Constricting Tendrils MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Abilities	Cycling
Released	2009-02-06
Set symbol
Set name	Conflux
Set code	CON
Number	22
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	David Palumbo

Key Takeaways

Offers card advantage and the potential to disrupt opponent strategies at instant speed.
Mana cost and discard requirement may limit its use, requiring careful deck integration.
Utility and combo potential make it a fitting choice for control and tempo decks.

Text of card

Target creature gets -3/-0 until end of turn. Cycling (, Discard this card: Draw a card.)

Priests of Bant protect their temples with traps more elaborate than any mosaic floor.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Constricting Tendrils grants the player an edge by potentially negating an opponent’s creature spell, effectively preserving your hand while limiting theirs. This exchange can tip the scales in your favor during the course of the game.

Resource Acceleration: This card fits seamlessly into decks aiming to ramp up their resources quickly. By being cost-effective, it allows players to utilize their mana efficiently, potentially leaving resources available for additional plays within the same turn.

Instant Speed: The true power of Constricting Tendrils lies in its instant speed. This attribute provides the player with the flexibility to respond to threats immediately, interrupt opponents’ strategies at crucial moments, and maneuver around their plays with tactical precision.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Constricting Tendrils requires the player to discard a card, which could backfire if your hand is already limited. Balancing the necessity to keep valuable cards against the benefits this card offers can be a delicate act, especially in the heat of the game.

Specific Mana Cost: This spell demands an exact arrangement of mana to cast. It is not always easy to have the right colors available precisely when you need them, which can make the card a dead draw under certain battlefield circumstances.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that might be deemed steep relative to its effect, players must consider whether Constricting Tendrils occupies a slot that could be filled by a more impactful card. This is particularly important in formats where mana efficiency can make or break a game’s outcome.

Reasons to Include Constricting Tendrils in Your Collection

Versatility: Constricting Tendrils offers utility in a variety of deck archetypes. It excels in control decks that aim to keep the board clear, as well as in tempo decks looking to gain the upper hand by disrupting opponents’ plays.

Combo Potential: The card’s ability to tap a creature has synergies with strategies that capitalize on opponents’ creatures being locked down. Pairing Constricting Tendrils with cards that benefit from tapped creatures can lead to game-winning combinations.

Meta-Relevance: With the shifting landscape of the competitive scene, Constricting Tendrils is a timely addition, proving its worth against creature-heavy decks and ensuring your deck is adaptable to current trends.

How to beat

The Constricting Tendrils card presents an innovative twist within the control suite of Magic: The Gathering strategies. As a utility card, it challenges players to creatively destabilize an opponent’s board presence. Outcome of confrontations largely hinges on leveraging card abilities that can neutralize or bypass Constricting Tendrils’ effect. Key to dismantling its grasp is employing cards with hexproof or shroud, thereby rendering your creatures immune to such targeting mechanisms. Additionally, instant-speed removal spells can dismantle the Constricting Tendrils’ hold before it tightens its grip on crucial turns.

Another strategic pathway is to increase the redundancy of important creatures in your deck. By doing so, the loss of a single creature to Constricting Tendrils becomes less impactful, diluting its capacity to disrupt your game plan. Finally, cards that allow for the efficient recovery of creatures from the graveyard can effectively negate the temporary setback caused by Constricting Tendrils, ensuring a resilient stance against control strategies and maintaining momentum in your favor.

In essence, encountering Constricting Tendrils on the battlefield demands a versatile strategy, combining protective measures, removal options, and resourceful recovery. These countermeasures forge a robust approach in overcoming the challenges posed by this unique MTG card.

Cards like Constricting Tendrils

The nuanced gameplay of MTG is evident when assessing Constricting Tendrils and its place among combat trick cards. It draws parallels with other cards such as Defend the Campus, which also provides a boost to a creature’s power and toughness. Yet, Constricting Tendrils distinguishes itself with its ability to freeze an opponent’s creature upon casting, a strategic advantage that can unexpectedly disrupt an adversary’s battle plans.

Exploring further, we can compare it with Run Afoul. While Run Afoul does not offer a power increase, it effectively removes an opponent’s flying creature by forcing a confrontation with your own creature. This can be a pivotal move, resulting in a favorable exchange. However, Constricting Tendrils offers a more immediate tactical edge by disabling the target creature for a critical turn.

Evaluating the myriad of options in MTG’s complex environment, Constricting Tendrils earns its place as a considered choice for players seeking an affordable yet impactful spell capable of swinging combats or stalling aggressive opponents, thus adding a deeper level of strategy to the game.

Cards similar to Constricting Tendrils by color, type and mana cost

Blue Elemental Blast - MTG Card versions

Whispers of the Muse - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Constricting Tendrils MTG card by a specific set like Conflux, 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 Constricting Tendrils and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Constricting Tendrils has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
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.