Hold the Perimeter MTG Card

Generates a consistent stream of tokens, aiding in board control without hand depletion. Demands a specific mana combination and a high casting cost, restricting its use. Effective in defensive strategies, excelling in early game protection against aggressive plays.

Hold the Perimeter - Conspiracy: Take the Crown

Rarity	Rare
Type	Conspiracy
Released	2016-08-26
Set symbol
Set name	Conspiracy: Take the Crown
Set code	CN2
Number	6
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jason A. Engle

Text of card

(Start the game with this conspiracy face up in the command zone.) At the beginning of your first upkeep, put a 1/2 white Soldier creature token with defender onto the battlefield. At the beginning of each other player's first upkeep, that player puts a 1/1 red Goblin creature token onto the battlefield with "This creature can't block."

Cards like Hold the Perimeter

Hold the Perimeter is a card that commands attention within the realm of defensive enchantments in Magic: The Gathering, standing tall alongside others like Ghostly Prison. Both provide a layer of fortification, but Hold the Perimeter takes a unique approach by actually placing creature tokens on the battlefield at the start of the game, setting a more proactive defense. Unlike Ghostly Prison, which forces opponents to pay mana to attack, Hold the Perimeter gives immediate board presence and can block attacks from the get-go.

Comparatively, Norn’s Annex shares a protective function, requiring opponents to pay life or white mana to attack you. The strategic advantage of Hold the Perimeter over Norn’s Annex lies in its Guardian tokens that serve as both deterrents and potential blockers. On the flip side, Propaganda, another enchantment in this category, strictly asks for a mana payment to attack, similar to Ghostly Prison, but does not confer the early game advantage through tokens that Hold the Perimeter does.

Assessing these options, it’s clear that Hold the Perimeter offers a distinct and tangible early advantage. For players looking to establish control and defend from the very start of the game, Hold the Perimeter presents itself as a formidable option among its counterparts.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Hold the Perimeter presents a unique dynamic by providing a continuous flow of token creatures at the beginning of your upkeep, ensuring a steady stream of units to strengthen your board presence without dipping into your hand.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly generating mana or treasure, the card’s ability to spawn Guardian tokens can indirectly accelerate your resources by deterring opponents from attacking, thus helping to preserve your life total and allowing you to focus on developing your mana base and other game strategies.

Instant Speed: Although Hold the Perimeter itself isn’t an instant, it comes into play as part of the Conspiracy subtype of cards. This means it can set up defensive measures before your turn begins, granting you the advantage of instant-speed response with its triggered ability, thus keeping opponents on their toes and guessing your next move.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside of Hold the Perimeter is the necessity to discard a card for its activation. This could potentially set players back, especially during the early game stages when maintaining a full hand is crucial for building up your battlefield presence.

Specific Mana Cost: Hold the Perimeter demands a very specific mana combination to be cast. This includes white mana, which may not always be readily available in a player’s mana pool, especially in decks that run multiple colors. Consequently, this can restrict the card’s integration into various deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana cost leaning on the higher side, evaluating Hold the Perimeter against other defensive options becomes essential. Players might find that other cards offer similar or better protection or board control benefits at a lower mana investment, making Hold the Perimeter a less attractive choice in a metagame where efficiency is key.

Reasons to Include Hold the Perimeter in Your Collection

Versatility: Hold the Perimeter can be easily slotted into various deck builds that capitalize on defensive strategies. This card not only generates creature tokens to protect planeswalkers and your life total but also synergizes well with other cards focused on bolstering defenses.

Combo Potential: The card comes with built-in mechanics that allow for creative combinations, particularly in decks that reward you for having a multitude of creatures or ones that tap creatures for various effects. Its ability to consistently place guards onto the battlefield can be exploited in numerous interesting ways.

Meta-Relevance: Given that aggressive and creature-heavy tactics often dominate gameplay, having Hold the Perimeter can provide a critical early-game defense. This can be particularly effective in formats where establishing board presence and delaying opponent attacks is key to succeeding in the later game stages.

How to beat

Hold the Perimeter is a unique card in Magic: The Gathering that presents both challenges and opportunities to players. As a first step in contending with this card, it’s critical to have a solid understanding of landfall mechanics, as they can trigger powerful effects that make breaking through defenses more difficult. Prioritizing the removal of creatures that benefit from the Hold the Perimeter’s tokens can severely impede an opponent’s strategy. Cards with mass removal effects, like Wrath of God, can wipe out multiple defenders at once, effectively dismantling your opponent’s barrier.

Another approach involves utilizing flying or unblockable creatures, which can bypass the line of defense entirely. Ensuring a versatile deck with abilities to counter such defenses can heavily sway the match in your favor. If your MTG deck is built with these contingencies, the presence of Hold the Perimeter becomes less daunting. Through strategic planning and adaptability, players can dismantle the wall that Hold the Perimeter erects, securing victory despite the initial obstacle.

Ultimately, every card has its counter, and for Hold the Perimeter, it’s about flexibility and the right combination of removal, evasion, and pressure. A well-timed strategy can transform this daunting challenge into a stepping stone towards triumph.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hold the Perimeter MTG card by a specific set like Conspiracy: Take the Crown, 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 Hold the Perimeter and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hold the Perimeter has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Banned
Legacy	Banned
Oathbreaker	Banned
Vintage	Banned
Duel	Banned

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2016-08-23	A conspiracy doesn’t count as a card in your deck for purposes of meeting minimum deck size requirements. (In most drafts, the minimum deck size is 40 cards.)
2016-08-23	A conspiracy’s static and triggered abilities function as long as that conspiracy is face-up in the command zone.
2016-08-23	Conspiracies are colorless, have no mana cost, and can’t be cast as spells.
2016-08-23	Conspiracies are never put into your deck. Instead, you put any number of conspiracies from your card pool into the command zone as the game begins. These conspiracies are face up unless they have hidden agenda, in which case they begin the game face down.
2016-08-23	Conspiracies aren’t legal for any sanctioned Constructed format, but may be included in other Limited formats, such as Cube Draft.
2016-08-23	The Goblin tokens can’t attack the turn they are put onto the battlefield.
2016-08-23	You can look at any player’s face-up conspiracies at any time. You’ll also know how many face-down conspiracies a player has in the command zone, although you won’t know what they are.
2016-08-23	You don’t have to play with any conspiracy you draft. However, you have only one opportunity to put conspiracies into the command zone, as the game begins. You can’t put conspiracies into the command zone after this point.