Security Blockade MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
| Released | 2012-10-05 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Return to Ravnica |
| Set code | RTR |
| Number | 20 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | James Ryman |
Key Takeaways
- Indirect card advantage is accrued by deterring attacks, saving creatures and maintaining board presence.
- Generates a knight token with vigilance aiding in both offense and defense strategies.
- Demands specific mana investment, which may limit deck-building versatility.
Guide to Vigilance card ability
In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.
Text of card
Enchant land When Security Blockade enters the battlefield, put a 2/2 white Knight creature token with vigilance onto the battlefield. Enchanted land has ": Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to you this turn."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While Security Blockade does not directly permit a player to draw extra cards, its presence can deter opponents from attacking, effectively saving the player’s creatures and maintaining board presence. This indirect advantage helps maintain parity in resources over time.
Resource Acceleration: Upon entering the battlefield, Security Blockade grants you a 0/1 white Knight creature token with vigilance. This additional creature can be vital for blocking strategies or may be converted into other resources through various deck mechanisms, somewhat accelerating your resource development.
Instant Speed: Though Security Blockade is an enchantment that does not feature instant speed itself, it boosts your defenses immediately upon deployment. As creatures with vigilance can attack without tapping, the token generated by Security Blockade allows for continual pressure while keeping guard up—an attribute that resonates with the flexibility offered by instant-speed spells.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Security Blockade asks for a creature to be tapped as part of its activation, which can inhibit your development by taking away a blocker or potential attacker.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a color-specific mana investment (white), potentially hindering its inclusion in multicolored or colorless decks limited on mana-fixing options.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: At three mana, the initial investment is somewhat steep for the protective benefit it provides, especially when other cards may offer similar or better effects with lower mana requirements or additional upsides.
Reasons to Include Security Blockade in Your Collection
Versatility: Security Blockade offers defensive flexibility for a variety of deck types, as it can provide a reliable form of protection by deterring attacks with the potential of an enchanted-land block.
Combo Potential: The token it generates can be pivotal for strategies emphasizing token generation or the need for a blocker in a pinch. Coupled with ways to utilize defensive creatures, it could form the basis for a multitude of synergistic plays.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where aggro decks are common, the ability to establish early defense can be crucial. Security Blockade allows decks to stabilize their battlefield presence while preparing for more impactful turns ahead.
How to beat Security Blockade
Security Blockade stands out as a defensive enchantment in the strategic landscape of Magic: The Gathering. It transforms your land into a safeguard against incoming threats, gifting you not only with an enchantment but also the ability to create a 2/2 white knight creature with vigilance. To effectively counter Security Blockade, you’ll need to outmaneuver its protective measures.
Utilizing spells like Naturalize or Disenchant which can directly destroy an enchantment is a straightforward tactic. These options bypass the added layer of defense provided by the vigilant knight, removing the obstacle altogether. Alternatively, emphasizing on direct damage to your opponent can prove effective, whether through potent creatures or spells, pressuring the game beyond what Security Blockade can reasonably defend.
Ideally, deploying instant-speed removals or board wipes when the knight token is created can clear your path while your opponent’s resources are tied up. Embracing an aggressive strategy with consistent pressure minimizes the defensive advantage offered by Security Blockade. As such, understanding how to dismantle this defense can arm you with the knowledge to maintain an upper hand during your duels.
Cards like Security Blockade
Security Blockade stands out in Magic the Gathering as a unique enchantment for defense-minded strategies. Comparable to other cards that bolster your defenses, such as Ghostly Prison, which requires opponents to pay mana to attack you, Security Blockade takes a different path by providing a once-off defensive boost. When you enchant a land with Security Blockade, not only does that land gain the ability to prevent the next damage to you, but it also furnishes you with a 2/2 Knight creature token with vigilance.
Looking at Norn’s Annex, another card in the sphere of protect-yourself abilities, it requires phyrexian mana, offering flexibility but at a cost to your life total. Unlike Security Blockade, the Annex affects all of your opponent’s creatures. Then we have Sphere of Safety, which scales its protection based on the number of enchantments you control, making it potentially stronger over time, yet with a higher initial mana investment compared to Security Blockade.
Ultimately, Security Blockade adds immediate defensive value to your game, creating a creature token and a damage prevention ability wrapped into a versatile enchantment. Assessing alternatives shows Security Blockade offers a balanced mix of immediate impact and defensive benefits tailored to enchantment-focused decks in Magic the Gathering.
Cards similar to Security Blockade by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Security Blockade MTG card by a specific set like Return to Ravnica, 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 Security Blockade 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 MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Security Blockade has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Security Blockade card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2012-10-01 | You must target a land to cast Security Blockade. If that land is an illegal target when Security Blockade tries to resolve, it won’t resolve and won’t enter the battlefield. You won’t get the Knight token. |
