Martial Law MTG Card

Martial Law grants strategic control by detaining opponent creatures each upkeep, disrupting their game flow. The enchantment fits well in white or Azorius control decks, leveraging detain mechanics for board superiority. Despite its power, beating Martial Law involves proliferation, hexproof, shroud abilities, and direct enchantment removal.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment
Abilities	Detain
Released	2012-10-05
Set symbol
Set name	Return to Ravnica
Set code	RTR
Number	14
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Tyler Jacobson

Text of card

At the beginning of your upkeep, detain target creature an opponent controls. (Until your next turn, that creature can't attack or block and its activated abilities can't be activated.)

"The good of society matters much more than the inconvenience of a few." —Agmand Sarv, Azorius hussar

Cards like Martial Law

Martial Law stands out in the realm of Magic: The Gathering for its unique tactical advantage in controlling the battlefield. It bears similarities to cards like Detention Sphere or Oblivion Ring, which also deal with neutralizing threats. Where Martial Law excels is in its repeatability, allowing players to detain a target creature at the beginning of their upkeep each turn without the risk of losing control should Martial Law be destroyed.

Conversely, cards like Pacifism and Arrest limit players to a one-time effect, restricting a single creature’s abilities or attacking capacity. While these enchantments can be more mana-efficient, Martial Law provides an ongoing strategic edge. Another card to take note of is Faith’s Fetters, extending the arresting effect to a wider array of non-creature permanents, albeit at a higher mana cost and without the flexibility of changing targets.

Ultimately, the recurring control Martial Law offers can be a game-changer in MTG. It requires a strategic mind to maximize its potential, but when played effectively, it excels at keeping key opponent threats at bay turn after turn.

Cards similar to Martial Law by color, type and mana cost

Divine Transformation - MTG Card versions

Diversionary Tactics - MTG Card versions

Teleportation Circle - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Martial Law’s ability to detain a target creature every turn can hamstring your opponent’s strategy and effectively deny them access to their most crucial creatures. As a result, this can lead to a subtle form of card advantage, since your opponent’s resources are being nullified without the need for additional cards.

Resource Acceleration: While Martial Law doesn’t directly accelerate your resources, the detain mechanic ensures you can maintain a better state of the board, potentially allowing you to allocate your mana more efficiently elsewhere. This indirect resource management can be pivotal in executing your game plan effectively.

Instant Speed: Martial Law is an enchantment without an instant speed ability. However, the act of detaining a creature at the beginning of your upkeep is a form of disruption that doesn’t require mana investment during your turn, similar to the flexibility that instant speed actions provide. This allows you to develop your board or hold up mana for other instant speed interactions while continually controlling the battlefield.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Martial Law demands a constant supply of creatures to detain, which may lead to resource depletion. Not having a creature to target can nullify its impact, potentially leading to card disadvantage over time.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s white mana cost might not seamlessly fit into multicolor deck strategies. Sticking to a deck that optimally utilizes white mana, like mono-white or Azorius, is often necessary, which can restrict deck-building creativity.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, including one white, this card enters the battlefield later in the game. Some players might find that other cards at this cost can have an immediate and more versatile effect on the game state.

Reasons to Include Martial Law in Your Collection

Versatility: Martial Law is a unique enchantment that fits well into control decks. Its ability to neutralize the biggest threat each turn makes it a versatile addition to any deck focusing on maintaining board control.

Combo Potential: This card works splendidly with other detain mechanics or cards that benefit from opponents’ creatures being incapacitated, setting the stage for powerful plays and synergy within your deck.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based strategies are prevalent, Martial Law shines by repeatedly hindering your opponent’s best creature, giving you the upper hand in sustaining board presence and tempo.

How to beat

Martial Law is a unique enchantment card known for its controlling abilities in Magic: The Gathering, capable of rendering an opponent’s creature useless during the critical upkeep phase. This can put a player at a tactical advantage by effectively taking the biggest threat out of the equation each turn. To successfully navigate and counter the constraints of Martial Law, consider employing cards that proliferate a wide array of creatures, minimizing the impact of selecting just one creature to detain.

Strategies focusing on hexproof or shroud abilities can protect your creatures from being targeted, while cards offering sac outlets enable you to derive benefit from your creatures before Martial Law can impact your board state. Cards like Abrupt Decay can directly deal with this enchantment since it can’t be countered and can destroy a nonland permanent with a mana value of 3 or less, which fits the bill for tackling Martial Law directly.

Adaptability is key; ensure your deck has answers to enchantments and strategies that aren’t reliant on singular, high-value creatures. When playing against decks that feature Martial Law, always anticipate the detainment and plan your plays around it; this foresight can be the distinction between being locked down by this card and claiming victory over it.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Martial Law MTG card by a specific set like Return to Ravnica, 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 Martial Law and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Martial Law has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2013-04-15	Activated abilities include a colon and are written in the form “ -ost: -ffect].” No one can activate any activated abilities, including mana abilities, of a detained permanent.
2013-04-15	If a creature is already attacking or blocking when it’s detained, it won’t be removed from combat. It will continue to attack or block.
2013-04-15	If a noncreature permanent is detained and later turns into a creature, it won’t be able to attack or block.
2013-04-15	If a permanent’s activated ability is on the stack when that permanent is detained, the ability will be unaffected.
2013-04-15	The static abilities of a detained permanent still apply. The triggered abilities of a detained permanent can still trigger.
2013-04-15	When a player leaves a multiplayer game, any continuous effects with durations that last until that player’s next turn or until a specific point in that turn will last until that turn would have begun. They neither expire immediately nor last indefinitely.