Cut the Earthly Bond MTG Card

Cut the Earthly Bond - Saviors of Kamigawa

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant — Arcane
Released	2005-06-03
Set symbol
Set name	Saviors of Kamigawa
Set code	SOK
Number	32
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jeff Miracola

Key Takeaways

Gains control advantage by returning nonland permanents to the hand at instant speed.
Demanding both specific mana and a discard can hamper wide card utility.
Has niche appeal in blue decks, especially those using Arcane synergies.

Text of card

Return target enchanted permanent to its owner's hand.

"The more kami that passed through the veil that separated them from our world, the weaker that veil became, threatening to tear into tatters at the slightest pressure." —*The History of Kamigawa*

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cut the Earthly Bond gives players the flexibility to return a nonland permanent to its owner’s hand. This maneuver can effectively increase your card presence in hand, subtly tipping the scales of control in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: By unshackling your own permanents from any encumbering enchantments or locking mechanisms, this card can act as a catalyst to reactivate your resources. You can expedite your plays, primed and ready to surge ahead in resource availability.

Instant Speed: The agility to cast Cut the Earthly Bond at instant speed offers strategic advantages. It allows savvy players to disrupt opponents’ plans during their turn, maintain the element of surprise, and optimize timing to navigate around potential counterspells or removals. This flexibility ensures you utilize your mana efficiently and react to board states as they unfold.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Cut the Earthly Bond necessitates the player to discard another card from their hand, which can set them back, particularly when their hand size is dwindling or the discarded card could have played a vital role in later turns. This could inadvertently aid the opponent by diminishing your strategic options.

Specific Mana Cost: Tailored to fit in blue mana decks, the specific mana cost can restrict the card’s inclusion to only those decks that can generate blue mana efficiently. This condition potentially excludes it from decks that could benefit from its effects but do not run blue mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the ability to free your field from an opponent’s spell can be crucial, the cost of doing so with Cut the Earthly Bond might be steep, considering the current meta where faster, lower-cost alternatives are available. This could lead to situations where the card feels more burdensome than beneficial in a fast-paced game.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Cut the Earthly Bond offers great flexibility for blue-based decks, as it can interrupt opponents’ strategies by returning their spells to their hand. This can fit into various deck archetypes that want to maintain tempo or protect key permanents.

Combo Potential: The card’s ability to return an instant or sorcery spell to its owner’s hand allows players to reuse their powerful spells or disrupt combos. This potential to recycle spells or create soft locks makes it a valuable tool in any combo deck’s arsenal.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where tempo plays a crucial role, Cut the Earthly Bond can be a formidable inclusion. Especially in a meta with heavy reliance on cast triggers or intricate spell-based combos, having a card that can act as a timely interrupter can shift games in your favor.

How to beat

Cut the Earthly Bond can prove to be quite the nuisance, particularly when it’s hindering your gameplay by returning creatures to their owner’s hand. This card, much like the classic Unsummon, is part of a suite of blue spells capable of temporarily eliminating threats from the battlefield. However, unlike a permanent removal, this card only provides a temporary setback, asking players to recast their creatures and potentially lose valuable tempo.

To effectively counter Cut the Earthly Bond, one should consider playing cards that either can’t be targeted by such spells, like creatures with hexproof, or utilize creatures that yield benefits when they enter or leave the battlefield. By doing so, the return to hand becomes less of a penalty and more of an advantage. Additionally, playing instants or abilities that can counter spells or provide protection to your creatures can prevent Cut the Earthly Bond from disrupting your board. It is essential to foresee and adapt to such spells for maintaining control over the game and ensuring your strategy unfolds uninterrupted.

Therefore, understanding the mechanics of Cut the Earthly Bond and strategically planning around it are key components to maintain the upper hand in any match where this card might be in play.

Cards like Cut the Earthly Bond

Cut the Earthly Bond adds to the set of tempo cards in the realm of MTG. It invites comparison to spells like Unsummon, which also returns target creature to its owner’s hand, typically seen in blue decks that focus on control and disruption. However, Cut the Earthly Bond goes a step further; not only does it bounce a creature, but it also provides an opportunity to splice onto Arcane by revealing it as you cast an Arcane spell, leveraging the synergies in decks that feature this mechanic.

Another card that mirrors this ability is Boomerang, which allows you to return any permanent, not just creatures, to a player’s hand at instant speed. While it offers more flexibility in its targets, it doesn’t bear the splice onto Arcane feature that gives Cut the Earthly Bond its niche appeal. Voyage’s End is also worthy of mention. Aside from bouncing a creature, it allows a scry 1, providing subtle deck manipulation, a boon for any player seeking to sculpt their draws.

Each of these cards plays its role in controlling the tempo of the game. Cut the Earthly Bond stands out in Arcane-themed decks, marking its place as a spell with both immediate and potential extended effects in MTG.

Cards similar to Cut the Earthly Bond by color, type and mana cost

Blue Elemental Blast - MTG Card versions

Whispers of the Muse - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cut the Earthly Bond MTG card by a specific set like Saviors of Kamigawa, 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 Cut the Earthly Bond and other MTG cards: