Simian Spirit Guide — Magic: The Gathering card

Simian Spirit Guide

{2}{R}
Creature — Ape Spirit

Exile this card from your hand: Add {R}.

*"It's rarely worth questioning where the mana comes from. Just be grateful."

—Jaya Ballard, task mage*

Power/Toughness: 2/2

Set Time Spiral Remastered
Rarity Common
Mana Value 3
Artist Lucas Graciano
Collector # 190
Scryfall

Why Play Simian Spirit Guide

Fast combo decks and aggressive strategies prize Simian Spirit Guide for its ability to accelerate mana without taking up a land drop or spell slot on the battlefield. The card shines when you need exactly one extra red mana to execute a game-winning combo on turn one or two, or to deploy threats ahead of schedule before opponents can establish defenses. Decks running all-in strategies like Belcher combo, Burn variants, or prison decks use it to power out key pieces like Chalice of the Void or Lightning Bolt when speed is critical.

Format Notes

Legacy represents the card's primary competitive home, where it enables explosive combo starts and appears in various prison and aggro strategies. The card earned a ban in Modern due to its role in creating unfair turn-one plays that proved too oppressive for the format's intended power level. Vintage sees occasional play in combo builds, while Pauper has embraced it in aggressive red decks seeking explosive starts.

Combos & Synergies

Goblin Charbelcher decks rely heavily on Simian Spirit Guide to achieve turn-one kills by providing the extra mana needed to activate Charbelcher immediately. Chalice of the Void strategies use it to deploy Chalice on turn one with X=1, locking opponents out of cheap spells while the Spirit Guide bypasses the restriction. Burning Inquiry combo decks leverage it for additional mana when executing complex sequences involving multiple cheap spells in a single turn.

Learn More

Creature Exile Commander Pauper Legacy