Finally, a Paralyzing Grasp type of soft removal effect that doesn't suck.
I'm happy to see a functional reprint of Curse of Chains come back to Standard.
Cryonic
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I'm very happy to see decent control returning to blue.
coyotemoon722
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Good. Blue desperately needs it.
True_Mumin
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Hey... this is pretty damn good! A whole lot better than Ice Cage, that much is for sure. I'm honestly, pleasantly surprised. 4/5
enter_the_mill
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
this is one of the most effective means of removing big threats in limited. most other removal in the set has a disadvantage against big creatures, like vendetta and heat ray
Wraique
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
During prerelease my opponent told me that it only tapped the creature every other turn. He was wrong of course but I believed him. Always get a judge! >.<
FinalAtonement
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Gotta love that flavor text.
Cheza
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
See R&D, Blue deserves Pacifism much more than white! Maybe some splash into black and I will be happy. Red => enchanted creature can't block (anti-defender) Blue => enchanted creature can't attack (anti-power-but-no-activated-abilities)
Lunarblade
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(3 votes)
In a way, better than pacifism. Pacifism still allows "Tap to blah blah blah" effects on creatures while this doesn't.
RedReality
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
It's one of the very few retroactive creature "removal" spells in blue, so it's an important card, just not an especially good one. In mono-blue this is pretty much your best option for dealing with problematic creatures that your opponent snuck in while you were tapped out (not advisable). I played with this card, and I liked it, but it can be anoying when it falls off the first time the creature gains protection from blue. Regardless, it's comforting to have answers that you can draw into, rather than having to nervously hoard counterspells in your hand in anticipation of some unknown future threat (you've done it too, admit it). All things considered, 4/5.
sarroth
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
@Lunarblade: This won't stop creatures that "Tap to blah blah blah" during the controller of the target creature's turn: At their upkeep, they untap their lands and creatures, including the target creature. Narcolepsy then triggers because the creature is untapped, the player taps their creature as an instant in response to narcolepsy triggering, their creature's tap ability resolves and then narcolepsy resolves. At that point narcolepsy realizes the creature is tapped so it has no effect. Narcolepsy effectively makes the creature's tap ability able to be activated only as a sorcery.
cloneffect
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
nice. A great pick when drafting RoE, it's one of the top removal cards in the set. More generally, this is something blue needed pretty badly, as "soft removal" that isn't bounce for stuff that got past counterspells. If, post-Alara rotation, mono blue control does become standard playable, this card will definitely see a lot of play. But as it is, an awful lot of fun.
Anggul
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Oh wizards, you're being very nice to us blue in zendikar aren't you? Love this card.
heyitsduckman
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Could you attach something like... Lust for war as a means of dealing damage?
TheSwarm
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Wonderfully wonderful card, strictly better in my mind than paralyzing grasp because you can tap creatures with this card rather than waiting for them to tap and spring the grasp on them
Enchanted creature cannot attack or block, unless its controller has another way of untapping it. Enchanted creature cannot activate abilities with in their cost, except during its controller's upkeep. During enchanted creature's controller's upkeep step, trigger any "becomes tapped" triggers. Enchanted creature gets a free shot at abilities with the untap symbol in their cost once per turn.
It's hilarious to use Lust for War on a creature that has this on it too, but your opponent will use removal on their own creature if you do that. Better to throw Lust for War on some small early creature and this on their fatty.
All in all, a very nice blue removal option for the format. Sadly, it's going to see about zero constructed play because Frost Titan exists.
An amazing card, completely shuts down enemy attackers, which is my main worry in my control deck...but what exactly are the differences between this and Curse of Chains? I understand that this only taps if the creature is untapped, but does this lead to other fun stack tricks like activating abilities before the trigger resolves that Curse of Chains doesn't (or vica verca)?
Salient
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Poor sleepy Emrakul, never quite taking a journey to nowhere...
PeabodyET
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is cool for putting on your own creatures with {Q} abilities. You can get them to tap every turn without risking them in combat.
I generally prefer this to Pacifism, since this effectively does the same thing while also limiting the use of abilities with a tap cost, so even if I'm not running white I can get some decent creature lock.
JimmyNoobPlayer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Good removal for blue, but it's much more fun to put this on your own Gilder Bairn.
Alienblaster
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
And I'm just like "Moshi Moshi Mother F*****!!!!!!!" - R.L. Stine, lord of the void
Comments (36)
I'm happy to see a functional reprint of Curse of Chains come back to Standard.
Red => enchanted creature can't block (anti-defender)
Blue => enchanted creature can't attack (anti-power-but-no-activated-abilities)
This won't stop creatures that "Tap to blah blah blah" during the controller of the target creature's turn: At their upkeep, they untap their lands and creatures, including the target creature. Narcolepsy then triggers because the creature is untapped, the player taps their creature as an instant in response to narcolepsy triggering, their creature's tap ability resolves and then narcolepsy resolves. At that point narcolepsy realizes the creature is tapped so it has no effect. Narcolepsy effectively makes the creature's tap ability able to be activated only as a sorcery.
Enchanted creature cannot attack or block, unless its controller has another way of untapping it.
Enchanted creature cannot activate abilities with
During enchanted creature's controller's upkeep step, trigger any "becomes tapped" triggers.
Enchanted creature gets a free shot at abilities with the untap symbol in their cost once per turn.
It's hilarious to use Lust for War on a creature that has this on it too, but your opponent will use removal on their own creature if you do that. Better to throw Lust for War on some small early creature and this on their fatty.
All in all, a very nice blue removal option for the format. Sadly, it's going to see about zero constructed play because Frost Titan exists.
Hehe
Think outside the box guys.
- R.L. Stine, lord of the void