Shackles MTG Card

Exodus (EXO)
1998-06-15 - Number 18

Invasion (INV)
2000-10-02 - Number 37

Tempest Remastered (TPR)
2015-05-06 - Number 26

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant

Key Takeaways

Shackles captures creatures, providing card advantage and a significant shift in board control.
Activating Shackles at instant speed offers tactical flexibility during critical game moments.
While versatile, its specific mana requirement and high cost can limit deck inclusion.

Text of card

Enchanted creature does not untap during its controller's untap phase. oo W Return Shackles to owner's hand.

Shackles of gold are still shackles.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Shackles provides a consistent upper hand by giving you control over an opponent’s creature. By doing so, you effectively remove an opposing threat while gaining an additional asset, thereby disrupting your opponent’s strategy and resources.

Resource Acceleration: Though not directly accelerating your mana resources, Shackles allows you to use your opponent’s creatures as if they were your own. This can lead to indirect resource acceleration by seizing creatures with tap abilities that generate mana or other valuable effects, further bolstering your position in the game.

Instant Speed: The capacity to activate Shackles at instant speed is a tactical boon. It empowers you to make game-changing decisions on the fly, potentially in response to your opponent’s actions. By waiting until the most opportune moment—perhaps just before a creature’s ability resolves or an attack is declared—you can shift the battlefield in your favor without telegraphing your strategy too early.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Shackles demands a certain type of card to be discarded, making it less flexible and potentially a dead draw in situations where you cannot fulfill its conditions.

Specific Mana Cost: Shackles’ mana requirement is strictly blue, meaning it can only be played effectively in mono-blue or two-color decks with blue, limiting its utility in more diverse mana bases.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana cost on the higher side, Shackles might be considered too expensive in terms of mana efficiency, especially when compared to other control options available in the game.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Shackles offers a broad range of play options, seamlessly fitting into control decks or those needing effective creature management. Its ability to neutralize opponents’ threats makes it adaptable across various matchups.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to continually tap and untap resonates with combo decks focused on abusing such mechanics. Synergies with cards that benefit from tapping or creatures entering and leaving the battlefield can be particularly impactful.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that rewards control and disruption, Shackles excels by providing ongoing creature control without a major mana investment. It disrupts opponent plays and keeps the board state in your favor, proving its worth across various formats.

How to beat

Shackles can be a tricky card to face on the battlefield. This enchantment has the potential to take control of your creatures, disrupting your strategies and swaying the game in your opponent’s favor. One efficient way to counter Shackles is by using removal spells that can target either enchantments or artifacts. Cards like Disenchant or Naturalize are prime examples, allowing you to promptly dispose of the problematic enchantment and regain control of your captured creature.

Having creatures with hexproof or shroud abilities in your deck can also provide a solid defensive measure against Shackles, as it prevents your opponent from targeting them in the first place. Furthermore, if you increase the number of creatures on your side or present less valuable targets for Shackles to latch onto, you can lessen the negative impact of this powerful control card. Lastly, countering it right when it’s cast with spells like Negate ensures it never becomes a threat.

Understanding these strategic moves to combat Shackles, and including the right answers in your deck, can ensure you’re well prepared for when this control card attempts to disrupt your gameplay, allowing you to maintain the upper hand.

Cards like Shackles

Shackles holds a unique position among control cards in Magic: The Gathering. It resonates with the characteristics of cards like Control Magic, which also allows players to take command of their opponent’s creatures. Shackles, however, is famed for its versatility and repeatability, permitting users to untap it and utilize its ability multiple times within the same game. Control Magic does not offer this kind of flexibility since it is an enchantment that impacts the game only once.

In comparison, we have Vedalken Shackles, a card that bears a striking resemblance in name and function. It too can seize control of creatures, but it’s restrained by the number of Islands you control, influencing its effectiveness. The upside is it doesn’t have the mana cost for activation each turn. Conversely, Sower of Temptation provides an immediate effect upon entering the battlefield, taking over a creature without any recurring costs, but it’s more vulnerable to removal than the more stable Shackles card.

Evaluating these cards, Shackles is highly appreciated for its continuous control capabilities, especially in decks that can frequently untap permanents or have plenty of mana at their disposal, making it a formidable tool in the MTG arsenal.

Cards similar to Shackles by color, type and mana cost

The Restoration of Eiganjo // Architect of Restoration - MTG Card versions

Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant // Rune-Tail's Essence - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Shackles MTG card by a specific set like Exodus and Invasion, 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 Shackles and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Shackles Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1998-06-15 and 2015-05-06. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1998-06-15	Exodus	EXO	18	1997	Normal	Black	Heather Hudson
2	2000-10-02	Invasion	INV	37	1997	Normal	Black	Greg Staples
3	2015-05-06	Tempest Remastered	TPR	26	2015	Normal	Black	Heather Hudson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Shackles has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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