Circle of Protection: Black MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 26 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Effective against black, it provides sustainable defense, neutralizing threats and preserving board presence.
  2. Requires strategic mana allocation, especially in multicolor decks to maximize its protective abilities.
  3. Versatile in its niche, critical for countering black-centric strategies and enhancing deck resilience.

Text of card

o1: Prevents all damage against you from one black source. If a source does damage to you more than once in a turn, you must pay 1 mana each time to prevent the damage.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Circle of Protection: Black offers a targeted method for preserving your resources against black cards. This card allows you to negate damage from any black source, potentially nullifying the efforts of opponent’s black creatures or spells turn after turn without losing card equity on the board.

Resource Acceleration: While Circle of Protection: Black itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it efficiently uses the mana you have. For a single white mana, you can prevent damage from black sources, effectively stretching your mana further in games where these interactions are pivotal.

Instant Speed: The ability to activate Circle of Protection: Black at instant speed offers flexible defense during any phase of your opponent’s turn. This allows players to adapt to threats as they arise, providing a shield that can be adapted to the changing battlefield while not committing resources until it’s most impactful.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While the Circle of Protection: Black card can provide significant defense against black spells and creatures, it requires players to discard a card frequently to maintain its protective effect. This can lead to a depletion of valuable hand assets, leaving players at a disadvantage in the long run.

Specific Mana Cost: The activation of Circle of Protection: Black’s ability is dependent on having white mana available. This need for a specific mana type can pose a challenge in multicolor decks where mana resources must be carefully managed and allocated to multiple spells and effects simultaneously.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although the card’s initial casting cost may seem low, the continuous need for mana to activate its effect renders it a more expensive investment over time. Players may find that they’re committing a substantial amount of their mana resources just to activate Circle of Protection: Black, which could otherwise be spent on casting impactful creatures or game-changing spells.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Circle of Protection: Black is a versatile choice for decks looking for defensive flexibility. Since black spells are common across various formats, having this card can safeguard your game from unexpected threats and targeted spells from one of the game’s most powerful colors.

Combo Potential: This enchantment enhances your defensive combos. It pairs well with effects that allow you to gain life or manipulate damage, turning any black threats your opponents possess into opportunities for you to stabilize and control the board.

Meta-Relevance: With black’s presence in a variety of meta decks, Circle of Protection: Black can be a timely addition to your collection. Whether facing aggressive zombies, reanimation strategies, or high-power black creatures, this card crowns you with the ability to nullify these threats and improve your win rate against such decks.


How to beat

Circle of Protection: Black is an enchantment that has been a go-to defensive measure for players facing off against black decks in Magic: The Gathering. The card creates a safeguard, letting its controller pay a minimal amount of mana to prevent damage from black sources. This can be particularly frustrating when your strategy is heavily reliant on black damage dealers.

To effectively bypass this obstacle, the recommended approach involves the use of cards that aren’t hindered by protections based on color. Consider leveraging artifacts or cards that deal damage irrespective of color to diminish the Circle’s effectiveness. Additionally, enchantment removal spells can be just as pivotal as direct damage, offering a straightforward method to dismantle your opponent’s defenses. Spells like Disenchant or Naturalize, which can target and destroy enchantments, can swiftly neutralize Circle of Protection: Black. These tools are essential in any player’s arsenal, especially when facing decks that utilize specific color protection tactics.

In essence, versatility in your deck-building choices and having ready answers for common protective measures like Circle of Protection: Black can give you the upper hand, ensuring that your strategy remains unhampered and your path to victory clear.


Cards like Circle of Protection: Black

Circle of Protection: Black holds a particular niche in Magic: The Gathering as a specialized defensive enchantment. It echoes the design of several other ‘Circle of Protection’ cards, each tailored to protect against a specific color. Comparatively, Circle of Protection: Red offers similar utility, shielding players from red sources, which could be pivotal considering the abundance of red direct damage spells in the game.

When evaluating Circle of Protection: White, we notice it follows the same structure of preventing damage but targets a different segment of the MTG color pie. It excels in matchups where white creatures or spells dominate the field. Meanwhile, Story Circle offers an even broader range of protection, allowing players to select the color it guards against upon its entry into play, although at a slightly higher mana cost. This feature provides adaptability, enabling players to adjust their defenses according to the current opponent.

Ultimately, Circle of Protection: Black and its counterparts stand out by offering players a chance to customize their defense and adapt to different threats, a strategy particularly effective in games where anticipating your opponent’s moves is crucial.

Circle of Protection: Red - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: White - MTG Card versions
Story Circle - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Red - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Circle of Protection: White - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Story Circle - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)

Cards similar to Circle of Protection: Black by color, type and mana cost

Circle of Protection: Blue - MTG Card versions
Blessing - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Red - MTG Card versions
Crusade - MTG Card versions
Island Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: White - MTG Card versions
Hallowed Ground - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Artifacts - MTG Card versions
Serra Bestiary - MTG Card versions
Energy Storm - MTG Card versions
Ward of Lights - MTG Card versions
Pacifism - MTG Card versions
Gossamer Chains - MTG Card versions
Angelic Renewal - MTG Card versions
I'm Rubber, You're Glue - MTG Card versions
Absolute Grace - MTG Card versions
Serenity - MTG Card versions
Mageta's Boon - MTG Card versions
Seal of Cleansing - MTG Card versions
Absolute Law - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Blue - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Blessing - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Circle of Protection: Red - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Crusade - Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Tezzeret (DDF)
Island Sanctuary - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Circle of Protection: White - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Hallowed Ground - Ice Age (ICE)
Circle of Protection: Artifacts - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Serra Bestiary - Homelands (HML)
Energy Storm - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Ward of Lights - Mirage (MIR)
Pacifism - Duel Decks: Divine vs. Demonic (DDC)
Gossamer Chains - Visions (VIS)
Angelic Renewal - Weatherlight (WTH)
I'm Rubber, You're Glue - Unglued (UGL)
Absolute Grace - Urza's Saga (USG)
Serenity - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Mageta's Boon - Prophecy (PCY)
Seal of Cleansing - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Absolute Law - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Circle of Protection: Black MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Beta and Unlimited 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 Circle of Protection: Black and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Circle of Protection: Black Magic the Gathering card was released in 22 different sets between 1993-10-04 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 6 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-10-04Limited Edition BetaLEB 101993normalblackJesper Myrfors
21993-12-01Unlimited Edition2ED 101993normalwhiteJesper Myrfors
31993-12-10Collectors' EditionCED 101993normalblackJesper Myrfors
41993-12-10Intl. Collectors' EditionCEI 101993normalblackJesper Myrfors
51994-04-01Foreign Black BorderFBB 91993normalblackJesper Myrfors
61994-04-01Revised Edition3ED 91993normalwhiteJesper Myrfors
71994-06-21Summer Magic / EdgarSUM 91993normalwhiteJesper Myrfors
81995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 141993normalwhiteJesper Myrfors
91995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 141993normalblackJesper Myrfors
101995-06-03Ice AgeICE 121993normalblackSandra Everingham
111996-05-02Pro Tour Collector SetPTC shr14sb1993normalgoldJesper Myrfors
121996-07-01Rivals Quick Start SetRQS 21993normalwhiteJesper Myrfors
131996-12-31Introductory Two-Player SetITP 21993normalwhiteJesper Myrfors
141997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 171997normalwhiteGerry Grace
151997-08-13World Championship Decks 1997WC97 jk17sb1997normalgoldGerry Grace
161997-10-14TempestTMP 81997normalblackHarold McNeill
171999-04-21Classic Sixth Edition6ED 81997normalwhiteGerry Grace
182000-08-02World Championship Decks 2000WC00 tvdl8sb1997normalgoldGerry Grace
192001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 61997normalwhiteMark Romanoski
202001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 6★1997normalblackMark Romanoski
212003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 10★2003normalblackMark Romanoski
222003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 102003normalwhiteMark Romanoski
232005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 102003normalwhiteChristopher Rush
242005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 10★2003normalblackChristopher Rush
252022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 102015normalblackJesper Myrfors
262022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 3071997normalblackJesper Myrfors

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Circle of Protection: Black has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2004-10-04 A source of damage is a permanent, a spell on the stack (including one that creates a permanent), or any object referred to by an object on the stack. A source doesn’t need to be capable of dealing damage to be a legal choice.
2004-10-04 Can be used even when there is no damage to prevent. It prevents the next damage (if any) from the source this turn.

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