Promise of Loyalty MTG Card


Promise of Loyalty offers board control by limiting threats and enhancing existing creatures. While not a direct resource accelerator, it solidifies board presence and game momentum. Requires strategic timing due to its sorcery speed and significant impact on gameplay.
Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Text of card

Each player puts a vow counter on a creature they control and sacrifices the rest. Each of those creatures can't attack you or planeswalkers you control for as long as it has a vow counter on it.


Cards like Promise of Loyalty

Promise of Loyalty is a unique card in MTG that has captured the attention of many deck builders for its particular blend of board impact and allegiance-setting ability. This card is often compared to Oath of Lieges for its communal promise but the latter leans towards resource balancing rather than direct conflict alteration. Unlike Oath of Lieges, which serves to even out the land plays amongst players, Promise of Loyalty incentivizes keeping a single creature alive while devastating the rest of the board, a clear signal of loyalty in the game’s politics.

Another card that sparks discussion when considering symmetrical effects is Tragic Arrogance. It allows a player to choose permanents the opponents keep, which can be a more controlled but equally substantial board swing, leaving opponents with lesser strategic options. Though Tragic Arrogance provides more discretion to the caster, Promise of Loyalty has the added benefit of deterring attacks against you, thanks to the vow aspect. This tactical edge bolsters a player’s defense by weaving together deterrence and removal in one spell.

Examining similar MTG cards, Promise of Loyalty stands out with its dual functionality of resetting the board state while maintaining an aura of protection. It’s a card that, when played strategically, can significantly enhance a player’s control over the game’s progression.

Oath of Lieges - MTG Card versions
Tragic Arrogance - MTG Card versions
Oath of Lieges - MTG Card versions
Tragic Arrogance - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Promise of Loyalty by color, type and mana cost

Winds of Rath - MTG Card versions
Purify - MTG Card versions
Wave of Reckoning - MTG Card versions
Global Ruin - MTG Card versions
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Lonesome Unicorn // Rider in Need - MTG Card versions
Slash the Ranks - MTG Card versions
Saltblast - MTG Card versions
Three Dreams - MTG Card versions
Evangelize - MTG Card versions
Hallowed Burial - MTG Card versions
Iona's Judgment - MTG Card versions
Increasing Devotion - MTG Card versions
Defy Death - MTG Card versions
Angelic Edict - MTG Card versions
End Hostilities - MTG Card versions
Fell the Mighty - MTG Card versions
Tragic Arrogance - MTG Card versions
Planar Outburst - MTG Card versions
Winds of Rath - MTG Card versions
Purify - MTG Card versions
Wave of Reckoning - MTG Card versions
Global Ruin - MTG Card versions
Rout - MTG Card versions
March of Souls - MTG Card versions
Lonesome Unicorn // Rider in Need - MTG Card versions
Slash the Ranks - MTG Card versions
Saltblast - MTG Card versions
Three Dreams - MTG Card versions
Evangelize - MTG Card versions
Hallowed Burial - MTG Card versions
Iona's Judgment - MTG Card versions
Increasing Devotion - MTG Card versions
Defy Death - MTG Card versions
Angelic Edict - MTG Card versions
End Hostilities - MTG Card versions
Fell the Mighty - MTG Card versions
Tragic Arrogance - MTG Card versions
Planar Outburst - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Promise of Loyalty offers a unique kind of card advantage. While it doesn’t let you draw more cards, it can radically reduce the overall number of threats on the board, effectively enhancing the value of the cards already in play for you, especially if you have a strategy centered around a singular, powerful creature.

Resource Acceleration: Although Promise of Loyalty doesn’t directly accelerate resources in terms of adding mana, its potential to leave the most powerful creature on the board untouched can lead to a significant acceleration in board presence and momentum, putting you steps ahead of opponents in creature-based strategies.

Instant Speed: Promise of Loyalty is a sorcery, so it doesn’t have the flexibility of an instant-speed spell. However, the strategic planning it requires adds depth to gameplay, ensuring players must carefully consider the perfect moment to alter the battlefield to their advantage during their own turn. Its effect can tip the scales dramatically, particularly immediately preceding your attack phase or when setting up for a potent next move.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The requirement to discard a permanent you control as part of the cost to cast Promise of Loyalty can put you at a disadvantage, especially if your board presence is already tenuous.

Specific Mana Cost: With a specific need for white mana, this card demands a commitment to that color in your deck, which may not synergize well with multicolor strategies that are light on white mana resources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes three generic and two white mana, Promise of Loyalty can be quite costly, especially when considering that you might be able to find more budget-friendly alternatives that offer similar protection or board stabilization benefits.


Reasons to Include Promise of Loyalty in Your Collection

Versatility: Promise of Loyalty can adapt to various deck builds, helping to stabilize board states for control or midrange decks. It serves not only as a powerful vote mechanic but also as a white spell that can impact the wide array of strategies across different formats.

Combo Potential: The card holds synergy with effects that capitalize on creature control, such as those that reward players for possessing the highest power creature or taxing opponents whenever control changes. This synergy can be a game-changer in the right deck.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to affect all creatures on the battlefield, Promise of Loyalty can be a formidable inclusion, particularly in environments where creature-heavy decks are prevalent. Its ability to level the playing field can turn the tides in your favor at critical moments of a match.


How to Beat Promise of Loyalty

Promise of Loyalty stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a unique white spell that can seriously affect the battlefield dynamics. By causing each player to vow to keep only one creature and making that creature indestructible, it can radically alter the state of the game, especially in multiplayer formats. Playing against this card requires strategy and anticipation.

To cleverly navigate around Promise of Loyalty, consider using creature spells that generate tokens, which allows you to keep a token creature as your choice and potentially sacrifice less valuable assets. Spells that grant you benefits when your creatures die, such as card draw or life gain, can also offset the disadvantage. Additionally, with the indestructible aspect in play, it becomes essential to leverage board wipes that circumvent this by not destroying, such as exiling or returning creatures to players’ hands. This way, you can handle the protected creatures without direct destruction.

Utilizing instant-speed removal spells just before Promise of Loyalty resolves is another effective technique. By thinning out your opponent’s battlefield in advance, you force them into difficult decisions and possibly retain a creature advantage post-resolution. In the end, understanding the intricacies of each game state and having a robust defensive strategy will be key to outmaneuvering the implications of Promise of Loyalty.


BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring the strategic depths of MTG is a constant quest for supremacy, where every card like Promise of Loyalty can be a game-changer. Weaving together the pros and cons, the unique abilities, and the subtle tactics that it enables, players that master this card can dictate the flow of the battlefield. If you’re keen to refine your deck and uncover new winning strategies with Promise of Loyalty, we’re here to guide you. Enhance your collection, outsmart your opponents, and command the game. Step into our realm of insights and let’s conquer the meta together.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Promise of Loyalty MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Commander 2021, 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 Promise of Loyalty and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Promise of Loyalty Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2021-04-23 and 2024-02-09. Illustrated by Sara Winters.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 899942015NormalBlackSara Winters
22021-04-23Commander 2021C21 3482015NormalBlackSara Winters
32021-04-23Commander 2021C21 212015NormalBlackSara Winters
42023-04-21March of the Machine CommanderMOC 2002015NormalBlackSara Winters
52023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 8332015NormalBlackSara Winters
62024-02-09Murders at Karlov Manor CommanderMKC 792015NormalBlackSara Winters

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Promise of Loyalty has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2021-04-16 Each player, including you, must put a vow counter on a creature they control if able. They can't choose to opt out and sacrifice all of their creatures. The creature you put a vow counter on will remember its promise if another player gains control of it.
2021-04-16 If the vow counter is moved to another creature, it won't prevent the second creature from attacking normally.
2021-04-16 If the vow counter is removed from the creature, it can attack as normal.