Compulsory Rest MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides indirect card advantage by neutralizing threats with a single spell.
  2. Instant-like casting speed offers flexibility and timely strategy execution.
  3. Incorporates well into a variety of decks due to its versatility and meta relevance.

Text of card

Enchant creature Enchanted creature can't attack or block. Enchanted creature has ", Sacrifice this creature: You gain 2 life."

The pain of death is nothing compared to the pain of failure.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Compulsory Rest itself does not draw cards, it neutralizes a threat without the need to use multiple resources, effectively providing an indirect card advantage. By taking care of large threats with a single card, you can save other removal spells in your hand, thus maintaining your card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Though Compulsory Rest isn’t a direct source of resource acceleration, it can support a faster gameplay by handling opposing creatures. This lets you focus your mana and other resources on progressing your board state rather than responding to threats.

Instant Speed: Compulsory Rest is an enchantment but its low casting cost means it can be played almost at the speed of an instant. This ensures you have the flexibility to respond to dynamic game states by temporarily locking down an attacker or blocker, which can effectively streamline your strategy during crucial turns.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Compulsory Rest forces players to sacrifice an already established board presence if they wish to retrieve their creature. This requirement can often be a significant setback, especially for strategies that lean on maintaining a superior creature count.

Specific Mana Cost: Compulsory Rest demands a precise two white mana for its casting cost, which can be restrictive for multi-colored mana bases. This limitation can make it challenging to consistently play on curve, particularly in decks featuring three or more colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While two mana may not seem exorbitant, in a fast-paced game where efficiency is key, Compulsory Rest competes with a myriad of removal options. Consequently, deck builders might favor more versatile and lower-cost removal spells that can address multiple threats over a card that solely targets creatures without dispatching them.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Compulsory Rest lends itself well to a variety of deck archetypes. For control players, it serves as a reliable form of creature lockdown, and for tempo decks, it can clear the way for victory by neutralizing big threats temporarily.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize with decks that make use of enchantment recursion or benefit from having enchantments enter the battlefield. It can become a reusable resource with the right setup.

Meta-Relevance: In environments heavy with creature-based strategies, Compulsory Rest can play a pivotal role. It efficiently handles problematic creatures without committing to a high mana cost, keeping your deck agile and responsive.


How to beat

Compulsory Rest represents a unique twist within the realm of enchantment-based removal in Magic: The Gathering. Much like its counterparts Pacifism or Arrest, it effectively neutralizes a threatening creature by preventing it from attacking or blocking. However, where Compulsory Rest adds intrigue is in its optional two-mana activation allowance, which lets the creature’s controller sacrifice the creature to gain some life in return.

Overcoming the restraint of Compulsory Rest demands flexibility. Cards such as Naturalize or Disenchant are key tactical responses, as they can remove the enchantment directly, freeing your creature to return to the fray. Alternately, utilizing cards with activated abilities like sacrifice or tapping for effect can still exploit a creature’s uses despite it being under Compulsory Rest’s effect. It’s also important to assess the situation before deploying creatures that are valuable and likely targets for such removal, perhaps baiting out removal spells with less crucial creatures first.

Ultimately, acknowledging the nature of Compulsory Rest and preparing to counter it with removal of your own or by adjusting your strategy accordingly can minimize disruption and keep your essential creatures in the battle.


Cards like Compulsory Rest

Compulsory Rest is a unique piece in a deck’s arsenal for controlling opponent’s creatures in Magic: The Gathering. It draws a neat parallel with Pacifism, a card well-known for its creature-neutralizing prowess without outright destruction. Compulsory Rest edges out with its added ability, allowing the enchanted creature’s controller to sacrifice it in exchange for life points, giving it a slight advantage in terms of flexibility.

Another card that shares this control aspect is Arrest. It ensures the creature it enchants cannot attack, block, or use its abilities, which can be more restrictive than Compulsory Rest. However, it lacks the sacrificial option that the latter offers, potentially making Compulsory Rest a more strategic choice in certain scenarios. Claustrophobia further expands this group by incapacitating the tapped creature and holding it hostage without release. Although this can be a powerful effect, it doesn’t provide the player with the alternative to gain life as Compulsory Rest does.

The subtle differences among these cards demonstrate that while they fit the same thematic niche, the finer points of their abilities can significantly affect gameplay strategies. Compulsory Rest’s multifaceted nature makes it a formidable option when considering creature control in a Magic: The Gathering deck.

Pacifism - MTG Card versions
Arrest - MTG Card versions
Claustrophobia - MTG Card versions
Pacifism - Mirage (MIR)
Arrest - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Claustrophobia - Innistrad (ISD)

Cards similar to Compulsory Rest by color, type and mana cost

Blessing - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Red - MTG Card versions
Island Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: White - MTG Card versions
Crusade - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Blue - MTG Card versions
Hallowed Ground - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Artifacts - MTG Card versions
Energy Storm - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Black - MTG Card versions
Ward of Lights - MTG Card versions
Gossamer Chains - 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
Sacred Ground - MTG Card versions
Pacifism - MTG Card versions
Blessing - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Circle of Protection: Red - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Island Sanctuary - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Circle of Protection: White - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Crusade - Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Tezzeret (DDF)
Circle of Protection: Blue - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Hallowed Ground - Ice Age (ICE)
Circle of Protection: Artifacts - Renaissance (REN)
Energy Storm - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Circle of Protection: Black - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Ward of Lights - Mirage (MIR)
Gossamer Chains - Visions (VIS)
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)
Sacred Ground - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Pacifism - Duel Decks: Divine vs. Demonic (DDC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Compulsory Rest MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and Amonkhet Remastered, 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 Compulsory Rest and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Compulsory Rest Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Eric Deschamps.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-04-28AmonkhetAKH 92015normalblackEric Deschamps
22020-08-13Amonkhet RemasteredAKR 102015normalblackEric Deschamps

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Compulsory Rest has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2017-04-18 Compulsory Rest grants the activated ability to the enchanted creature. That creature’s controller (not the controller of Compulsory Rest) may activate the ability and gain 2 life.

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