding Recluse is similar, but its death trigger lets you return a card from the graveyard to… the bottom of someone’s library. Anticlimactic.

#28. Vilespawn Spider

A Simic spider? If you say so…. Vilespawn Spider plays the self-mill game, which is what Simic was doing in Innistrad: Crimson Vow’s Limited format. You can only activate its ability as a sorcery, so you can’t use it as a blocking maneuver the way you would an Arachnogenesis or something.

#27. Ettercap

There are better spiders than Ettercap for your spider deck needs, but it’s still useable in an adventures deck fronted by Gorion, Wise Mentor or Beluna Grandsquall.

#26. Arachnus Spinner + Arachnus Web

I know, I’m ranking spiders here, but Arachnus Spinner and Arachnus Web are pretty inseparable. They work together in such an interesting and satisfying way. The Spinner lets you tap it or another spider to pull the Web out of your library or graveyard, locking down an opposing creature until it becomes too powerful. 10/10 flavor, no notes.

#25. Llanowar Greenwidow

If Llanowar Greenwidow had come out just a year later, its domain ability would be much simpler and involve a finality counter. Then again, it would be a Lost Caverns of Ixalan card rather than a Dominaria United card, so it wouldn’t even be a domain ability. It becomes a 1-drop with Goreclaw, Terror of Qal Sisma on the board, though.

#24. Thran Spider

For my money, Thran Spider has many homes alongside artifact commanders, but not many that fit super well. Its ETB helps an opponent, and the activated ability feels a bit expensive, even when you have cost reduction like Zirda, the Dawnwaker.

#23. Blightwidow + Juvenile Gloomwidow + Copper Longlegs

If you’re like me, sometimes you behave like a pest at the Magic table. And what better way to be a pest than to aim for the poison win condition? Blightwidow from Mirrodin Besieged aims in that direction, although a 2/4 common for 4 mana isn’t as quick as you might want it to be. Juvenile Gloomwidow is like the Blightwidow build, although slightly smaller and with wither rather than infect. Shoutout to Copper Longlegs for playing in a similar space, using proliferate instead.

#22. Deathtouch Spiders, Tier 1

Deadly Recluse may be just a common, but a 2-drop with reach and deathtouch has its uses. It’s at home with any spider you want, but a deck built around Fynn, the Fangbearer can’t go wrong here either. Mirkwood Spider is smaller, but it grants deathtouch to a legendary creature you control when it attacks.

#21. Brood Weaver + Twin-Silk Spider + Penumbra Spider

Any creature that gives you two bodies for the price of one is always worth a look. Twin-Silk Spider gives it to you when it enters the battlefield, while Brood Weaver makes you wait for that token until it dies. Penumbra Spider also makes you wait, but the token it leaves behind is also a 2/4.

#20. Watcher in the Web

This spider just pleases me. Watcher in the Web’s abilities let it block up to eight creatures total, which is all kinds of flavorful fun.

#19. Hatchery Spider

Hatchery Spider shows off the undergrowth mechanic as a casting trigger rather than an ETB. At 7 mana, you’re more likely to play this later in the game, when you should already have creatures in the graveyard, especially if you’re playing self-mill. You can also grab any green permanent, and you get to choose among all cards revealed rather than only grabbing the first one.

#18. Rotwidow Pack

Rotwidow Pack is mandatory if you’re running a lot of spiders, but not really useful if you aren’t. Is it lazy if I call it middle-of-the-pack?

#17. Chainweb Aracnir

This spider really lives up to the “Beyond Death” part of Theros Beyond Death. Chainweb Aracnir’s ETB deals damage to fliers, but bringing it back from the graveyard with escape is when it truly gets going.

#16. Sporeweb Weaver

Sporeweb Weaver just feels tailormade for rallying your defensive strategy. Its token-generation only triggers once when it’s blocked by multiple creatures, so I’d probably let this hang back and act almost like a hydra.

#15. Drider

Combat damage triggers and reach are an odd combination, since reach is more of a defense-first ability. Still, Drider gives you Spider tokens with both menace and reach, which is either an oxymoron or a sign of versatility.

#14. Skyfisher Spider

Graveyard decks can make use of creatures that impact the board when they enter and when they die, and Skyfisher Spider does both. You’re still far more likely to slot this into a spider deck, but other decks can use it for some one-time lifegain in a pinch.

#13. Obelisk Spider

Aside from spiders, Obelisk Spider has another natural home with Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons. Which is interesting, considering how Obelisk Spider has a wither/toxic ability without dealing poison counters to players.

#12. Silklash Spider

I’ll always find room for green creatures with a built-in mana sink. For Silklash Spider, that means an activated ability with an X in it that deals direct damage to all fliers. A 2/7 for 5 with an ability like this seems really fair and on rate.

#11. Glowstone Recluse

Having looked through all the spiders in Magic, I really like anything that does something different. There are so many basic spiders, but Glowstone Recluse surely isn’t. And that’s just because mutate is such a fun space to play in, with multiple commanders that can take advantage of this spider.

#10. Dragonlair Spider

I don’t like relying on my opponents, but Dragonlair Spider is so open-ended that you benefit no matter what they’re up to. I especially like that it’s not limited to giving you an Insect only once per turn. Flavor-wise, I like the idea of putting an egg counter on Dragonlair Spider’s tokens with Xira, the Golden Sting.

#9. Sweet-Gum Recluse

Flash and cascade are such a disgusting combination (complimentary). I just love the idea of trying to cascade Sweet-Gum Recluse into Ishkanah, Grafwidow, but that’s when you’re focused on spiders and not, you know, cascade.

#8. Canoptek Spyder

Now here’s something interesting: a spider that counters fliers with its own flying ability rather than reach. Canoptek Spyder comes with card advantage in the form of an artifactfall ability, and it fits all kinds of artifact decks, including the Warhammer 40,000 commanders, Transformers cards, and many more.

#7. Nyx Weaver

Journey into Nyx gave us Nyx Weaver, an enchantment creature that became a super useful card in decks that care about the graveyard. Maybe you care about having keywords in there, like Kathril, Aspect Warper. Maybe you do some self-milling like Sidisi, Brood Tyrant or care about descending like The Mycotyrant. Maybe you care about enchantments or enchantment creatures. And that’s just to start; if you play Golgari or BG+ decks, you’ve probably at least considered running Nyx Weaver somewhere.

#6. Shelob, Dread Weaver

This version of Shelob is less likely to be at the front of your deck, but dang, if this kind of graveyard hate isn’t fun. Once you have some creatures exiled with Shelob, Dread Weaver, you can pay to bring one of them back under your control, where X matches that creature’s mana value. Or you can play nice and only use the first activated ability.

#5. Doom Weaver

I just want to soulbond Doom Weaver with Yargle and Multani someday. While stunning in the moment, the smart play is probably to soulbond Doom Weaver to sac fodder or chump-blocking tokens.

#4. Arasta of the Endless Web

There are times when I don’t like cards that rely on what your opponents are up to, but in a focused token deck or spider deck, Arasta of the Endless Web is the exception. Whether they’re trying to cast instants to disrupt your turn, or whether you’re getting value on their sorceries, Arasta can be useful for all kinds of strategies. Are you going wide? Using the tokens as sacrifice fodder? The sky’s the limit.

#3. Shelob, Child of Ungoliant

Shelob, Child of Ungoliant seems destined to be a spider commander and not much else. Not that being a commander that gives your spiders deathtouch and Ward 2 is bad, especially with how it also gives you a way to turn their prey into food that keep their abilities. You’re a lot less likely to use this Shelob in the 99 anywhere, though.

#2. Thantis, the Warweaver

Thantis, the Warweaver is conceptually really fun and chaotic. If you want to teach a new player to stop being so precious about attacking with their creatures, make them face this Jund spider. Pack your deck full of creatures with combat-relevant abilities like vigilance and menace and get ready to rumble. Indestructible is good, too. Frenzied Saddlebrute can also incentivize or even force your opponents’ to attack each other rather than you, at least for a turn. Oh, my gremlin brain is having a field day here.

#1. Ishkanah, Grafwidow

Ishkanah, Grafwidow is a really strong spider to have by your side, especially if you’re able to get a lot of Spider tokens through an Arachnogenesis. Delirium makes it more important for mill strategies and for later in the game when there’s more likelihood that you can actually trigger it. That activated ability can be absolutely criminal, whether you use it to finish someone off or just to bring them down a peg.

Best Spider Payoffs

Shelob, Child of Ungoliant and Ishkanah, Grafwidow are likely to be your spider commanders, given the abilities each of them has. Shelob is a typal lord, while Ishkanah’s activated ability deals damage based on your spider count. Rotwidow Pack has a similar ability that generates a token before dealing damage. Shame that they count your creatures and not their legs….

Tadeas, Juniper Ascendant, also known as Dhalsim, Pliable Pacifist, is neat as a “reach matters” commander, and spiders fit into that like a glove.

Blex, Vexing Pest gives your spiders and other “pests” a +1/+1 buff, while Swarmyard is a land that taps to regenerate spiders, among others.

Arachnus Spinner and Arachnus Web benefit from having multiple spiders out to tap so that you can lock down opposing creatures. I tend to look at these cards with Commander in mind, but I can totally see the utility of having multiple Webs to throw around in non-singleton formats.

If you’re looking to add to your spider count with tokens, these cards generate Spider tokens:

• Drider
• Lolth, Spider Queen
• Penumbra Spider
• Arachnogenesis
• Arasta of the Endless Web
• Brood Weaver
• Curse of Clinging Webs
• Gloomwidow's Feast
• Ishkanah, Grafwidow
• Rotwidow Pack
• Spider Spawning
• Twin-Silk Spider
• Renowned Weaver
• Izoni, Center of the Web

Do All Spiders Have Reach in MTG?

No. Most spiders in MTG have reach, but not all of them. Specifically, Aquastrand Spider, Canoptek Spyder, Giant Trap Door Spider, Mirkwood Spider, Root Spider, Shelob, Child of Ungoliant, and Shelob, Dread Weaver don’t have reach.

Are Spiders the Same as Insects in Magic?

No, spiders aren’t the same as insects in Magic, or in real life.

Wrap Up

Blightwidow | Illustration by Daniel Ljunggren

And that’s our tour of the best spiders in Magic. These webslingers can be really fun to build around, and I’m glad that Tales of Middle-earth brought along a pair of Shelob cards that are just really good. What’s next? Maybe a few human-spider mutant cards when Magic Universes Beyond crosses over with Marvel?

Let me know in the comments if your favorite pet spider didn’t make the cut, and which formats and decks you use it in. Or let me know what kinds of spiders you want to see in future Magic sets! Thanks for reading, and as always, come join us on Discord for more Magic-related content.

And remember, a sneeze is just your brain dusting out the cobwebs!