Hands of Binding MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery
Abilities	Cipher
Released	2013-02-01
Set symbol
Set name	Gatecrash
Set code	GTC
Number	37
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Raymond Swanland

Key Takeaways

The card’s ability to consistently tap creatures perpetuates control, making it a board presence staple.
Combining with evasive creatures maximizes the cipher ability, enhancing the card’s effectiveness.
In certain metas, its recurring lockdown effect and tempo control can significantly impact a match.

Text of card

Tap target creature an opponent controls. That creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step. Cipher (Then you may exile this spell card encoded on a creature you control. Whenever that creature deals combat damage to a player, its controller may cast a copy of the encoded card without paying its mana cost.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Spells that manage resources efficiently can tip the scales in your favor. Hands of Binding not only potentially taps down an opponent’s creature but also allows for repetitive actions. This capacity to reuse the ability can lead to consistent benefits without additional card expenditure, reinforcing your presence on the board.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating resources like a ramp spell might, Hands of Binding can indirectly influence the pace of your strategy. By keeping adversaries’ threats at bay, you maintain the tempo, ensuring your resources are directed towards proactive plays rather than reactive ones. It’s a subtle but effective form of controlling the game’s pace to your advantage.

Instant Speed: The ability to play actions at instant speed always brings a strategic edge. Hands of Binding, linked with the Cipher mechanic, benefits from being cast during the combat phase, allowing you to navigate the complexities of battle with nimble precision. You can disrupt your opponent’s plans at a crucial moment, meaning they’re always guessing what you have up your sleeve.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Hands of Binding can be a tricky card since it necessitates a discard to activate its cipher ability. This requirement can put players at a disadvantage, especially when their hand is already depleted, forcing them to potentially forfeit valuable cards or lose out on activating this spell’s effect.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both blue and generic mana, Hands of Binding may not seamlessly fit into multi-colored decks that don’t heavily feature blue. Players may find it challenging to allocate resources for this spell if their mana base is not adequately prepared to handle specific color demands.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although the ability to lock down an opponent’s creature can be beneficial, the initial casting cost of four mana might be hefty for the effect when compared to other alternatives in blue. Players must weigh if the control and potential cipher benefits outweigh the mana investment when there are other control spells in the pool that offer similar or greater value at a lower cost.

Reasons to Include Hands of Binding in Your Collection

Versatility: Hands of Binding serves as a staple in many decks that aim to maintain control over the board. Its ability to tap down potential blockers or threats each combat phase can easily disrupt your opponent’s strategy, making it a flexible addition to blue-based control or tempo decks.

Combo Potential: This card shines when combined with creatures that have evasive abilities like flying or unblockability. When paired with such creatures, it can keep the most dangerous threats subdued while dealing consistent damage, assisting in maintaining board presence and advancing your victory condition.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where aggressive creatures or pivotal blockers define the pace of play, Hands of Binding’s repeatable tapping effect can tip the scales in your favor. It’s especially relevant in formats where tempo plays a critical role in outpacing your opponents.

How to beat

Hands of Binding is a spell that offers a powerful control element to blue decks in Magic the Gathering, providing both a tap-down effect and a cipher ability that can perpetuate its lock on an opponent’s creature. Detaining opponent’s creatures can give a substantial tempo advantage, essentially restricting their ability to react and limiting their combat capabilities.

Overcoming this card involves a strategic approach, starting with the removal of creatures before the cipher ability can be employed, thus undercutting its repeatable nature. Having instant-speed removal or abilities that can untap your creatures ensures that your board isn’t continually obstructed by the effect. Counterspells are also effective as they prevent Hands of Binding from resolving in the first place. Moreover, cards with hexproof or shroud protect against both the initial spell and the ciphered copies, providing a resilient form of defense. Utilizing these strategies can help dismantle the control Hands of Binding aims to establish, maintaining the tempo in your favor.

To summarize, while Hands of Binding has the potential to hinder your game plan significantly, prompt creature removal, smart use of counterspells, and creatures with protection from targeting are key to nullifying its advantageous lock-down in MTG matches.

Cards like Hands of Binding

Hands of Binding is a unique spell in MTG that offers both offensive and control elements. This card echoes the mechanics of a familiar control spell like Frost Breath, which freezes two target creatures and keeps them from untapping during their controller’s next untap phase. However, Hands of Binding steps up the game with its cipher ability, allowing the player to encode the spell on a creature to repeatedly cast the spell each time the creature deals combat damage to a player.

When considering similar cards, Blustersquall is worth mentioning. With its capacity to tap down all creatures your opponents control at instant speed, it offers immediate board control, comparable to the delayed effect of Hands of Binding. Even though Blustersquall might seem superior due to its instant speed and immediate effect, Hands of Binding provides ongoing control through the cipher mechanic, leading to potentially prolonged advantage.

Another similar tap-down spell is Sleep, which taps all creatures of an opponent and keeps them from untapping during their next untap phase. While Sleep affects the entire board at once, Hands of Binding requires a more strategic setup but rewards players with reuse each combat phase. This cipher ability places Hands of Binding in a position of interest for players seeking continuous control and offense synergies.

Cards similar to Hands of Binding by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hands of Binding MTG card by a specific set like Gatecrash, 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 Hands of Binding and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hands of Binding has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2013-01-24	If a different player gains control of the creature that was tapped by Hands of Binding, Hands of Binding will stop that creature from untapping during its new controller’s next untap step.
2013-01-24	If the creature that was tapped by Hands of Binding is untapped during its controller’s next untap step (perhaps because a spell untapped it), Hands of Binding has no effect at that time. It won’t apply at some later time when the creature is tapped.
2013-04-15	If a creature with an encoded card deals combat damage to more than one player simultaneously (perhaps because some of the combat damage was redirected), the triggered ability will trigger once for each player it deals combat damage to. Each ability will create a copy of the exiled card and allow you to cast it.
2013-04-15	If another player gains control of the creature, that player will control the triggered ability. That player will create a copy of the encoded card and may cast it.
2013-04-15	If the creature leaves the battlefield, the exiled card will no longer be encoded on any creature. It will stay exiled.
2013-04-15	If the spell with cipher doesn’t resolve, none of its effects will happen, including cipher. The card will go to its owner’s graveyard and won’t be encoded on a creature.
2013-04-15	If you choose not to cast the copy, or you can’t cast it (perhaps because there are no legal targets available), the copy will cease to exist the next time state-based actions are performed. You won’t get a chance to cast the copy at a later time.
2013-04-15	If you want to encode the card with cipher onto a noncreature permanent such as a Keyrune that can turn into a creature, that permanent has to be a creature before the spell with cipher starts resolving. You can choose only a creature to encode the card onto.
2013-04-15	The copy of the card with cipher is created in and cast from exile.
2013-04-15	The exiled card with cipher grants a triggered ability to the creature it’s encoded on. If that creature loses that ability and subsequently deals combat damage to a player, the triggered ability won’t trigger. However, the exiled card will continue to be encoded on that creature.
2013-04-15	The spell with cipher is encoded on the creature as part of that spell’s resolution, just after the spell’s other effects. That card goes directly from the stack to exile. It never goes to the graveyard.
2013-04-15	This spell can target tapped creatures. If a targeted creature is already tapped when the spell resolves, that creature just remains tapped and doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step.
2013-04-15	You cast the copy of the card with cipher during the resolution of the triggered ability. Ignore timing restrictions based on the card’s type.
2013-04-15	You choose the creature as the spell resolves. The cipher ability doesn’t target that creature, although the spell with cipher may target that creature (or a different creature) because of its other abilities.