This nifty little rare from Gatecrash is a nice little card. In fact, I think it’s been overlooked by some, as it has an ability that can essentially Win Target Game if deployed correctly. It’s only a 1-drop artifact that allows you to target opponent’s creatures with hexproof as if they didn’t have hexproof. This can obviously be useful against things like Geist of Saint Traft, but that alone isn’t really a good reason for this card to take up a card slot in your deck.
It’s the sacrifice ability for 3 mana that makes this card worthy of mention. When you sacrifice it, all creatures you currently control gain hexproof until end of turn. However, all creatures you control, whether they are on the board when the Spotlight is sacrificed or not, become un-blockable for that turn. There are plenty of situations in the current Standard format where you have enough damage to win the game but your opponent has creatures that are just big enough to prevent an alpha strike. Considering the only real way to stop this card is to counter its being initially played, if you have 4 mana and enough damage to be lethal in an un-blockable alpha strike, you have the game won.
The only way really to prevent you from winning at that point is for your opponent to have a response to the sacrificing of the Spotlight to destroy or bounce enough of your creatures to prevent a certain death. But played strategically enough, Glaring Spotlight can actually serve as a win condition, making it incredibly underrated. In a deck like Boros or even Selesyna, having this sort of option, even if it’s coming in from the sideboard, is incredibly useful, and can help in both mirror-matches and in those games where you’re always seemingly 1 damage off from killing your opponent. Granted, this is a bit of an overkill way to do so, but it’s effective, and to Win Target Game should always be your chief concern, no matter how it’s done!
