Circle of Protection: Art MTG Card
2004-01-01 - Number 9
2004-11-19 - Number 6
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment |
Key Takeaways
- It provides a unique defense, neutralizing several threats and protecting creatures and players alike.
- Activation at instant speed offers flexible control over the game, making it a surprise element.
- Despite its specificity, it demands strategic hand management and a focused mana base.
Text of card
As Circle of Protection: Art enters the battlefield, choose an artist. : The next time a source of your choice with art by the chosen artist would deal damage to you this turn, prevent that damage. : Return Circle of Protection: Art to its owner's hand.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Circle of Protection: Art card gives you a defense mechanism that can protect your valuable creatures and yourself from specific targeting, effectively negating multiple threats with a single card. This can deter opponents from attacking, thus maintaining the cards in your hand and on the battlefield as valuable resources.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly contributing to mana acceleration, Circle of Protection: Art provides economy by saving mana in the long run. Instead of casting multiple spells to deal with different threats, you can use this card to counter actions targeting art-related creatures or effects, thereby preserving your mana for other strategic plays.
Instant Speed: The ability to activate Circle of Protection: Art at instant speed gives you flexibility during gameplay. You can respond to threats immediately and efficiently on your opponent’s turn, keeping up the surprise element and making it harder for your opponent to plan around your defenses.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Circle of Protection: Art necessitates holding it in hand until the precise moment it’s needed, which could otherwise be spent developing board presence or strategizing critical plays. Holding onto this card could inadvertently force players to discard other valuable cards in the process, especially in formats that challenge hand size.
Specific Mana Cost: This Circle of Protection requires white mana to both cast and activate its ability. This specific mana cost means it fits predominantly in white or multicolored decks, potentially restricting its versatility across the diverse array of MTG deck archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the initial cast cost may be manageable, the cumulative expense of activation can add up over multiple turns. Other cards with similar protective effects or more proactive solutions might provide a better return on mana investment, ultimately casting a shadow on the rationale for including Circle of Protection: Art in a tightly tuned deck.
Reasons to Include Circle of Protection: Art in Your Collection
Versatility: Circle of Protection: Art offers a sturdy shield against any deck capitalizing on specific art pieces. This card provides a tailored defense mechanism that can be activated as needed, making it a versatile inclusion for players anticipating a range of artistic threats.
Combo Potential: Given its ability to protect against numerous instances of damage from a particular art type, this card can be an essential combo piece in strategies designed to stall opponents while setting up your win condition. Combined with cards that redirect damage or that turn opponents’ strength into their downfall, Circle of Protection: Art elevates both defensive and combo-centric deck designs.
Meta-Relevance: With certain artworks recurring across popular MTG cards, including this card in your arsenal means you’re well-equipped to face commonly used motifs. In the current meta, where art-themed decks or cards making use of shared art identifiers might emerge, having a Circle of Protection: Art on hand could be the edge you need to thwart these strategies.
How to beat
Circle of Protection: Art is a unique card that provides a defensive mechanism against a specific color in Magic: The Gathering. It’s similar in function to other protection spells, shielding you from a predetermined type of damage. To navigate past Circle of Protection: Art, focus on its requirement of specific mana to activate each protection. The key is to overwhelm with a variety of attacks or to employ colorless sources of damage that bypass the protection.
Consider using versatile spells like Disenchant, which can directly target and destroy enchantments like Circle of Protection: Art. It’s not only efficient but also commonly found in white-based decks, providing a clean answer to such defensive strategies. Alternatively, broad removal cards that don’t target, like Nevinyrral’s Disk, can effectively clear away Circle of Protections without being hindered by their color-specific defenses.
Also, employing a strategy that forces the opponent to exhaust their mana can render the Circle of Protection irrelevant. Using cards with multiple instances of damage per turn demands more mana than they might have available to activate the Circle. Ultimately, a combination of persistent pressure, enchantment removal, and colorless damage sources can successfully nullify the advantages provided by Circle of Protection: Art.
Cards like Circle of Protection: Art
The Circle of Protection: Art card offers a niche form of defense within Magic the Gathering. With a focus on safeguarding players from a specific color of magic, this card can be compared to others like Story Circle. Story Circle gives players the flexibility to choose which color it will protect them from, allowing for a more adaptable shield in dynamic gameplay environments.
Another card worth noting is Rune of Protection, which shares similarities with Circle of Protection: Art’s ability to prevent damage. It grants the same one-mana activated ability but also comes with cycling, giving players the option to draw a new card at the expense of the protection. Comparatively, Circle of Protection: Art lacks this cycling feature but stands out due to its historical presence in the game since earlier sets.
These cards are pillars in a strategy focused on specific threat mitigation. While Circle of Protection: Art stands as a seasoned choice for focused defense, the adaptability of Story Circle and the versatility of Rune of Protection’s cycling provides players with meaningful alternatives to tailor defense according to the battlefield’s demands.
Cards similar to Circle of Protection: Art by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Circle of Protection: Art MTG card by a specific set like Arena League 2004 and Unhinged, 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 Circle of Protection: Art and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Circle of Protection: Art Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2004-01-01 and 2004-11-19. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2004-01-01 | Arena League 2004 | PAL04 | 9 | 2003 | Normal | Silver | Mark “It’s teh-DEEN” Tedin | |
| 2 | 2004-11-19 | Unhinged | UNH | 6 | 2003 | Normal | Silver | Jim “Stop the Da Vinci Beatdown” Pavelec |
