Cease-Fire MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2001-10-01
Set symbol
Set name	Odyssey
Set code	ODY
Number	14
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Darrell Riche

Key Takeaways

Instant speed of Cease-Fire allows for disrupting opponent’s turn, providing a strategic edge.
Discarding a card when casting Cease-Fire requires careful hand management.
Cease-Fire is a versatile spell pivotal for control in various MTG situations.

Text of card

Target player can't play creature spells this turn. Draw a card.

When the crimson fades from the magical embers, a final wisp of smoke will rise. Soon after, hostilities will begin anew.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Utilize Cease-Fire to disrupt your opponent’s tempo by preventing them from playing additional creatures, giving you the upper hand and time to develop your board and strategy.

Resource Acceleration: While Cease-Fire doesn’t directly accelerate your resources, it can indirectly contribute to it by stalling your opponent’s plans, allowing you to allocate resources more efficiently and take the lead in the long game.

Instant Speed: Cease-Fire’s instant speed capability allows you the flexibility to adapt to your opponent’s moves. Cast it during their turn once they’ve committed to their strategy, effectively nullifying their progress and swinging the momentum in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike some control options, Cease-Fire comes with the strategic caveat that upon casting, you must also discard a card. This might reduce your hand options and potentially discard a much-needed land or spell in critical gameplay moments. Managing your hand effectively becomes even more crucial when Cease-Fire is part of your arsenal.

Specific Mana Cost: Cease-Fire demands a precise combination of mana to cast: two white and one generic. This specific mana requirement could restrict its incorporation into multicolor decks that might not always have the necessary white mana sources readily available at the required time.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of three mana, Cease-Fire’s effect to prevent the opponent from playing spells this turn and forcing them to discard a card is considered to have a comparatively high mana investment. In the realm of MTG where efficiency is key, players may favor lower-cost options that offer similar or more impactful outcomes on the game state.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Cease-Fire stands out for its ability to fit seamlessly into various control decks. Its role as a spell that prevents opponents from playing cards during critical turns lends flexibility to your gameplay, allowing for strategic advantages in various situations.

Combo Potential: Given its nature, Cease-Fire has potential synergy with strategies that capitalize on the opponent being temporarily stifled. Its use can deftly set up combinations that require a turn of reprieve to be executed effectively.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that heavily features aggressive creature decks or combo decks that seek to win in one turn, Cease-Fire can serve as an essential tool. It halts the opponents’ plans just long enough to stabilize the board or to set up a winning strategy.

How to beat

In the intricate dance of spells and strategy that epitomizes Magic: The Gathering, Cease-Fire finds its niche by throwing a wrench into the opposing player’s offensive plans. This card allows you to prevent an opponent from playing creature spells during the turn you play Cease-Fire. The immediate effect is a tempo swing, potentially safeguarding you from the threat of incoming creatures and buying crucial time.

However, Cease-Fire isn’t without its weaknesses. To circumvent this temporary setback, seasoned players will often pivot strategies. Being an instant, its timing is critical but once resolved, the path is clear. One robust method to beat Cease-Fire is by leveraging the window to cast non-creature spells, thus enhancing your board position or hand without restraint. Alternatively, instants with cycling or flash capabilities can fill the gap, maintaining pressure and card advantage. Proper reading of the opponent’s mana pool and spell patterns can also provide cues for when to commit important creatures to the battlefield. Ultimately, handling Cease-Fire effectively boils down to strategic timing and a keen sense of adaptation within the turn-skipping lull it creates.

Understanding the nuances of this particular card’s influence on the game state is essential for any Magic: The Gathering player looking to maintain the upper hand against such control tactics.

Cards like Cease-Fire

Cease-Fire stands out in Magic: The Gathering for its unique blend of defensive capability and card-draw hindrance. It’s akin to Orim’s Chant, which not only prevents opponents from playing spells but also keeps their creatures from attacking if kicked. Cease-Fire draws a line by not allowing the casting of spells, but it stops there, contrasting with Orim’s Chant’s additional combat control.

Illumination is another card with a resemblance, acting as counterspell that specifically targets enchantments. While it doesn’t prevent spellcasting outright, it does offer the strategic advantage of disrupting an opponent’s plans. Though it’s less broad in its application, it compensates with a more permanent solution against enchantments. Similarly, Lapse of Certainty is a close relative, providing a temporary break from an opponent’s threat by sending a spell back on top of their library, buying you precious time.

Overall, Cease-Fire holds its ground as a tactical card in Magic: The Gathering, offering both preventative measures against spells during critical turns and countering against card advantage. It might not cover as much ground as Orim’s Chant or have the permanence of Illumination, but its utility in the right situation can be game-defining.

Cards similar to Cease-Fire by color, type and mana cost

Ardenvale Tactician // Dizzying Swoop - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cease-Fire MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey, 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 Cease-Fire and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cease-Fire 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 Cease-Fire card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.