Sphere of Duty MTG Card


Sphere of Duty - Odyssey
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment
Released2001-10-01
Set symbol
Set nameOdyssey
Set codeODY
Number48
Frame1997
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byChristopher Moeller

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers a strategic advantage by neutralizing green creatures without additional card removal.
  2. Enables resource reallocation, ensuring a streamlined gameplay focus.
  3. Requires careful hand management due to its discard upkeep cost.

Text of card

If a green source would deal damage to you, prevent 2 of that damage.

Duty subdues instinct.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sphere of Duty enhances your defensive lineup, effectively deterring opponents from attacking with specific creatures. This can lead to indirect card advantage as it can neutralize the threat of creature cards without the need to actually remove them from the board.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting your mana pool, Sphere of Duty can allow you to focus your resources elsewhere, secure in the knowledge that a particular creature type is handled, thereby accelerating your game plan in other areas.

Instant Speed: The ability to play Sphere of Duty at instant speed gives you the flexibility to respond adeptly to your opponent’s threats. You can wait until the last possible moment, perhaps the end of your opponent’s turn, to deploy it, keeping your strategy concealed and your mana available for other instant speed interactions.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Sphere of Duty demands that players discard another card to keep it on the battlefield, making it a potential liability during moments when card advantage is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: A precise mana requirement of one white and two colorless makes it less flexible, especially in multi-colored decks that may struggle with mana consistency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, Sphere of Duty competes with other cards in the same slot that could offer more impact or immediate board presence.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Sphere of Duty is a card that can serve a purpose in a variety of decks, especially ones that are tailored to defend against multicolored creatures. Its ability to prevent all damage from a specific color makes it a versatile sideboard option in many metagames.

Combo Potential: This card can combo well with other protection tools, helping you to lock down the game against decks that rely heavily on certain colors. Additionally, it can support strategies that capitalize on damage prevention and redirection.

Meta-Relevance: Sphere of Duty can shine in a meta dominated by multicolored decks or specific color threats. Its presence can significantly tilt matchups in your favor by neutralizing key threats from the opponent.


How to beat

Sphere of Duty is an enchantment card that shines in Magic: The Gathering by providing players with a safeguard against green creatures. This card can be a thorn in the side of opponents relying heavily on green creatures to dominate the battlefield. However, like all cards in MTG, Sphere of Duty is not without its vulnerabilities. When strategizing to overcome an opponent’s Sphere of Duty, consider using non-green sources of damage, such as red spells or artifacts, to bypass its protection. Furthermore, incorporating enchantment removal into your deck is a wise tactic. Cards like Disenchant or Naturalize are solid choices that directly deal with enchantments, ensuring that Sphere of Duty’s defense crumbles.

Additionally, another route to mitigate the impact of Sphere of Duty is to lean on indirect damage through abilities or effects that impact the game without explicitly dealing damage. Think along the lines of milling, hand disruption, or imposing conditions on the opponent that do not rely on creature attacks. As a player, adaptability is key, and recognizing the need to diversify your approach when facing specific hurdles such as Sphere of Duty can be the difference between victory and defeat.


Cards like Sphere of Duty

Sphere of Duty is a niche enchantment within the deck-building universe of Magic: The Gathering. Sitting in the lineage of protective spells, it finds company with the likes of Circle of Protection: Green, a classic that also allows players to ward off damage from green creatures. However, Sphere of Duty offers a broader shield, preventing all damage from green creatures without the need for mana expenditure each time.

Considering its contemporaries, we can also draw parallels with Runed Halo, which gives protection against chosen cards. Although Runed Halo requires tactical naming of threats, Sphere of Duty blankets you against a swath of green creatures, simplifying your defensive strategy. Another card worth mentioning is Story Circle, which provides similar protective benefits, yet demands more flexibility with its color-specific defense activation.

By untangling the functionalities and strategic applications of these enchantments, Sphere of Duty emerges as a reliable and undemanding safeguard in matches dominated by green creature threats. Its ability to passively protect a player rounds out a defensive stance that’s straightforward yet effective, solidifying its place within the array of defense-oriented cards in Magic: The Gathering.

Circle of Protection: Green - MTG Card versions
Runed Halo - MTG Card versions
Story Circle - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Green - MTG Card versions
Runed Halo - MTG Card versions
Story Circle - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Sphere of Duty by color, type and mana cost

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Conversion - MTG Card versions
Angelic Voices - MTG Card versions
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Divine Transformation - MTG Card versions
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Ivory Mask - MTG Card versions
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Light from Within - MTG Card versions
Endless Horizons - MTG Card versions
Castle - MTG Card versions
Karma - MTG Card versions
Conversion - MTG Card versions
Angelic Voices - MTG Card versions
Seeker - MTG Card versions
Drought - MTG Card versions
Justice - MTG Card versions
Divine Transformation - MTG Card versions
Field of Souls - MTG Card versions
Opal Titan - MTG Card versions
Ivory Mask - MTG Card versions
Parallax Wave - MTG Card versions
Worship - MTG Card versions
Diversionary Tactics - MTG Card versions
Moat - MTG Card versions
Teleportation Circle - MTG Card versions
Hallowed Haunting - MTG Card versions
Proper Burial - MTG Card versions
Light from Within - MTG Card versions
Endless Horizons - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sphere of Duty 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 Sphere of Duty and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sphere of Duty has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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