Phyrexian Censor MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Phyrexian Wizard
Released	2023-04-21
Set symbol
Set name	March of the Machine
Set code	MOM
Power	3
Toughness	3
Number	31
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Alexey Kruglov

Key Takeaways

Phyrexian Censor excels at deck filtration with surveil, refining draws and tactical plays for strategic advantage.
It demands a discard for its ability, which could hinder hand advantage and influence strategic decisions.
Instant speed capability allows for disruptive play, ensuring flexibility and tactical supremacy during matches.

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Phyrexian Censor. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

Name	Format	Archetype	Event
Azorius Tempo	Gladiator		Gladiator Team Unified League
Mono White Stompy Taxes	Free form		Noble Spring Quarterly
Decklist	Free form		Holiday Night Magic
Naya Turbo Initiative	Free form		Canadian Highlander for Duals - Underground Sea Guaranteed - Proxies Allowed
Simic Combo	Legacy	Blue Oracle Combo	Charlotte Legacy League Season 1 Week 11
4c Control	Standard	4c Control	Traditional Standard Ranked Decklists: March 11, 2024
Mono-White Initiative	Vintage	Mono-White Initiative	Eternal Weekend Europe 2023 Vintage Mainevent
Mono-White Death & Taxes	Gladiator		Gladiator Team Unified League
5c Legends	Standard	5c Legends	Standard Challenge 64 2023-12-10 (1)
Mono-White Aggro	Gladiator		Gladiator Team Unified League

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Phyrexian Censor MTG card by a specific set like March of the Machine, 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 Phyrexian Censor and other MTG cards:

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Text of card

Each player can't cast more than one non-Phyrexian spell each turn. Non-Phyrexian creatures enter the battlefield tapped.

Quintorius muffled a sob as he watched the thing that was once Professor Pitnik "confiscate" yet another priceless historical tome.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Phyrexian Censor card helps in filtering your deck by letting you surveil, effectively fine-tuning your draws and giving you access to the cards that matter the most in upcoming turns.

Resource Acceleration: This card can potentially provide a mana boost by reducing the cost of certain spells, enabling you to outpace opponents by casting more impactful spells earlier in the game.

Instant Speed: With the flexibility of instant speed, Phyrexian Censor can be used to disrupt your opponent’s strategies during their turn, keeping you a step ahead and preserving your mana for the most opportune moments.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Phyrexian Censor demands that you discard another card to utilize its ability. This can quickly deplete your hand, making it challenging to maintain card advantage over your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: Deck building is somewhat restricted due to the card’s requirement for both colorless and black mana, potentially causing issues for decks that can’t consistently produce the necessary mana types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana cost sitting at the higher end of the curve, it competes with other impactful cards in the same range, which might offer more immediate or versatile effects on the game state.

Reasons to Include Phyrexian Censor in Your Collection

Versatility: Phyrexian Censor brings flexibility to any deck by providing an efficient way to control the board. Thanks to its low casting cost, this card can easily fit into various deck archetypes, from aggressive to control strategies.

Combo Potential: This card shines when paired with effects that rely on sacrificing permanents or utilizing -1/-1 counters. Its ability to alter the state of the board can be crucial for enabling and enhancing combo plays.

Meta-Relevance: With a game environment that continuously adapts, Phyrexian Censor remains relevant as it can disrupt opponents’ strategies. If creatures and creature-based synergies dominate the meta, this card’s utility can be a game-changer by impacting the effectiveness of your opponents’ creatures.

How to beat

The Phyrexian Censor is a card that can impose significant control on the pace of a game in Magic: The Gathering. When faced with this card, your strategy needs to be methodical to effectively mitigate its impact. Understanding the Censor’s ability to hamper your mana spending by increasing the cost of your spells is key. To overcome this obstacle, consider using low-cost spells that remain efficient under the taxing effect of the Censor.

Counterspells can also be your ally here, neutralizing the Censor before its effect comes into play. Artifact removal spells are another route to directly address and eliminate the presence of the Censor on the battlefield. By incorporating such spells into your deck, you are poised to dismantle your opponent’s control mechanisms.

Lastly, adapting your playstyle by prioritizing mana efficiency and timing your plays to avoid the taxing effect can turn the tide in your favor. Remaining nimble and proactive against the Phyrexian Censor can ensure you maintain the upper hand in your matches and ultimately, preserve your spell-casting flexibility.

Cards like Phyrexian Censor

The Phyrexian Censor is a unique card from the vast card pool of Magic: The Gathering. It bears resemblance to mana acceleration artifacts like the Mana Geode, which also provides an additional mana upon tapping. However, what sets the Phyrexian Censor apart is the imbued Phyrexian flavor, introducing a different strategic angle with its ability to possibly pay life instead of the mana cost, aligning with the Phyrexian theme of efficiency at any cost.

Another card that shares a kinship with Phyrexian Censor is Mind Stone. Mind Stone allows both mana access and card draw – a potent combination for any deck needing ramp and card advantage. While not offering the life-for-mana trade, it compensates with the extra card drawing feature when it has outlived its utility as a mana source. Similar to Mind Stone, Prismatic Lens offers mana fixing along with its mana producing capability, though lacking the alternative use present in both Mind Stone and Phyrexian Censor.

In evaluating the utility and synergy of these similar cards, Phyrexian Censor stands out for players willing to embrace the Phyrexian ethos in their MTG gameplay. Its unique cost flexibility can give decks that extra edge, embodying the innovative essence of the game.

Cards similar to Phyrexian Censor by color, type and mana cost

Pianna, Nomad Captain - MTG Card versions

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Phyrexian Censor has restrictions

Format	Legality
Standard	Legal
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Future	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2023-04-14	A “non-Phyrexian spell” is any spell that doesn’t have the Phyrexian creature type, even if “Phyrexian” appears in its name. Artifact spells, battle spells, and Goblin creature spells are examples of non-Phyrexian spells.
2023-04-14	If a player casts a non-Phyrexian spell that was countered, they can’t cast another non-Phyrexian spell during the same turn.
2023-04-14	Phyrexian Censor looks at the entire turn to see if a player has cast a non-Phyrexian spell, even if Phyrexian Censor wasn’t on the battlefield when that spell was cast. Phyrexian Censor is a Phyrexian spell, so you could cast it and then a non-Phyrexian spell in the same turn.