Conjurer's Ban MTG Card


Conjurer's Ban - Guildpact
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Released2006-02-03
Set symbol
Set nameGuildpact
Set codeGPT
Number108
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byPete Venters

Key Takeaways

  1. Conjurer’s Ban allows players to restrict powerful, game-altering cards, gaining a strategic advantage.
  2. Instant speed provides tactical disruption without revealing early game plans.
  3. Specific mana and discard requirements limit its use to certain deck builds.

Text of card

Name a card. Until your next turn, the named card can't be played. Draw a card.

Orzhov faithful file past to have their minds purged of "impure" desires. There, the guiltwardens eliminate any thoughts of hope or self-sufficiency.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The power of Conjurer’s Ban lies in its ability to restrict opponents from playing their most powerful cards, potentially leaving them with fewer options and allowing you to pull ahead in the game.

Resource Acceleration: Though Conjurer’s Ban itself does not directly accelerate resources, controlling the flow of the game can indirectly lead to resource advantages by making your opponent’s turns less efficient and their resource use more predictable.

Instant Speed: The utility of Conjurer’s Ban is significantly increased by its instant speed, permitting you to disrupt your opponent’s strategy at a critical moment without telegraphing your plan too early.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Conjurer’s Ban demands that you discard another card upon casting. This stipulation means using it can be precarious when your hand size is dwindling, potentially forcing you to sacrifice valuable pieces from your limited arsenal.

Specific Mana Cost: This card comes with a very particular mana cost that requires both white and black mana. This restricts it to decks that can consistently produce both types of mana, potentially limiting its inclusion to only certain strategies and diminishing its versatility in a broad range of deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment for Conjurer’s Ban is not insignificant. At three mana, including two specific colors, it competes with numerous other impactful options available at the same or lower cost bracket. Players often measure the efficacy of a card against its mana efficiency, and in this case, it might fall short when compared to alternatives that provide more immediate or impactful results.


Reasons to Include Conjurer’s Ban in Your Collection

Versatility: Conjurer’s Ban is a card that excels in its ability to disrupt opponents’ strategies by preemptively banning key cards from their deck. It’s a useful tool in any collection for its surgical precision in addressing specific threats.

Combo Potential: This card can work wonders as a setup for various combos, laying the groundwork by eliminating potential disruption from your adversary. Particularly in decks that aim to execute their game plan uninterrupted, Conjurer’s Ban is a great enabler.

Meta-Relevance: Given the ever-shifting landscape of the competitive scene, Conjurer’s Ban proves its worth by providing a tactical edge. If the meta is dominated by certain powerful cards, being able to call a ban on them can tip the scales in your favor.


How to beat

Conjurer’s Ban is a unique spell that can preemptively halt specific threats in Magic: The Gathering. With this card, players can name any card and prevent anyone from casting spells with the chosen name until your next turn. This disruptive ability can be quite powerful, but there are strategies to mitigate its effects.

Adept players can tackle Conjurer’s Ban by maintaining a diverse hand, ensuring that they have a variety of spells to play that aren’t hindered by it. Another option is to rely on abilities from cards already on the battlefield, such as activated or triggered abilities that aren’t impacted by Conjurer’s Ban since it specifically targets the casting of spells. Counterplays include using counter-magic to stop Conjurer’s Ban from resolving or deploying cards that allow you to play spells from locations other than your hand, outmaneuvering the constraints set by the ban. Having an assortment of removal spells to handle opposing threats that may be protected by Conjurer’s Ban is also key.

In essence, versatility and preparedness are your best defenses against Conjurer’s Ban, ensuring that it won’t significantly disrupt your strategy or overwhelm your game plan.


Cards like Conjurer's Ban

Conjurer’s Ban stands out in the suite of denial and restriction cards in Magic: The Gathering. It’s analogous to Meddling Mage, which allows you to name a card and restrict that card’s casting. Conjurer’s Ban extends this effect across all opponents with a slight variation—it specifically targets cards outside the game, affecting cards that players might wish to bring into play. This offers a strategic advantage similar to cards like Drannith Magistrate, which totally shuts down your opponents from casting spells from anywhere other than their hands.

Another card conjuring a similar spell is Aven Mindcensor, constraining opponents’ searches within the top four cards of their library. While not identical, it presents a comparable control effect, curbing strategic searching for solutions. Less restrictive than Conjurer’s Ban, Archon of Emeria alters the game pace, allowing only one spell per turn and slowing down nonbasic lands. Though different in specifics, this card echoes the spirit of game manipulation seen with Conjurer’s Ban.

In essence, Conjurer’s Ban offers players a unique lock-down tool in their arsenal, distinct for its capacity to preemptively thwart an opponent’s potential plays by targeting cards outside the typical boundaries of the game.

Meddling Mage - MTG Card versions
Drannith Magistrate - MTG Card versions
Aven Mindcensor - MTG Card versions
Archon of Emeria - MTG Card versions
Meddling Mage - Planeshift (PLS)
Drannith Magistrate - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (IKO)
Aven Mindcensor - Future Sight (FUT)
Archon of Emeria - Zendikar Rising Promos (PZNR)

Cards similar to Conjurer's Ban by color, type and mana cost

Death Grasp - MTG Card versions
Gerrard's Verdict - MTG Card versions
Castigate - MTG Card versions
Damn - MTG Card versions
Blot Out the Sky - MTG Card versions
Can't Stay Away - MTG Card versions
Humiliate - MTG Card versions
Rite of Oblivion - MTG Card versions
Shadow Summoning - MTG Card versions
Shrouded Shepherd // Cleave Shadows - MTG Card versions
Soul Search - MTG Card versions
Death Grasp - Commander 2015 (C15)
Gerrard's Verdict - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Castigate - Guildpact (GPT)
Damn - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)
Blot Out the Sky - Strixhaven: School of Mages Promos (PSTX)
Can't Stay Away - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)
Humiliate - Strixhaven: School of Mages (STX)
Rite of Oblivion - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)
Shadow Summoning - The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth (LTR)
Shrouded Shepherd // Cleave Shadows - Wilds of Eldraine (WOE)
Soul Search - Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Conjurer's Ban MTG card by a specific set like Guildpact, 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 Conjurer's Ban and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Conjurer's Ban has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2006-02-01 Conjurer’s Ban only affects cards. A copy of a card (for example, one created by Eye of the Storm isn’t a card, so it can be played.
2006-02-01 Players may cast spells while Conjurer’s Ban is on the stack. Only after all players pass priority does Conjurer’s Ban resolve, and that’s when you name a card. Once you name a card, that card can’t be played in response.
2006-02-01 You may name a land card to prevent it from being played.
2008-08-01 This can’t be used as a counterspell. It will have no effect on spells which were on the stack when it was cast, nor on those cast in response to it.

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