Exclusion Ritual MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment |
| Abilities | Imprint |
| Released | 2011-05-13 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | New Phyrexia |
| Set code | NPH |
| Number | 10 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | normal |
| Border | black |
| Illustred by | Daniel Ljunggren |
Key Takeaways
- Exclusion Ritual provides unique card advantage by excluding key opponent resources and preventing their replay.
- While sorcery speed, its preemptive exiling effect can disrupt opponent strategies at crucial moments.
- Its permanent exiling ability distinguishes it from similar cards, offering lasting control over the game.
Text of card
Imprint — When Exclusion Ritual enters the battlefield, exile target nonland permanent. Players can't cast spells with the same name as the exiled card.
"Your desires have become our discretion." —Izathel, priest of the Annex
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Exclusion Ritual provides a unique form of card advantage by potentially removing one of your opponent’s key resources from the game. When you cast it, you not only handle an immediate threat on the board but also prevent any further copies of that card from being played. This could translate to a significant advantage over time, especially against decks that rely on specific combos or synergies.
Resource Acceleration: While Exclusion Ritual itself doesn’t directly accelerate your resources, its impact can indirectly lead to resource acceleration. By exiling an opponent’s mana-producing permanents or key pieces that enable them to ramp, you hinder their resource growth. This can help to slow them down and ensure that you maintain the pace of the game or possibly get ahead in terms of available mana and board presence.
Instant Speed: Exclusion Ritual operates at sorcery speed which means that its strategic use is in pre-empting threats or clearing the way for your upcoming plays. Although it lacks the versatility of an instant, the effect of preemptively handling an opponent’s permanent can be as pivotal as any instant speed interaction. Proper timing of Exclusion Ritual can therefore still disrupt your opponent’s plans during their most critical turns.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While playing Exclusion Ritual, you do not necessarily have to discard a card, but it can be a strategic setback to cast it due to its specific and tangible cost in-game resources.
Specific Mana Cost: Exclusion Ritual has a mana cost that includes two white mana symbols (2WW), which dictates its place mostly within mono-white or bi-color decks, potentially restricting its versatility across various deck types.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an investment of six mana for its imprint ability, Exclusion Ritual is considered to have a high casting cost, especially when compared to other removal options, which might deter players due to the significant resource commitment it entails.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Exclusion Ritual offers a proactive solution to a wide array of permanents that could threaten your gameplay. Its ability to exile any nonland permanent upon entering the battlefield makes it a flexible tool against various decks.
Combo Potential: When integrated into decks that can repeatedly bounce or replay it, Exclusion Ritual becomes part of a powerful control strategy, continously clearing the board of problematic permanents.
Meta-Relevance: As decks often rely on key permanents to execute their strategy, having Exclusion Ritual in your arsenal ensures you have a say against high-value targets, keeping you relevant in a fluctuating meta.
How to beat
Exclusion Ritual is a unique card that can be a thorn in any MTG player’s side, imposing a strong control element on the game. Comparable to other exiling enchantments, this card has the added utility of preventing any other copies of the exiled card from being played. This can be particularly disruptive against strategies relying on specific cards. Nevertheless, there are effective tactics to overcome this obstacle.
To tackle Exclusion Ritual, consider enchantment removal spells like Disenchant or Naturalize, which can directly destroy the Ritual and regain your ability to play the card it exiled. Cards with the ability to counter noncreature spells, such as Negate, also provide preemptive defense against this kind of control tactic and can preserve your key cards’ playability. Another strategy is to rely on versatile cards like Chaos Warp, which not only remove unwanted enchantments but also have the potential to turn the situation to your advantage through its random replacement effect.
Ultimately, while Exclusion Ritual has the potential to disrupt your game plan, incorporating diverse answers in your deck can mitigate its impact and maintain the fluidity of your strategy in an MTG match.
Cards like Exclusion Ritual
Delving into the world of removal spells in Magic: The Gathering, Exclusion Ritual offers a unique approach by exiling any nonland permanent until it leaves the battlefield. This is similar to Detention Sphere, which can exile multiple copies of a card but only temporarily. While Exclusion Ritual is less versatile in terms of quantity, it’s more permanent, making it a valuable control tool.
Looking to cards like Banishing Light or Oblivion Ring, we see a parallel functionality in the temporary exiling of nonland permanents. However, both cards allow the exiled cards to return once they leave the battlefield, a shortcoming Exclusion Ritual deftly avoids. The finality Exclusion Ritual brings to the table can be a game-changer, shaping the battlefield to the caster’s advantage.
As such, Exclusion Ritual stands out in its aptitude for delivering enduring disruption. Protecting itself from a multitude of common removals, it secures permanence in its impact, whereas its comparables might only offer short-term solutions. This makes it a potent choice against decks that rely heavily on a pivotal nonland permanent.
Cards similar to Exclusion Ritual by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Exclusion Ritual MTG card by a specific set like New Phyrexia, 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 Exclusion Ritual and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See Magic products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Exclusion Ritual has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Exclusion Ritual card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2011-06-01 | If the exiled card somehow leaves exile, the last ability will no longer have any effect. |
| 2011-06-01 | In a Commander game, a player may replace Exclusion Ritual exiling their commander with putting that commander into the command zone. If this happens, Exclusion Ritual’s last ability will have no effect. |
