Rune of Protection: Green MTG Card


Grants card advantage by neutralizing multiple green threats, saving creatures or the player. Allows resource acceleration with no further mana cost for maintaining protection. Instant speed cycling of Rune of Protection: Green enables surprise plays and preserves card economy.
Rune of Protection: Green - Urza's Saga
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment
Abilities Cycling
Released1998-10-12
Set symbol
Set nameUrza's Saga
Set codeUSG
Number38
Frame1997
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byScott M. Fischer

Text of card

oo W Prevent all damage to you from a green source. (Treat further damage from that source normally.) Cycling (You may pay and discard this card from your hand to draw a card. Play this ability as an instant.)


Cards like Rune of Protection: Green

Rune of Protection: Green is a nuanced piece in the protection spell arsenal found within Magic: The Gathering. Its kinship lies with other color-protective cards like Circle of Protection: Red, which shields you from red sources. Both provide conditional defense, yet Rune of Protection: Green allows for cycling, offering deck cycling versatility which the Circle series lacks.

Shielding Plaque is another relative, bestowing protection over any color as long as the creature stays enchanted. Where Rune of Protection: Green is limited to green sources, Shielding Plaque’s flexibility can adapt to different threats across the color spectrum. Story Circle must also join this comparison, due to its customizable protection based on the chosen color upon casting. This adaptability is an asset compared to the Green Rune’s fixed protective hue.

Analyzing these cards and others in the protective category, Rune of Protection: Green holds a respectable position with its ability to dodge nonessential spells and as a tool for smoothing out draws in Magic: The Gathering decks focused on resilience and longevity.

Circle of Protection: Red - MTG Card versions
Story Circle - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Red - MTG Card versions
Story Circle - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Rune of Protection: Green by color, type and mana cost

Blessing - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Red - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Black - MTG Card versions
Island Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: White - MTG Card versions
Crusade - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Blue - MTG Card versions
Hallowed Ground - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Artifacts - MTG Card versions
Energy Storm - MTG Card versions
Ward of Lights - MTG Card versions
Gossamer Chains - MTG Card versions
I'm Rubber, You're Glue - MTG Card versions
Absolute Grace - MTG Card versions
Serenity - MTG Card versions
Mageta's Boon - MTG Card versions
Seal of Cleansing - MTG Card versions
Absolute Law - MTG Card versions
Sacred Ground - MTG Card versions
Pacifism - MTG Card versions
Blessing - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Red - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Black - MTG Card versions
Island Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: White - MTG Card versions
Crusade - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Blue - MTG Card versions
Hallowed Ground - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Artifacts - MTG Card versions
Energy Storm - MTG Card versions
Ward of Lights - MTG Card versions
Gossamer Chains - MTG Card versions
I'm Rubber, You're Glue - MTG Card versions
Absolute Grace - MTG Card versions
Serenity - MTG Card versions
Mageta's Boon - MTG Card versions
Seal of Cleansing - MTG Card versions
Absolute Law - MTG Card versions
Sacred Ground - MTG Card versions
Pacifism - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Offering protection from a specific color, Rune of Protection: Green can effectively grant you card advantage by nullifying the threat of numerous green spells your opponent controls, potentially saving your creatures or even yourself from being targeted.

Resource Acceleration: As an enchantment, once it’s on the battlefield, it allows you to utilize its ability without the need for additional mana investment. This can free up resources to accelerate your game plan while maintaining a protective stance against green threats.

Instant Speed: The cycling ability of Rune of Protection: Green can be activated at instant speed, which not only can surprise an opponent by suddenly removing the protection and perhaps enabling a strategic play, but also lets you draw a card, thereby not losing out on card economy while adapting to the flow of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Players must sacrifice this enchantment to activate its protection ability, potentially leaving them vulnerable on the next turn.

Specific Mana Cost: Rune of Protection: Green requires not only white mana but also an additional one to cast, which may not seamlessly fit in multicolored deck strategies focusing on non-white mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At two mana for a targeted protection effect, some might find the card costs more than alternative forms of protection that shield from a broader range of threats or offer additional benefits.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Rune of Protection: Green is a flexible sideboard option for white decks that need protection against green threats. Its capability to protect your life total and creatures from green spells makes it a valuable defensive card.

Combo Potential: This enchantment can be paired with cards that allow you to cycle it from the graveyard, creating opportunities for repeated use and synergy with strategies focusing on cycling effects.

Meta-Relevance: With green ramp and creature-heavy decks common in many play environments, having Rune of Protection: Green in your toolkit could give you an essential edge by negating some of the impact of powerful green spells and attackers.


How to beat

Rune of Protection: Green is a specialized card used to thwart green spells in Magic the Gathering. To successfully overcome this enchantment, one efficient strategy is to diversify the color palette of your deck. Introducing spells or creatures of various colors can circumvent the rune’s protection. For instance, cards that allow you to deal direct damage or use colors other than green can be pivotal. Enchantment removal like Disenchant becomes a vital inclusion in your deck to handle Rune of Protection: Green and similar protective spells effectively.

Another tactic is to employ colorless sources of damage or effects. Artifacts and colorless spells are impervious to the rune’s protective ability, granting you a clear path to your opponent’s life total or their creatures. Moreover, spells that force a player to sacrifice a creature or an enchantment can sidestep the protection by not targeting the rune directly but still removing it from the battlefield. In conclusion, a well-rounded deck that anticipates protection cards can smoothly navigate around the constraints of Rune of Protection: Green, maintaining offensive momentum and strategic flexibility.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rune of Protection: Green MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Rune of Protection: Green and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Rune of Protection: Green has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Rune of Protection: Green card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2004-10-04 A source of damage is a permanent, a spell on the stack (including one that creates a permanent), or any object referred to by an object on the stack. A source doesn’t need to be capable of dealing damage to be a legal choice.
2004-10-04 Can be used even when there is no damage to prevent. It prevents the next damage (if any) from the source this turn.
2008-10-01 Cycling is an activated ability. Effects that interact with activated abilities (such as Stifle or Rings of Brighthearth) will interact with cycling. Effects that interact with spells (such as Remove Soul or Faerie Tauntings) will not.