Story Circle MTG Card
1999-10-04 - Number 51
2003-07-28 - Number 50
2003-07-28 - Number 50★
2005-07-29 - Number 48
2005-07-29 - Number 48★
2007-07-13 - Number 49
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment |
Text of card
As Story Circle comes into play, choose a color. oo W The next time a source of your choice of the chosen color would deal damage to you this turn, prevent that damage.
Cards like Story Circle
The allure of Story Circle is its unique protective capability in Magic: The Gathering. This enchantment allows players to choose a color and then prevent damage from sources of that color, making it a versatile shield. In comparison to other protective spells such as Circle of Protection, which has separate cards for each color, Story Circle offers flexibility within a single card. This saves deck space and provides a strategic edge.
When looking at Ghostly Prison, another defense-oriented card, we see a different approach to mitigating damage. Instead of targeting colors, Ghostly Prison increases the cost for opponents to attack you. While Story Circle focuses on shielding from color-specific damage, Ghostly Prison dissuades attacks in general which can be beneficial across multi-color threats. Another resemblance is found in Runed Halo, granting protection from a named card. Although more specific than the color-centric approach of Story Circle, Runed Halo can neutralize key threats entirely.
Overall, each card offers its unique spin on preventing damage, with Story Circle standing out for its ability to adapt to different colored threats on the fly, highlighting its position in a player’s arsenal for its adaptability and defensive power.
Cards similar to Story Circle by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Story Circle offers a unique form of card advantage by effectively negating multiple threats. It can protect you from a range of creatures, essentially nullifying the cards your opponent has played.
Resource Acceleration: While the card itself does not directly offer resource acceleration, the protection it provides can save valuable resources. By keeping your creatures and life total intact, you’re able to accelerate your game plan without the need to reinvest in defenses.
Instant Speed: As an enchantment, Story Circle doesn’t operate at instant speed, but it enables instant-speed strategies by providing consistent protection. This allows you to pass turns safely and keep your mana available for truly instant-speed interactions without fear of incoming creature damage of the chosen color.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One drawback of Story Circle is its condition that requires a player to possibly discard advantageous or essential cards from their hand to fulfill its white mana activation cost, potentially depleting their hand and reducing their options. This can be particularly challenging when players need to maintain card advantage against their opponent.
Specific Mana Cost: Story Circle demands exclusively white mana for its activation, restricting its use primarily to mono-white or two-color decks that can comfortably generate the necessary white mana. Decks that operate on a more diverse color palette might find it difficult to consistently meet Story Circle’s activation costs without compromising their mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three white mana, Story Circle is considered to have a comparatively high initial mana investment for its ability. While the protection it offers can be significant, there are other cards at a lower mana cost that can provide more immediate board impact or protection at a more economical rate.
Reasons to Include Story Circle in Your Collection
Versatility: Story Circle offers unique protective capabilities in decks focused on defense or control. Its ability to shield you from a chosen color each turn molds it as a customizable tool for nearly any matchup, enhancing your game across a spectrum of scenarios.
Combo Potential: This enchantment excels by synergizing with cards that benefit from color-specific protection or those that manipulate protection mechanics. The potential to combine with other defensive spells makes it a savvy pick for intricate control strategies.
Meta-Relevance: In a game environment that heavily features mono-colored decks or specific color strategies, Story Circle’s relevance surges. It becomes a tactical asset, allowing you to outmaneuver opponents who rely on a predominant color, thus reinforcing its status as a collection cornerstone against prevailing trends.
How to beat
Story Circle is a unique enchantment in MTG that can often present a perplexing challenge to overcome. This white card allows players to choose a color and then, by spending a single mana of that color, prevent all damage that would be dealt to them from a source of the chosen color. The flexibility and defensive capabilities it offers can quickly turn the tide of a match, making it a pivotal card on the battlefield.
To effectively counter this spell, you can opt for strategies that aren’t reliant on color-specific damage. Utilizing colorless creatures, artifacts, or spells that cause loss of life rather than deal damage are insightful solutions. Another approach is employing cards with abilities that can destroy enchantments or negate their effects, such as Disenchant or Back to Nature. Cards that offer hexproof to your own spells or permanents, like Shalai, Voice of Plenty, also serve to nullify Story Circle’s protection, paving the way for your offensive strategies.
Tactics that circumvent Story Circle’s protection, adapting gameplay to utilize the card’s inherent limitations, especially its mana investment for each prevention, ensure that it doesn’t become an insurmountable obstacle. Therefore, inclusion of enchantment disruption or colorless pathways in your deck can be a decisive move against Story Circle’s formidable defense.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Story Circle MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques and Eighth Edition, 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 Story Circle and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Story Circle Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 1999-10-04 and 2007-07-13. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999-10-04 | Mercadian Masques | MMQ | 51 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Bradley Williams | |
| 2 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 50 | 2003 | Normal | White | Alan Pollack | |
| 3 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 50★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Alan Pollack | |
| 4 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 48 | 2003 | Normal | White | Alan Pollack | |
| 5 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 48★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Alan Pollack | |
| 6 | 2007-07-13 | Tenth Edition | 10E | 49 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Aleksi Briclot |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Story Circle has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |