Iron Spider, Stark Upgrade is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Vigilance: Put a +1/+1 counter on each artifact creature and/or Vehicle you control.
, Remove two +1/+1 counters from among artifacts you control: Draw a card.
Complete guide
Iron Spider, Stark Upgrade is a powerful Legendary Artifact Creature that serves as a specialized engine for artifact-heavy decks. It combines defensive utility with the ability to strengthen your board and provide consistent card draw. By leveraging its Heroic origins, this card turns your mechanical army into a growing threat while ensuring you never run out of gas.
Boosting the Fleet
The primary function of Iron Spider, Stark Upgrade is its activated ability to put +1/+1 counters on your artifact creatures and Vehicles. Because it has Vigilance, you can attack during your combat phase and still tap it during your second main phase or an opponent's turn to distribute these counters. Note that if a permanent is both an artifact creature and a Vehicle, it only receives one counter per activation.
Converting Counters to Cards
The second activated ability allows you to draw cards by paying two mana and removing two +1/+1 counters from among artifacts you control. These counters do not have to come from Iron Spider itself; you can take them from any artifact you control, including non-creature artifacts if they somehow have counters. This provides an excellent way to use 'extra' stats to find answers in your library.
Timing and Costs
Removing the counters is part of the activation cost. This means your opponent cannot respond to the removal of the counters by trying to destroy the permanents they are on. Once you pay the mana and remove the counters, the ability is on the stack. Also, remember that Vehicles must be crewed (turned into creatures) to receive counters from the first ability, unless they are artifacts that are creatures by default.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumWith Solemn Simulacrum on the battlefield, you tap Iron Spider, Stark Upgrade. Since Solemn Simulacrum is an artifact creature, it receives a +1/+1 counter. Later, you can pay {2} and remove that counter from Solemn Simulacrum and one from Iron Spider to draw a card, effectively turning your combat growth into card advantage.
Roaming ThroneIf you play Roaming Throne and choose 'Spider' or 'Hero', it will receive a +1/+1 counter whenever you tap Iron Spider because the Throne is an artifact creature. While Roaming Throne doubles triggered abilities, Iron Spider's abilities are activated (indicated by the colon), so they won't trigger twice. However, the Throne serves as a perfect battery to store +1/+1 counters that can be spent for Iron Spider's draw ability.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Iron Spider, Stark Upgrade
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
No additional ruling has been published for this card.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Iron Spider, Stark Upgrade + Crystalline Crawler + Freed from the Real
- 1Activate Iron Spider by tapping it, putting a +1/+1 counter on each artifact creature and Vehicle you control.
- 2Activate Crystalline Crawler by removing a +1/+1 counter from it, adding
. - 3Activate Freed from the Real by paying , untapping Iron Spider.
- 4Repeat.
Iron Spider, Stark Upgrade + Crystalline Crawler + Pemmin's Aura
- 1Activate Iron Spider by tapping it, putting a +1/+1 counter on each artifact creature and Vehicle you control.
- 2Activate Crystalline Crawler by removing a +1/+1 counter from it, adding .
- 3Activate Pemmin's Aura by paying , untapping Iron Spider.
- 4Repeat.
Iron Spider, Stark Upgrade + Voltaic Construct + Cryptic Trilobite
- 1Activate Iron Spider by tapping it, putting a +1/+1 counter on each artifact creature and/or Vehicle you control.
- 2Activate Cryptic Trilobite by removing a +1/+1 counter from it, adding
that can only be spent to activate abilities. - 3Activate Voltaic Construct by paying , untapping Iron Spider.
- 4Repeat.
Arcbound Reclaimer + Iron Spider, Stark Upgrade + Krark-Clan Ironworks + Sol Ring
- 1Cast Sol Ring by paying its mana cost.
- 2When Sol Ring enters, Surge Conductor triggers, putting one +1/+1 counter on Arcbound Reclaimer and at least two additional artfacts you control.
- 3Activate Sol Ring by tapping it, adding mana.
- 4Activate Krark-Clan Ironworks by sacrificing Sol Ring, adding .
- 5Activate Arcbound Reclaimer by removing a +1/+1 counter from it, putting Sol Ring from your graveyard on top of your library.
- 6Activate Iron Spider's last ability by paying and removing two +1/+1 counters from artifacts you control, drawing Sol Ring.
- 7Repeat.
Arcbound Reclaimer + Iron Spider, Stark Upgrade + Mox Opal + Krark-Clan Ironworks
- 1Cast Mox Opal by paying its mana cost.
- 2When Mox Opal enters, Surge Conductor triggers, putting one +1/+1 counter on Arcbound Reclaimer and at least two additional artfacts you control.
- 3Activate Mox Opal by tapping it, adding mana.
- 4Activate Krark-Clan Ironworks by sacrificing Mox Opal, adding .
- 5Activate Arcbound Reclaimer by removing a +1/+1 counter from it, putting Mox Opal from your graveyard on top of your library.
- 6Activate Iron Spider's last ability by paying and removing two +1/+1 counters from artifacts you control, drawing Mox Opal.
- 7Repeat.
Arcbound Reclaimer + Iron Spider, Stark Upgrade + Basalt Monolith + Krark-Clan Ironworks
- 1Cast Basalt Monolith by paying its mana cost.
- 2When Basalt Monolith enters, Surge Conductor triggers, putting one +1/+1 counter on Arcbound Reclaimer and at least two additional artfacts you control.
- 3Activate Basalt Monolith by tapping it, adding mana.
- 4Activate Krark-Clan Ironworks by sacrificing Basalt Monolith, adding .
- 5Activate Arcbound Reclaimer by removing a +1/+1 counter from it, putting Basalt Monolith from your graveyard on top of your library.
- 6Activate Iron Spider's last ability by paying and removing two +1/+1 counters from artifacts you control, drawing Basalt Monolith.
- 7Repeat.
Iron Spider, Stark Upgrade + Voltaic Construct + Crystalline Crawler + Workhorse
- 1Activate Iron Spider by tapping it, putting a +1/+1 counter on each artifact creature and/or Vehicle you control.
- 2Activate Workhorse and Crystalline Crawler by removing a +1/+1 counter from each of them, adding
. - 3Activate Voltaic Construct by paying , untapping Iron Spider.
- 4Repeat.
Arcbound Reclaimer + Iron Spider, Stark Upgrade + Mana Vault + Krark-Clan Ironworks
- 1Cast Mana Vault by paying its mana cost.
- 2When Mana Vault enters, Surge Conductor triggers, putting one +1/+1 counter on Arcbound Reclaimer and at least two additional artfacts you control.
- 3Activate Mana Vault by tapping it, adding mana.
- 4Activate Krark-Clan Ironworks by sacrificing Mana Vault, adding .
- 5Activate Arcbound Reclaimer by removing a +1/+1 counter from it, putting Mana Vault from your graveyard on top of your library.
- 6Activate Iron Spider's last ability by paying and removing two +1/+1 counters from artifacts you control, drawing Mana Vault.
- 7Repeat.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Iron Spider, Stark Upgrade
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.