Slow Motion MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant
Released	1999-02-15
Set symbol
Set name	Urza's Legacy
Set code	ULG
Number	42
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Todd Lockwood

Key Takeaways

Slow Motion grants continuous control by taxing opponents, effectively disrupting their strategy and managing card advantage.
Its sorcery-speed play alters the board immediately with a cumulative effect, though it lacks instant speed flexibility.
The card shines in control decks and combos well with sacrifice mechanics, making it a worthy addition to collections.

Text of card

During the upkeep of enchanted creature's controller, that player pays or sacrifices that creature. When Slow Motion is put into a graveyard from play, return Slow Motion to owner's hand.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Slow Motion ensures ongoing benefit by forcing an opponent to pay a recurring fee to keep their creature on the field. This strategy effectively stifles their card utility and can result in providing you with card advantage over time as resources are drained.

Resource Acceleration: While Slow Motion does not directly increase your resources, this enchantment disrupts opponent’s mana base by locking up their resources, potentially slowing down their development and allowing you to pull ahead with your own resource acceleration.

Instant Speed: The real tempo play with Slow Motion comes from its ability to be played at sorcery speed, impacting the board immediately on your turn. Though not instant, its main strength lies in the ongoing, cumulative impact rather than the timing of the play, systematically dampening your opponent’s board state and progression.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Slow Motion has an upfront cost that includes discarding one of your own cards. For players that value hand size or rely on card synergy, this can pose a real strategic hurdle, diminishing potential plays or forcing premature strategy reveals.

Specific Mana Cost: With a necessity for both blue and generic mana, Slow Motion requires a careful balance of your mana base. This can sometimes be restrictive, particularly in multicolored decks that need to manage resources for a diverse spell lineup.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the card packs a punch, the casting cost is considerable. In fast-paced games, or when facing decks that efficiently curve out threats and solutions each turn, investing in Slow Motion could impede your ability to keep pace with more agile opponents.

Reasons to Include Slow Motion in Your Collection

Versatility: Slow Motion offers a unique control mechanism that can be a game changer in various deck types. Its ability to slow down an opponent’s creature by returning it to their hand unless they pay upkeep can disrupt many strategies.

Combo Potential: This card shines when paired with bounce or sacrifice effects. Utilize Slow Motion to remove key creatures from play or to feed into your own sacrificial mechanics for added benefit.

Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, control decks remain a powerful archetype. Slow Motion can serve as an effective answer to fast aggro or resilient midrange creatures, maintaining a favorable board state for control players.

How to beat

In the world of competitive Magic: The Gathering play, overcoming a card like Slow Motion requires strategic planning and insight. This enchantment can be a nuisance by gradually taking control of your opponent’s creatures until they can pay its upkeep cost. It’s pivotal to have a game plan due to its potentially debilitating effect on your tempo.

A feasible tactic to counter this card is by optimizing mana efficiency and resource allocation. Cheap removal or bounce spells can disrupt the plan, as getting your creature back to your hand negates the effect of Slow Motion. Alternatively, enchantment destruction cards or those granting hexproof to your creatures offer direct solutions. Cards with self-sacrifice options can also sidestep Slow Motion’s control by avoiding the tax altogether.

While Slow Motion may not be as prevalent as some more universally recognized control cards, awareness of it and similar effects can enhance your overall game strategy. By prioritizing flexible and responsive plays, you can successfully navigate around the slow drag of this unique MTG card and maintain the upper hand in your matches.

Cards like Slow Motion

Slow Motion is an intriguing enchantment in Magic: The Gathering that brings a nuanced dynamic to the battlefield. It shares similarities with cards that control or delay opponent’s creatures, much like Ice Cage. Ice Cage also incapacitates a creature, preventing it from attacking or using its abilities until it becomes the target of a spell or ability. The key distinction lies in Ice Cage’s vulnerability to being easily removed, whereas Slow Motion ensures a creature will eventually be returned to its owner’s hand, provided the upkeep cost is not paid.

Another related enchantment is Narcolepsy, which taps a creature every upkeep, but doesn’t offer the eventual bounce back to the owner which Slow Motion ensures. There’s also Encrust, which locks down a creature or artifact but can be circumvented by the destruction of the artifact or permanent’s untap. This subtle yet impactful difference allows Slow Motion to effectively delay a creature’s influence on the game while setting up potential tempo plays for the user.

Ultimately, Slow Motion offers an interesting playstyle, excelling in situations where ongoing control is critical. It operates on a delayed, yet inevitable effect, distinguishing itself within the variety of control spells available to Magic: The Gathering players.

Cards similar to Slow Motion by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Slow Motion MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Legacy, 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 Slow Motion and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Slow Motion has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2004-10-04	You choose whether to pay or not on resolution. If not, then you sacrifice the creature. You can choose to not pay if you no longer control the creature on resolution.