Muzzle MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant
Released	1999-10-04
Set symbol
Set name	Mercadian Masques
Set code	MMQ
Number	30
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Matt Cavotta

Key Takeaways

Muzzle offers card advantage by preserving your battlefield presence without drawing extra cards.
It enables strategic plays at instant speed, enhancing flexibility and tempo.
Despite its advantages, Muzzle requires careful hand and color management.

Text of card

Prevent all damage that would be dealt by enchanted creature.

Clenched teeth do not bite. —Cho-Arrim saying

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Muzzle may not directly allow you to draw cards, but by neutralizing an opposing creature, it can effectively help preserve your cards on the battlefield, thus giving you a relative advantage.

Resource Acceleration: While Muzzle does not provide traditional resource acceleration, it enables tempo plays that can hinder your opponent’s resources, allowing you to develop your board with less pressure.

Instant Speed: As an enchantment with instant-like application due to its flash ability, Muzzle lets you react swiftly to threats, offering strategic flexibility during your opponent’s turn or at the end of turn before yours.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Muzzle asks players to throw away another creature card from their hand to cast it, reducing hand advantage and potentially forcing a difficult decision if hand options are already scarce.

Specific Mana Cost: With a white mana in its casting cost, Muzzle is restricted to decks that can produce white mana, which may not align with the strategy or color scheme of every deck being crafted.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a two white mana cost, Muzzle might not seem substantial, but when you weigh the cost against other creature control options, the investment may be too steep, especially considering that Muzzle doesn’t permanently remove the threat and can be less impactful in the later stages of a game.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Muzzle fits seamlessly into decks that prioritize control, as it can temporarily neutralize a wide array of threats without committing heavy resources. Its low mana cost also allows it to be woven into various strategies without hindering development.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to quell abilities and attack capabilities of creatures opens the door for various synergies, especially with tap or untap-triggered abilities, making it a useful tool for setting up pivotal game moments.

Meta-Relevance: Given the prominence of creature-based strategies, Muzzle has a firm place in the current metagame. It serves as an efficient answer to impede opponent’s key creatures and preserve your life total, thus maintaining pace against aggressive decks.

How to beat

Muzzle, a versatile white enchantment with the capability to neutralize the biggest threats on the battlefield, remains a card players approach with caution. Its ability to prevent a creature from dealing damage means it can effectively silence powerhouse attackers and essential defenders alike, rendering them harmless regardless of their size or abilities. Critical to overcoming this enchantment is to employ removal spells such as Disenchant or Naturalize, which can target and destroy enchantments directly, swiftly eliminating the shackles Muzzle represents.

Another strategy includes leveraging hexproof to keep your creatures out of Muzzle’s grip. By playing cards like Blossoming Defense or equipping your creatures with Swiftfoot Boots, you can provide them with protection from being targeted in the first place. Additionally, creature spells with ETB (enter the battlefield) effects can offer an advantage even if subsequently muted by Muzzle. They permit a one-time effect that could potentially alter the board state in your favor, independent of recurring abilities that Muzzle aims to shut down.

When it comes to outmaneuvering Muzzle, each of these strategies highlights the importance of resource flexibility and proactive planning. Successfully circumventing this controlling enchantment can pivot the momentum of the game and carve a path to victory.

Cards like Muzzle

Muzzle is an interesting card in the realm of creature control within Magic: The Gathering. When it comes to comparisons, Pacifism immediately comes to mind. Both enchantments are designed to neutralize threats by preventing creatures from attacking or blocking. However, where Muzzle edges out is in its ability to suppress creatures’ abilities as well, offering a greater range of defense against potential ability abuses.

Another relative is Lignify, which also renders problematic creatures harmless by not only stripping their abilities but by turning them essentially into Trees with no power or toughness to speak of. It’s a slightly broader solution but comes at the cost of an additional green mana. Bonds of Faith is also worth mentioning, holding the dual role of buffing your own human creatures or locking down an opponent’s non-human threat. It provides versatility but requires a board state that supports it.

In summary, while Muzzle may not be the definitive answer in all scenarios, its straightforward and inexpensive nature places it as a reliable option for players seeking to mitigate threats on the board without diluting their mana pool too heavily.

Cards similar to Muzzle by color, type and mana cost

Circle of Protection: Red - MTG Card versions

Circle of Protection: Black - MTG Card versions

Circle of Protection: White - MTG Card versions

Circle of Protection: Blue - MTG Card versions

Circle of Protection: Artifacts - MTG Card versions

I'm Rubber, You're Glue - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Muzzle MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques, 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 Muzzle and other MTG cards: