Circle of Protection: Blue MTG Card
1993-08-05 - Number 10
1993-10-04 - Number 11
1993-12-01 - Number 11
1993-12-10 - Number 11
1993-12-10 - Number 11
1994-04-01 - Number 10
1994-04-01 - Number 10
1994-06-21 - Number 10
1995-04-01 - Number 15
1995-04-01 - Number 15
1995-06-03 - Number 13
1997-03-24 - Number 18
1997-10-14 - Number 9
1999-04-21 - Number 9
2001-04-11 - Number 7★
2001-04-11 - Number 7
2003-07-28 - Number 11★
2003-07-28 - Number 11
2022-11-28 - Number 11
2022-11-28 - Number 308
| Card sets | Released in 20 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Enchantment |
Text of card
o1: Prevents all damage against you from one blue source. If a source does damage to you more than once in a turn, you must pay 1 mana each time to prevent the damage.
Cards like Circle of Protection: Blue
Circle of Protection: Blue is a notable piece in a specific subset of defensive enchantments in Magic: The Gathering. It has an affinity with other Circle of Protection cards where each card shields against a distinct color. While Circle of Protection: Blue prevents damage from blue sources at the cost of one mana, Circle of Protection: Red offers similar protection catered against red spells and creatures. Contrastingly, Circle of Protection: Red carries the same activation cost, reflecting the symmetry in design among these protective spells.
Looking at the broader spectrum, there are cards like Rune of Protection: Blue which not only shields against blue but also offers the added benefit of cycling, giving players a chance to draw a new card by replacing it. However, this card comes at a higher mana cost than Circle of Protection: Blue. Another related card is Story Circle, allowing players to choose the color to protect against during gameplay, providing flexibility at an increased mana investment.
When evaluating the suite of protective options in Magic: The Gathering, Circle of Protection: Blue stands out due to its low cost and specificity, making it an efficient tool against blue-dominated strategies.
Cards similar to Circle of Protection: Blue by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: One of the great aspects of Circle of Protection: Blue is its ability to provide a continuous card advantage against decks that rely on blue spells. Since it can be activated multiple times, it’s an excellent tool for mitigating the effectiveness of an opponent’s blue threats without sacrificing additional cards from your hand.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating resources like other spells might, [THEME] gives you the potential to save your resources efficiently. Activating its ability can be a wise investment that pays off by saving mana you’d otherwise spend on more expensive counters or removal for blue spells specifically.
Instant Speed: The beauty of Circle of Protection: Blue lies in its ability to operate at instant speed. This means you can fluidly adapt to threats as they appear and use your mana effectively during the course of the game. It provides a flexible defense mechanism that could be the difference between a win or a loss when facing decks with blue strategies.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Circle of Protection: Blue does not have a discard requirement itself, facing such prerequisites in a blue-focused deck can hinder its timing, especially when hand management is crucial for strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: As a protective measure, this card demands a white mana source. This requirement can be restrictive, potentially awkward in multicolored decks that might not prioritize white mana generation.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite its defensive benefits, the activation cost may pile up, making it a costly investment against decks with multiple blue threats. There are alternative cards that could provide broader protection or a more efficient mana-to-utility ratio.
Reasons to Include Circle of Protection: Blue in Your Collection
Versatility: Circle of Protection: Blue is a sideboard staple for any deck that expects to face heavy blue spell strategies. Its ability to prevent damage from blue sources offers targeted defense, ensuring your life total stays healthy through bouts of blue direct damage or flying creatures.
Combo Potential: For those looking to construct a deck with a defensive posture against specific colors, Circle of Protection: Blue can combine with other color-specific protection cards to offer a formidable defense. It’s also a great enabler for cards that benefit from preventing damage or interacting with enchantments.
Meta-Relevance: In metagames dominated by blue control or combo decks, having Circle of Protection: Blue in your sideboard can be a game-changer. It’s an affordable way to counteract some of the most potent spells and strategies in those decks, making it a clever inclusion for players who aim to stay one step ahead.
How to beat
Circle of Protection: Blue is a staple within the realm of protective enchantments in Magic: The Gathering. It’s a tool specifically designed to thwart blue spells and creatures, giving you a shield whenever you need it. The key to overcoming this pesky enchantment lies in diversifying your threats. By not solely relying on blue-based offense, you can circumvent the Circle’s defenses.
Enchantment removal, like Disenchant or Naturalize, can directly dispatch this protective barrier, making room for your blue spells to hit their mark. Alternatively, using creatures with protection from white, or those that can’t be targeted by spells or abilities, can prove to be effective ways to render it useless. Cards that force opponents to sacrifice enchantments, such as Back to Nature, sidestep the need to target the Circle directly.
Ultimately, while Circle of Protection: Blue can be a formidable foe against mono-blue strategies, a well-rounded deck with answers to enchantments or a varied color palette can easily keep its potential at bay, ensuring your way to victory remains unblocked.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Circle of Protection: Blue MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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: Blue and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The Circle of Protection: Blue Magic the Gathering card was released in 17 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 9 different artists.
Show/hide all sets| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1993-08-05 | Limited Edition Alpha | LEA | 10 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dameon Willich | |
| 2 | 1993-10-04 | Limited Edition Beta | LEB | 11 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dameon Willich | |
| 3 | 1993-12-01 | Unlimited Edition | 2ED | 11 | 1993 | Normal | White | Dameon Willich | |
| 4 | 1993-12-10 | Intl. Collectors' Edition | CEI | 11 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dameon Willich | |
| 5 | 1993-12-10 | Collectors' Edition | CED | 11 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dameon Willich | |
| 6 | 1994-04-01 | Foreign Black Border | FBB | 10 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dameon Willich | |
| 7 | 1994-04-01 | Revised Edition | 3ED | 10 | 1993 | Normal | White | Dameon Willich | |
| 8 | 1994-06-21 | Summer Magic / Edgar | SUM | 10 | 1993 | Normal | White | Dameon Willich | |
| 9 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition | 4ED | 15 | 1993 | Normal | White | Dameon Willich | |
| 10 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border | 4BB | 15 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dameon Willich | |
| 11 | 1995-06-03 | Ice Age | ICE | 13 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Pete Venters | |
| 12 | 1997-03-24 | Fifth Edition | 5ED | 18 | 1997 | Normal | White | Gerry Grace | |
| 13 | 1997-10-14 | Tempest | TMP | 9 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Harold McNeill | |
| 14 | 1999-04-21 | Classic Sixth Edition | 6ED | 9 | 1997 | Normal | White | Gerry Grace | |
| 15 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 7★ | 1997 | Normal | Black | Greg Hildebrandt & Tim Hildebrandt | |
| 16 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 7 | 1997 | Normal | White | Greg Hildebrandt & Tim Hildebrandt | |
| 17 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 11★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Greg Hildebrandt & Tim Hildebrandt | |
| 18 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 11 | 2003 | Normal | White | Greg Hildebrandt & Tim Hildebrandt | |
| 19 | 2022-11-28 | 30th Anniversary Edition | 30A | 11 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dameon Willich | |
| 20 | 2022-11-28 | 30th Anniversary Edition | 30A | 308 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Dameon Willich |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Circle of Protection: Blue has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Circle of Protection: Blue 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. |