Polluted Bonds MTG Card


Polluted Bonds grants life and potential card advantage with each land played by opponents, bolstering your resources. The enchantment can disrupt opponents’ pacing, indirectly providing resource acceleration by slowing them down. Despite its benefits, Polluted Bonds’ specific mana cost and higher mana value might limit its deck compatibility.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Text of card

Whenever a land comes into play under an opponent's control, that player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.

The mystic bond between spellcasters and the land is just as vulnerable to attack as the casters themselves.


Cards like Polluted Bonds

Polluted Bonds is a unique enchantment that offers a spin on land control strategies in Magic: The Gathering. It’s often juxtaposed with cards like Ankh of Mishra, which also penalizes opponents for land plays. While Ankh of Mishra inflicts damage to the controller of each land that comes into play, Polluted Bonds grants you life and damages the opponent, providing a two-fold advantage.

Another card that echoes the land-focused strategy is Zo-Zu the Punisher. This creature, like Polluted Bonds, deals damage to opponents whenever a land enters the battlefield under their control. However, Zo-Zu is more vulnerable as a creature and Polluted Bonds offers additional life gain. Confounding Conundrum is also used in similar decks, albeit with a different approach, hindering players from playing multiple lands and bouncing the extra ones to keep landfall under check, without direct damage or life gain.

In essence, when analyzing the synergy and impact of these cards, Polluted Bonds stands out in MTG. Not only does it disrupt your opponents’ strategy by deterring them from playing lands, but it also tips the balance in your favor with consistent life gain that can propel you towards victory.

Ankh of Mishra - MTG Card versions
Zo-Zu the Punisher - MTG Card versions
Confounding Conundrum - MTG Card versions
Ankh of Mishra - MTG Card versions
Zo-Zu the Punisher - MTG Card versions
Confounding Conundrum - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Polluted Bonds by color, type and mana cost

Horror of Horrors - MTG Card versions
Death Pits of Rath - MTG Card versions
Handcuffs - MTG Card versions
Discordant Dirge - MTG Card versions
Subversion - MTG Card versions
Forbidden Crypt - MTG Card versions
Larceny - MTG Card versions
Conspiracy - MTG Card versions
Putrefaction - MTG Card versions
Spreading Plague - MTG Card versions
Traveling Plague - MTG Card versions
Dawn of the Dead - MTG Card versions
Gravebreaker Lamia - MTG Card versions
Doomwake Giant - MTG Card versions
Clutch of Undeath - MTG Card versions
Sanguine Bond - MTG Card versions
Call to the Grave - MTG Card versions
Curse of Death's Hold - MTG Card versions
Homicidal Seclusion - MTG Card versions
Dreadbringer Lampads - MTG Card versions
Horror of Horrors - MTG Card versions
Death Pits of Rath - MTG Card versions
Handcuffs - MTG Card versions
Discordant Dirge - MTG Card versions
Subversion - MTG Card versions
Forbidden Crypt - MTG Card versions
Larceny - MTG Card versions
Conspiracy - MTG Card versions
Putrefaction - MTG Card versions
Spreading Plague - MTG Card versions
Traveling Plague - MTG Card versions
Dawn of the Dead - MTG Card versions
Gravebreaker Lamia - MTG Card versions
Doomwake Giant - MTG Card versions
Clutch of Undeath - MTG Card versions
Sanguine Bond - MTG Card versions
Call to the Grave - MTG Card versions
Curse of Death's Hold - MTG Card versions
Homicidal Seclusion - MTG Card versions
Dreadbringer Lampads - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Polluted Bonds opens up a flow of consistent card value by penalizing opponents whenever a land enters the battlefield under their control, granting you life gain as an additional resource.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly adding mana, this enchantment effectively slows down your opponents’ resource development, giving you an indirect form of acceleration by tilting the game’s pace in your favor.

Instant Speed: Although Polluted Bonds operates at the speed of an enchantment, it offers an immediate and lasting impact, akin to instant speed effects, by triggering upon each land played by opponents, ensuring you benefit right as the action occurs.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike some other enchantments in the game, Polluted Bonds doesn’t force you to discard cards, allowing you to maintain hand advantage while controlling the board.

Specific Mana Cost: Polluted Bonds necessitates a commitment to both black and green mana. Its color identity may limit its inclusion exclusively to decks that can produce these specific colors easily, potentially excluding it from mono-color or certain multicolor deck constructions.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a conversion cost of five mana, Polluted Bonds might be considered slow, especially in formats where speed is critical. It competes directly with other five-cost impactful cards, and depending on the deck strategy, it could be considered too expensive for the effect it provides.


Reasons to Include Polluted Bonds in Your Collection

Versatility: Polluted Bonds is a unique enchantment that has a place in multiple deck archetypes, particularly those centering around land control and life drain strategies. Its ability to lessen opponents’ advantage from land plays makes it an impactful sideboard card as well.

Combo Potential: This card can be a crucial component in decks that are designed to capitalize on opponents’ actions. It pairs well with land destruction or bounce effects to multiply the pressure on your adversary, illustrating its symbiotic relationship with various MTG strategies.

Meta-Relevance: With many decks relying heavily on land ramps or utilizing lands that enter the battlefield tapped, Polluted Bonds can act as a deterrent and a source of consistent life gain. In this way, it remains relevant and can be a dynamic answer to evolving deck trends.


How to Beat Polluted Bonds

Polluted Bonds is an intriguing enchantment in Magic: The Gathering that can become quite troublesome for opponents relying on land plays. Each time a land enters the battlefield under an opponent’s control, this card saps their life and bolsters yours, making it a subtle yet consistent source of advantage. The key to overcoming this card is to limit the number of lands you play or to employ land destruction strategies to minimize its effect.

Countering the enchantment through artifact removal or enchantment destruction is essential. Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant can deal with Polluted Bonds cleanly, while blue spells like Negate or Disallow can prevent it from hitting the battlefield swiftly. Furthermore, consider using strategies that don’t pivot around playing many lands, such as landless decks or those that rely on artifact mana to function.

To effectively handle Polluted Bonds, prompt action is imperative to halt the steady drain of life points. Ensuring your deck has versatile answers to enchantments and adopting strategic play that circumvents the card’s strengths are your best defenses against this potent enchantment.


BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring the nuances of Polluted Bonds reveals its potential to reshape the battlefield in your favor. As you assimilate the insights from our comprehensive analysis, embrace the opportunity to enhance your MTG arsenal. Integrating Polluted Bonds into your deck strategy could provide the edge you need in matches dictated by land mechanics. We encourage players to assess their deck’s synergy with this versatile card and consider the tactical adjustments it entails. If you’re eager to optimize your play and exploit the subtleties of land-based interactions, delve deeper with us. Uncover the strategies that will turn every game into a testament of your tactical prowess.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Polluted Bonds MTG card by a specific set like Shadowmoor and Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting Tales, 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 Polluted Bonds and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Polluted Bonds Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2008-05-02 and 2023-09-08. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12008-05-02ShadowmoorSHM 742003NormalBlackMichael Sutfin
22023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting TalesWOT 952015NormalBorderlessYuichi Murakami
32023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting TalesWOT 752015NormalBorderlessYuichi Murakami
42023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting TalesWOT 342015NormalBorderlessWilliam Phifer

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Polluted Bonds has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
GladiatorLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal