Okay, you have to pump mana into it every other turn to make it a Pacifism but shutting down activated abilities is interesting.
Volcre
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
A very interesting pacifism. Not being able to block or use abilities is much more useful than you'd think...
Hyon
★★★☆☆ (3.1/5.0)(4 votes)
put in on a creature that already has defender
Mode
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
It's merely a Snow version of Arrest. Disabling activated abilities for a single mana is already somewhat useful, like a minor Pithing Needle. Then also preventing the creature from blocking makes it even better when playing offensive. It might be tedious to pay the cost each turn to prevent an enchanted fattie from attacking, but afterall this is a one-drop Aura, so there's not much to complain about this card. It's also the first Pacifism-like card where Wizards thought it was worth using the Defender keyword.
edit: @ Malnourished_Student: If you can afford paying one mana (from a snow source) each turn (and if there's a Darksteel Colossus on the other side i'm pretty sure you are willing to do so), you can prevent the creature from attacking. Nine times out of ten, if using any enchantments for this, i'd choose Journey to Nowhere instead of either of those cards.
Malnourished_Student
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
@ Mode
That is not entirely accurate. Arrest will prevent the creature attacking too. This will not. Whilst useful (stops dangerous abilities on creatures) at 1 White mana, it will not save you from Darksteel Colossus.
9-times out of-10 I will go for Arrest.
edit: @Mode
I hadn't spotted that the defender cost was on the enchantment as opposed to given to the creature (that always made no sense to me), so I withdraw my comment and agree to this cards awesomeness.
Bursama
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Arrest or Pacifism is better than this. But this has the coolest art.
ROBRAM89
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This was way too weird and complicated for common. It reads more like a GDS submission than a published card.
Kryptnyt
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Aggressive white decks could use this to good effect, and its common too so its legal in pauper where that can really work well.
psychichobo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Would've been better if it stopped them from attacking and you paid to give them defender. Otherwise people will just swing with it since they've nothing better to do with it. The other way round would've at least bought you time and allowed you to stop it blocking when it mattered.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Pretty sweet card if your running snow lands.
Axelle
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
How do you give defender to something that can't block? The mechanics are there, but the wording's flavor is so strange.
littleOschi
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It may not be Vintage playable, but it's much better than people think, by costing only W you can save mana for a counterspell earlygame and lategame 1 Mana is almost always available.
Comments (12)
Disabling activated abilities for a single mana is already somewhat useful, like a minor Pithing Needle. Then also preventing the creature from blocking makes it even better when playing offensive.
It might be tedious to pay the cost each turn to prevent an enchanted fattie from attacking, but afterall this is a one-drop Aura, so there's not much to complain about this card.
It's also the first Pacifism-like card where Wizards thought it was worth using the Defender keyword.
edit: @ Malnourished_Student:
If you can afford paying one mana (from a snow source) each turn (and if there's a Darksteel Colossus on the other side i'm pretty sure you are willing to do so), you can prevent the creature from attacking.
Nine times out of ten, if using any enchantments for this, i'd choose Journey to Nowhere instead of either of those cards.
That is not entirely accurate. Arrest will prevent the creature attacking too. This will not. Whilst useful (stops dangerous abilities on creatures) at 1 White mana, it will not save you from Darksteel Colossus.
9-times out of-10 I will go for Arrest.
edit: @Mode
I hadn't spotted that the defender cost was on the enchantment as opposed to given to the creature (that always made no sense to me), so I withdraw my comment and agree to this cards awesomeness.
by costing only W you can save mana for a counterspell earlygame and lategame 1 Mana is almost always available.
+it's snow for stuff like Rimefeather Owl or Scrying Sheets