Moratorium Stone MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Rare
Type	Artifact
Released	2006-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Guildpact
Set code	GPT
Number	154
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Martina Pilcerova

Key Takeaways

The Stone gives control by selectively exiling cards from any graveyard at instant speed.
It has potential in decks for disrupting opponents and enhancing combo plays.
Being meta-relevant, it’s a solid choice against graveyard-based strategies.

Text of card

, : Remove target card in a graveyard from the game. , , Sacrifice Moratorium Stone: Remove from the game target nonland card in a graveyard, all other cards in graveyards with the same name as that card, and all permanents with that name.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Moratorium Stone offers strategic control over game flow by allowing players to selectively remove potential threats from their opponent’s deck. This contributes to card advantage by diminishing the effectiveness of the opponent’s strategic plays.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing resource acceleration, Moratorium Stone can indirectly influence mana usage. By preemptively dealing with key cards, players may be able to allocate mana more efficiently in future turns without the need to react to those threats.

Instant Speed: Moratorium Stone’s ability to be activated at instant speed grants players the flexibility to respond to their opponent’s actions during their turn. This adaptability can be crucial in maintaining the upper hand and the element of surprise in the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Moratorium Stone demands a card discard in addition to its activation cost. This prerequisite could set you back if you’re already running low on hand options, potentially disrupting your strategic plans.

Specific Mana Cost: Activating Moratorium Stone requires a precise blend of mana, which includes colorless mana. This can create challenges in multicolored decks that may struggle to consistently produce the right mana mix.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an activation cost that’s on the higher end, Moratorium Stone might not be the most mana-efficient tool for managing opponents’ graveyards. There are alternatives available that provide similar effects without such a steep investment, thereby offering greater flexibility within a match.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Moratorium Stone offers a flexible solution to numerous game situations. It fits well into various deck styles that require disruption of opponents’ graveyard strategies. With the ability to silence a range of cards temporarily, it’s a strategic addition to any player’s collection.

Combo Potential: This artifact has impressive potential when combined with cards that benefit from activation abilities. By controlling when certain cards come online, you can create powerful plays to shape the battlefield to your advantage. Its combo potential in decks that can manipulate or benefit from graveyard resources is particularly potent.

Meta-Relevance: Considering meta fluctuations, Moratorium Stone can be incredibly useful against decks that heavily rely on graveyard interactions. In an environment where such strategies are prevalent, having Moratorium Stone can be a game-changer, providing tactical advantage when you need it most.

How to beat

Moratorium Stone is a unique artifact in the world of Magic the Gathering, presenting a challenge for players with its ability to disrupt graveyard strategies. Effectively, it acts as a deterrent, locking away key cards from the graveyard until the Stone is removed from the battlefield. Despite its defensive utility, strategies to overcome this obstacle certainly exist.

Artifact removal spells are the direct counter to Moratorium Stone. Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant can easily send the Stone packing, opening up your graveyard for use again. In addition, playing around the Stone by relying less on graveyard synergy and more on cast-from-hand strategies can mitigate its impact on your game plan. Alternatively, one could use the Stone’s existence to their advantage by playing cards that replace graveyard functions or even ones that benefit from having a thinner graveyard.

In summary, understanding the dynamic Moratorium Stone introduces to the game requires insight into deck building and gameplay flexibility. By employing quick removal or adapting your strategy to reduce reliance on the graveyard, you can render Moratorium Stone a less formidable opponent on the path to victory.

Cards like Moratorium Stone

Moratorium Stone is a unique artifact within the Magic: The Gathering universe that allows players to exile cards from graveyards. In terms of its ability, it bears some resemblance to relic cards such as Tormod’s Crypt and Relic of Progenitus. Tormod’s Crypt offers a zero-mana cost option to exile all cards from a single graveyard instantly without any initial investment, making it a preferable choice for a quick graveyard sweep.

Relic of Progenitus presents a slow but steady answer to graveyard strategies, with the added benefit of drawing a card when its ability is executed. While both Tormod’s Crypt and Relic of Progenitus focus on one-shot graveyard removal, Moratorium Stone takes a more strategic position, allowing players to selectively target key cards, and fitting nicely into decks that look to disrupt opponent’s strategies over time.

In evaluating the effectiveness and adaptability in gameplay, Moratorium Stone offers players a tool for ongoing interference, especially potent in games where timing and precision in hindering an opponent’s plan can turn the tides to one’s advantage.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Moratorium Stone MTG card by a specific set like Guildpact, 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 Moratorium Stone and other MTG cards: