Common Bond MTG Card


Common Bond - Return to Ravnica
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeInstant
Released2012-10-05
Set symbol
Set nameReturn to Ravnica
Set codeRTR
Number151
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byRaymond Swanland

Key Takeaways

  1. Common Bond enhances board presence by strengthening two creatures, offering an efficient use of a single card.
  2. Instant speed play allows for strategic combat surprises, disrupting opponent plans with timely power boosts.
  3. Being color-restricted and costly, it requires careful deck composition and resource management for full effectiveness.

Text of card

Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.

Wolf riders hone their skills traversing the perilous rooftops, each dizzying step bringing elf and wolf closer together.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Common Bond provides the unique ability to add counters to not just one, but two target creatures, ensuring that you’re strengthening your board presence with a single card. This makes it an efficient tool for bolstering your offensive and defensive capabilities simultaneously, stretching the value you obtain from one card even further.

Resource Acceleration: By amplifying the power and toughness of two creatures, Common Bond can speed up the clock on your opponent, potentially leading to faster victories. With creatures getting stronger sooner, you optimize your resource investment by making every creature you control a more threatening presence.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Common Bond at instant speed gives you the upper hand during combat. Surprise your opponent by enhancing your creatures right in the middle of battle, turning the tides to your advantage or disrupting their strategy by unexpectedly outmaneuvering their blocks or attacks.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One drawback of Common Bond is that you must discard a card to activate its secondary ability. This can prove costly when you’re trying to maintain hand advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Common Bond’s mana cost is split between white and green which means it’s not a perfect fit for decks that don’t run both colors. This can restrict its versatility and deck compatibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although providing counters is beneficial, the three mana cost may be considered steep for what it accomplishes. Players might find better value in other spells or creatures that provide similar benefits for less mana or with additional effects.


Reasons to Include Common Bond in Your Collection

Versatility: Common Bond is a flexible card that can be slotted into a variety of decks, notably those that revolve around +1/+1 counters or creature strategies. It can instantly bolster your creatures, making them harder to deal with on the battlefield.

Combo Potential: This card has great synergy with abilities that trigger when counters are placed, such as evolve, proliferate, or abilities that benefit from creature strength. With the right setup, Common Bond can significantly amplify these effects.

Meta-Relevance: As the game shifts and creature-based decks rise in prevalence, Common Bond can become an essential tool to outpace opponents, providing a quick and sometimes surprising increase in power and toughness that can make all the difference during combat.


How to Beat

Common Bond is an interesting inclusion in decks that look to bolster their creature’s power and toughness in the MTG universe. This instant spell allows players to put a +1/+1 counter on not just one, but two target creatures, amplifying their ability to withstand and deliver more damage during combat. A simple yet effective strategy to counter this card is by maintaining open mana for instant-speed removal or counter spells. By dealing with the creatures before the Common Bond spell resolves, one can negate the advantages it provides. Additionally, board wipes can reset the playing field, rendering buffs from Common Bond insignificant. Cards such as Doomskar or Wrath of God can clear all creatures, ensuring that the distribution of +1/+1 counters becomes a non-issue in the game’s progression.

Timing is key in mitigating the effect of cards like Common Bond. The proper use of removal or counterspell when your opponent commits to a key play will disrupt their game plan. It’s essential to anticipate this sort of combat trick during the opponent’s main phase or at the beginning of the combat phase when they have creatures that could swing the battle in their favor. By doing so, you can control the game and avoid being outflanked by the instant increase in creature power.


Cards like Common Bond

Common Bond distinguishes itself within the realm of creature boosting spells in Magic: The Gathering. Its kinship with cards like Solidarity and Inspiring Call is evident, as they all exist to empower creatures on the battlefield. Common Bond, however, offers the versatility of targeting one or two creatures, giving players the chance to spread counters or strengthen a single creature significantly.

Another card worthy of comparison is Titanic Growth. While Titanic Growth provides a more substantial immediate power boost with its +4/+4 until end of turn, it lacks the permanence of Common Bond’s +1/+1 counters. Joint Assault is also a related spell that lends creatures extra power, provided you have a human to pair with another creature, but again, it offers a temporary advantage.

In essence, Common Bond provides a strategic asset for long-term gameplay, fostering durability and growth that can gradually tip the scales in a match. Its adaptability in assigning counters often proves to be a game-changer, making Common Bond a card that can quietly turn a modestly powered creature into a formidable threat overtime.

Solidarity - MTG Card versions
Inspiring Call - MTG Card versions
Titanic Growth - MTG Card versions
Joint Assault - MTG Card versions
Solidarity - MTG Card versions
Inspiring Call - MTG Card versions
Titanic Growth - MTG Card versions
Joint Assault - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Common Bond by color, type and mana cost

Folk Medicine - MTG Card versions
Congregation at Dawn - MTG Card versions
Mercy Killing - MTG Card versions
Reap What Is Sown - MTG Card versions
March of the Multitudes - MTG Card versions
Pledge of Unity - MTG Card versions
Cosmic Rebirth - MTG Card versions
Woodland Acolyte // Mend the Wilds - MTG Card versions
Folk Medicine - MTG Card versions
Congregation at Dawn - MTG Card versions
Mercy Killing - MTG Card versions
Reap What Is Sown - MTG Card versions
March of the Multitudes - MTG Card versions
Pledge of Unity - MTG Card versions
Cosmic Rebirth - MTG Card versions
Woodland Acolyte // Mend the Wilds - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Common Bond 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 Common Bond and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Common Bond has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2012-10-01 You may choose the same creature for both targets. You may also choose two different creatures. This is because the word “target” is used twice.

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