Enthralling Hold MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
| Released | 2020-07-03 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Core Set 2021 |
| Set code | M21 |
| Number | 49 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Colin Boyer |
Key Takeaways
- Enthralling Hold provides a significant swing in board control, flipping a threat into an asset.
- Strategic timing in using Enthralling Hold mirrors benefits of instant speed spells in gameplay.
- The card’s ability to target tapped creatures adds a layer of tactical advantage in matches.
Text of card
Enchant creature You can't choose an untapped creature as this spell's target as you cast it. You control enchanted creature.
"I offered to pay him to do the job, but he refused. So I took matters into my own hands." —Tahim, the Puppetmaster
Card Pros
Card Advantage: One of the key strengths of Enthralling Hold is its ability to shift the balance of the battlefield in your favor. By taking control of an opponent’s creature, you effectively remove one of their threats while gaining one yourself. This two-fold effect can swing the game, putting you ahead in resources and board presence.
Resource Acceleration: While Enthralling Hold doesn’t directly provide mana or resource acceleration in the traditional sense, its control-changing dynamic can be seen as a form of acceleration. It bypasses the need to invest mana into casting your own creatures, which effectively saves resources that can be allocated elsewhere, enhancing your strategic options.
Instant Speed: Although Enthralling Hold operates at sorcery speed, its strategic value comes from the importance of timing. Properly assessing when to deploy this spell can act similarly to the advantages of instant speed play. It’s about seizing the right moment to disrupt the opponent’s strategy or to make an end-of-turn surprise that can shift the game’s momentum in your favor.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Enthralling Hold demands precise timing to maximize value. You need an untapped creature to target, which limits spontaneous play and can telegraph your strategy to your opponent.
Specific Mana Cost: With its strict blue color requirement, Enthralling Hold can be challenging to cast in a multicolored deck. Ensuring you have double blue mana available can hamper your deck’s mana base flexibility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Valued at five mana, Enthralling Hold comes at a steep cost, especially considering that some alternative control spells or creature theft cards might be cast at a lower mana threshold, providing similar or greater effects.
Reasons to Include Enthralling Hold in Your Collection
Versatility: Enthralling Hold isn’t just a regular control magic spell. It offers the unique ability to target tapped creatures, making it a strategic addition to decks that can manipulate the state of opponent’s creatures. This can fit into control or tempo strategies where timing is crucial.
Combo Potential: This card creates opportunities for synergy with tap-down effects. Imagine utilizing it after a mass tap spell or alongside cards that reward you for controlling opponents’ creatures. Its potential in a combo-centric build can be a game-changer.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based strategies prevail, Enthralling Hold shines by turning your opponent’s best threat into your advantage. It’s a card that can swing games by seizing control of a pivotal creature, making it relevant in various matchups.
How to beat
Enthralling Hold is a unique control option for players who enjoy governing the board in Magic the Gathering. This aura spell allows you to take control of an opponent’s tapped creature, effectively turning their asset into yours. While this can swing matches in your favor, overpowering Enthralling Hold requires tactful strategy.
To outmaneuver this card, prioritize actions that avoid presenting creatures as easy targets for your opponent. This includes deploying creatures with vigilance that don’t need to tap to attack or using instants that can untap your creatures in response to the casting of Enthralling Hold. Another effective tactic is to hold up removal spells or abilities to eliminate your own controlled creature before the spell resolves, thereby nullifying its effect. Additionally, employing counterspells to preemptively prevent Enthralling Hold from hitting the board is an excellent measure in keeping your creature lineup safe.
The capability to anticipate and adapt to the threat posed by spells like Enthralling Hold underlines a player’s prowess at the game. By incorporating these strategies and staying ahead of your opponent’s plans, you retain the upper hand and mitigate the impact of potentially game-altering control spells.
Cards like Enthralling Hold
Enthralling Hold is a captivating spell in the realm of control magic in Magic: The Gathering. It draws a close comparison to cards like Mind Control which also allows a player to take command of an opponent’s creature. What makes Enthralling Hold stand out, though, is its condition that the target creature must be tapped. This slight variation can be game-changing, allowing for more strategic opportunities to seize creatures at key moments.
Another relative in this category is Confiscate, a spell with a broader reach which can annex any permanent, not just creatures. While Confiscate brings versatility to the table, its higher mana cost makes Enthralling Hold a more efficient choice in creature-focused conflicts. Take Control, though similar to Confiscate in functionality, operates with a twist – it’s part of a saga and offers a delayed theft, balanced with additional benefits over the following turns.
To sum up, Enthralling Hold stands as a strong contender amongst creature control spells. Its requirement for a tapped target is a tactical feature that, when played with foresight, can shift the tides of a match in favor of the savvy MTG player.
Cards similar to Enthralling Hold by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Enthralling Hold MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2021, 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 Enthralling Hold 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Enthralling Hold has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Enthralling Hold card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2020-06-23 | Gaining control of a permanent doesn't cause you to gain control of any Auras or Equipment attached to it. They'll remain attached, but an Aura's effect that affects “you” still affects its controller rather than you, the controller of an Equipment can move it during their next main phase, and so on. |
| 2020-06-23 | The middle ability of Enthralling Hold affects only the choice of target as the spell is cast. If the creature becomes untapped before the spell resolves, it still resolves. If a player is allowed to change the spell's target while it's on the stack, they may choose an untapped creature. If you put Enthralling Hold onto the battlefield without casting it, you may attach it to an untapped creature. |
