Bonds of Quicksilver MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant, Flash

Key Takeaways

  1. Instant speed of Bonds of Quicksilver allows strategic play, disrupting opponents by locking down threats.
  2. Requires an additional card to discard, potentially depleting resources if not managed carefully.
  3. Demands precise mana, including blue, which can limit its use in non-blue centric decks.
Flash card art

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.

Text of card

Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.) Enchant creature Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.

The sea's reach extends beyond its shores.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Bonds of Quicksilver presents a direct way to keep opposing threats at bay, maintaining equilibrium on the board. The card enables players to control the pace of the match, potentially leading to significant card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Although Bonds of Quicksilver doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it indirectly conserves them by allowing you to focus your mana on other game-progressing plays while keeping a potential threat locked down.

Instant Speed: The power of Bonds of Quicksilver is magnified by its instant speed, providing flexibility in gameplay. This allows savvy players to make strategic decisions during the opponent’s turn, potentially disrupting their plays or waiting for the most opportune moment to neutralize a threat.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Bonds of Quicksilver necessitates having an extra card to discard, compelling players to deplete their hand, which could undermine their position if their resources are already stretched thin.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a precise mix of mana, including one blue mana, making it suitable primarily for decks that can reliably produce or fix blue mana, potentially limiting its inclusion in multicolor decks that aren’t focused on blue.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, including one blue, Bonds of Quicksilver can be seen as costly for the effect of locking down a single target. For the same or less mana, alternatives might provide additional flexibility or utility, potentially making them more appealing choices for deck builders.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Bonds of Quicksilver offers the flexibility to tap down a significant threat, be it a creature or an artifact, which is a boon in any deck seeking to control the board. Its flash ability allows you to play it reactively, making it a useful surprise against opponents.

Combo Potential: By locking down combo pieces or potential blockers, Bonds of Quicksilver can serve as a key component in controlling the pace of the game, thereby enabling your combos to unfold without interruption.

Meta-Relevance: With many decks relying on specific creatures or artifacts to execute their strategy, the ability to temporarily neutralize key cards can be crucial in shifting the tides of the game, making Bonds of Quicksilver particularly relevant in various metagame scenarios.


How to Beat

Bonds of Quicksilver is a spell that can catch many MTG players off guard by locking down a creature with its flash ability, essentially freezing it in place. The card’s control element is significant, as it can disrupt an opponent’s strategy by neutralizing a key creature without warning. This can be particularly stifling if the enchanted creature is a major component of the opponent’s game plan.

To effectively challenge Bonds of Quicksilver, instant-speed enchantment removal spells are essential in any player’s arsenal. Cards like Disenchant or Naturalize provide a straightforward solution, allowing a player to wait for the opportune moment before destroying the confining enchantment, thus liberating their creature to resume its role in the battle. Additionally, utilizing creatures with abilities like hexproof that can negate targeting spells like Bonds of Quicksilver is a preemptive strategy that can prevent the situation altogether.

Harnessing the power of preventative measures or responsive tactics is key to overcoming the icy grip of Bonds of Quicksilver. By implementing these strategies, players can ensure that their creatures remain active participants on the battlefield, steering the game towards victory.


Cards like Bonds of Quicksilver

Bonds of Quicksilver is an intriguing card in Magic: The Gathering, finding its place among a variety of control strategies. Its closest relatives are cards like Claustrophobia, which also renders a creature unable to attack or block. But unlike Claustrophobia, Bonds of Quicksilver has Flash, allowing players to cast it at any time, a significant advantage for timing and flexibility.

Another card worth comparing is Encrust, which not only prevents creatures from attacking or blocking but also disables activated abilities. However, it lacks the Flash ability and thus requires different strategic planning. Ice Cage is similar in effect to Bonds of Quicksilver, restricting the creature in the same way, yet it breaks upon the creature becoming the target of a spell, giving it a fragility that Bonds of Quicksilver does not suffer from.

Evaluating these options, Bonds of Quicksilver stands out with its mix of control and instant play potential, making it a versatile option among creature-locking enchantments in MTG. It cleverly balances the element of surprise with a steady control effect, cementing its position in decks that prioritize flexibility in response tactics.

Claustrophobia - MTG Card versions
Encrust - MTG Card versions
Ice Cage - MTG Card versions
Claustrophobia - Innistrad (ISD)
Encrust - Magic 2013 (M13)
Ice Cage - Magic 2010 (M10)

Cards similar to Bonds of Quicksilver by color, type and mana cost

Steal Artifact - MTG Card versions
Control Magic - MTG Card versions
Animate Artifact - MTG Card versions
Merseine - MTG Card versions
Zur's Weirding - MTG Card versions
Abduction - MTG Card versions
Zephid's Embrace - MTG Card versions
Browse - MTG Card versions
Opposition - MTG Card versions
Collective Restraint - MTG Card versions
Delusions of Mediocrity - MTG Card versions
Thassa, Deep-Dwelling - MTG Card versions
Necroduality - MTG Card versions
Bident of Thassa - MTG Card versions
Coastal Piracy - MTG Card versions
Treasure Trove - MTG Card versions
Mystic Restraints - MTG Card versions
Ambiguity - MTG Card versions
Annex - MTG Card versions
Leyline of Singularity - MTG Card versions
Steal Artifact - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Control Magic - Duel Decks: Jace vs. Vraska (DDM)
Animate Artifact - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Merseine - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Zur's Weirding - The List (PLST)
Abduction - World Championship Decks 1997 (WC97)
Zephid's Embrace - Urza's Saga (USG)
Browse - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Opposition - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Collective Restraint - The List (PLST)
Delusions of Mediocrity - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Thassa, Deep-Dwelling - Theros Beyond Death (THB)
Necroduality - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Bident of Thassa - Theros (THS)
Coastal Piracy - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Treasure Trove - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Mystic Restraints - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Ambiguity - Unhinged (UNH)
Annex - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Leyline of Singularity - Guildpact (GPT)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bonds of Quicksilver MTG card by a specific set like Scars of Mirrodin and Conspiracy: Take the Crown, 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 Bonds of Quicksilver and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Bonds of Quicksilver Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2010-10-01 and 2016-08-26. Illustrated by Steven Belledin.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12010-10-01Scars of MirrodinSOM 292003normalblackSteven Belledin
22016-08-26Conspiracy: Take the CrownCN2 1022015normalblackSteven Belledin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Bonds of Quicksilver has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2011-01-01 Bonds of Quicksilver may target and may enchant an untapped creature.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks