Pointed Discussion

I love this card. I always run 4 of them in my black decks. It's just a good way to slow down their game play.

I don't get why this card doesn't get more love. I can't think of a better way to deal with a creature with one black mana, which is saying quite a bit in the color of creature control. Sure, they can pay to nullify the effect later on, but that's four less mana they're not using to kill you!

This card needs a reprint.

Man, this is such a great card. I run 4 in a black/red creature control I have. It's great against anything before turn 4, and gives me just enough time to hit them for all I've got in the early game. And it lets me save my Terminates for creatures that have static abilities (Like Godhead of Awe) or really strong monsters (like Divinity of Pride).

This is pretty good, they will be forced to either use permanent removal on the enchant or get a huge dent on their mana pool.

Simple & old but never under estimate the simplicity of this card. 5/5
This card have Reprint written allover it.

if you are afraid of the untapping ability for 4 mana try use royal as.sas.sin to deal with the creature at the time they get four mana. 5/5

Should be played more.
Compare how both this card and Swords to Plowshares deal with Tarmogoyf. Swords has a drawback of life, this has a drawback of being vulnerable to bounce and enchantment destruction. Its not often someone pays 4 to untap a creature; hell, you can sinkhole their lands so that they can't...

Baby you're a firework!!!

A surprisingly versatile card for black. First, it's a great offensive card for disabling bulky attackers or creatures with annoying tap abilities. Then as a bonus, you can use it on your own creatures in a pinch if they have something that prevents them from untapping, say a built-in restriction like Colossus of Sardia or Phyrexian Colossus. Also worth noting is that the card's untap cost is not added as a creature ability, meaning that something like Training Grounds or Heartstone won't alter the cost.

Paralyze is highly underestimated. It's only after your opponent gets seriously hampered by the card that they start to respect it more.

Put this card next to Guardian Angel.

Have a PARALYZER! and another.... PARALYZER!

As good as this card is, it really shouldn't be black. It fits in better with blue or white, as those are the lockdown colors and are more compatible from a flavor standpoint.

I know it's obviously a functional card, but when you can just destroy a creature anyway for a little more mana, why wouldn't you? There's even a little handful of one-mana creature destroyers in Black, and plenty in Red. Wizards doesn't make cards modeled after Paralyze much anymore because they're unnecessary in a world of Shocks, Doom Blades, Path to Exile, etc.

There are cases where this card is much better than *either* destroy or exile effects:
When you don't want the creature to leave the battlefield, or be able to attack you.
Maybe it has death triggers, maybe it has tap abilities. But Arrest and similar are good enough and more flavorful than Paralyze. Moat-like or Sleep-like effects are more efficient in the long run.

Paralyze had its day, it was a cool card, but there isn't room for cards that don't directly Threat-Answer and don't do anything else. Stalling has gotten more powerful than this.

@ thewalkingdead: Your Kung Pao reference has been noticed, and is appreciated.

I already stated on the Alpha printing of this card how I like it. So I'll only add that this now has some added appeal, with Thragtusk being the card it's fashionable to hate, at the moment.

They might want to not waste a removal card on this because the paralyzated creature can can still be used, and you might make them waste 8 or more mana over multiple turns. Not entirely in black's flavor, though. Maybe if it did a similar mechanic, but under the pretense of disease or such?

Waaaay back in the day, when Force of Nature was the best creature around, I won a game by paralyzing it. My opponent had enough mana to untap it...OR pay the upkeep, but not both.

This is still very playable; it's better than most other forms of black removal for black creatures, indestructible creatures, or those with "Leaves the Battlefield" effects or Undying. and (as the example above shows) is also good for keeping a card in play when you want your opponent to suffer its drawback.

And it costs ONE MANA!

Almost overpowered, actually...