Circle of Protection: Shadow MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Enchantment |
| Released | 1997-10-14 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Tempest |
| Set code | TMP |
| Number | 12 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Harold McNeill |
Text of card
o1: Prevent all damage to you from a creature with shadow. (Treat further damage from that source normally.)
Cards like Circle of Protection: Shadow
The unique protective capabilities of Circle of Protection: Shadow make it a niche choice for defensive strategies in Magic: The Gathering. This enchantment shines in metagames where shadow creatures are prevalent, offering a shield for just one white mana per intended block. Its closest relatives are the other members of the Circle of Protection family, each designed to ward off creatures of different colors. For example, Circle of Protection: Red provides a similar defensive mechanism against red creatures, a boon when facing burn-heavy decks. Meanwhile, Circle of Protection: Green offers respite against the onslaught of green’s colossal creatures.
Runed Halo stands as another comparable option, granting protection from chosen names rather than damage sources, thus it can negate damage from creatures, spells, and abilities all bearing the identified name. Story Circle, yet another ensemble piece, brings a broader customizability, permitting protection from any color of the player’s choosing. On the contrast, these replacements though versatile, require more mana investment than Circle of Protection: Shadow, which could be a significant factor in early game survival.
While Circle of Protection: Shadow might command a narrower focus, in the right situation it performs exceptionally, adeptly providing specialized defense against one of MTG’s more elusive creature abilities, fitting seamlessly into sideboards crafted for that very purpose.
Cards similar to Circle of Protection: Shadow by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While not directly influencing card draw, Circle of Protection: Shadow can be pivotal in preserving your hand by negating damage from creatures with shadow, effectively reducing the need for additional creature control cards.
Resource Acceleration: Although Circle of Protection: Shadow doesn’t generate mana or ramp, it indirectly contributes to resource acceleration by protecting your life total, allowing you to divert mana towards development rather than damage mitigation.
Instant Speed: The utility of Circle of Protection: Shadow is enhanced by its activation at instant speed, providing flexibility by enabling you to respond to threats immediately and efficiently manage your mana during both your own and your opponent’s turns.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Circle of Protection: Shadow does not explicitly require a card to be discarded, it’s essential to note its presence can nudge a player towards holding onto specific cards to activate its ability, potentially leading to a less proactive hand management.
Specific Mana Cost: This protection card necessitates white mana for both casting and its activation cost. This particular mana demand means it can fit less flexibly into multicolored decks, potentially limiting its utility to primarily white or two-color decks where white is heavily featured.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The necessity to pay one white mana each time you want to prevent damage from a black source can stack up, especially in fast-paced games where conserving mana for immediate threats is crucial. In these scenarios, there may be more mana-efficient options to protect your life total or maintain board presence without continually investing precious mana each turn.
Reasons to Include Circle of Protection: Shadow in Your Collection
Versatility: Circle of Protection: Shadow offers a unique addition to decks that require targeted protection against the shadow ability, a mechanic not commonly found in most cards. Its inclusion can be a strategic play against decks that might incorporate shadow features.
Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with strategies that manipulate damage prevention and defensive tactics. Incorporating it into your deck could enhance your ability to control the pace of the game, especially when combined with other protection spells.
Meta-Relevance: With a shifting MTG landscape, having Circle of Protection: Shadow in your arsenal ensures you’re prepared to counter niche strategies. As the meta evolves, specialized cards like this can transition from sideboard tech to main-deck necessity, depending on the prevalence of shadow-enabled creatures.
How to beat
Circle of Protection: Shadow offers an effective defensive edge in Magic: The Gathering, particularly against decks heavy with shadow creatures. This enchantment allows players to prevent damage from a creature with shadow by paying a small amount of mana. Even so, there are strategies to outmaneuver it. Consider employing non-shadow creatures to apply pressure, as the Circle of Protection: Shadow only addresses a specific subset of creatures. Enhancing your deck with a mix of creature abilities can ensure you’re not at a disadvantage.
Another approach is using spells that target enchantments directly, such as Disenchant or Naturalize, which can remove the Circle of Protection: Shadow from the battlefield entirely. Including versatile removal in your deck grants you more control over the game by eliminating problematic enchantments. It’s also beneficial to keep an aggressive pace before your opponent can establish their Circle of Protection effectively, using instant-speed spells to maintain momentum and circumvent their defenses.
A blend of cunning and the right card choices can thwart the protection strategies of opponents using Circle of Protection: Shadow. Understanding how to navigate around its limitations ensures your deck won’t be overshadowed by this particular defense mechanism.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Circle of Protection: Shadow MTG card by a specific set like Tempest, 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: Shadow and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- eBay
- 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Circle of Protection: Shadow has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Circle of Protection: Shadow 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 | It can be used on non-combat damage which happens to come from creatures with the Shadow ability. |