Detention Sphere MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Grants substantial card advantage, especially versus token decks or uniform threats.
  2. Facilitates swift victories by clearing the way for your strategy’s deployment.
  3. Acts as a semi-permanent solution to problems, removing obstacles instantly.

Text of card

When Detention Sphere enters the battlefield, you may exile target nonland permanent not named Detention Sphere and all other permanents with the same name as that permanent. When Detention Sphere leaves the battlefield, return the exiled cards to the battlefield under their owner's control.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Categorized as a versatile removal option, Detention Sphere lets you address multiple threats sharing the same name, effectively decluttering the battlefield and swinging the momentum in your favor. Its ability can translate into substantial card advantage, particularly against token strategies or repetitive threats.

Resource Acceleration: While Detention Sphere itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the traditional sense of producing mana or reducing costs, it does indirectly provide a form of acceleration. By removing key pieces of your opponent’s strategy, it allows for freer deployment of your own threats and can pave the way for a swift victory.

Instant Speed: Although played at sorcery speed, Detention Sphere’s impact is felt immediately on the board state. Its ability to exile until it leaves the battlefield provides a semi-permanent solution to potential issues, enabling you to maneuver through your plays without the imminent threat of your opponent’s recovered pieces.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Detention Sphere demands a precise mana combination to cast, specifically one white and two other colors. While this may seamlessly fit into Azorius or multicolored decks, it can pose a challenge for decks running a tight mana base or those that are not aligned with white mana schemes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an investment of three mana, Detention Sphere’s cost is substantial, especially given the pace of the current competitive scene. At this cost, there are alternative removal options that may come into play earlier or affect the board in a more impactful way.

Discard Requirement: Although Detention Sphere does not inherently require a discard, its presence in hand can indirectly prompt players to discard other cards. This happens as players manage their hand to meet the card’s color-specific requirements while balancing their strategic options, which may lead to discarding potentially valuable cards to ensure a smooth mana curve.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Detention Sphere offers dynamic solutions, seamlessly integrating into a wide array of decks. This card shines across multiple formats, capable of handling an assortment of threats from creatures to enchantments.

Combo Potential: Through its ability to exile multiple permanents sharing the same name, Detention Sphere is a linchpin in strategies designed to disrupt opponent plays. It pairs well with cards that can manipulate the battlefield or bounce it back to your hand for repeated use.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where multiple copies of powerful cards are commonplace, Detention Sphere can single-handedly level the playing field. It’s particularly effective in current meta environments filled with token strategies or decks that rely on a suite of identical permanents.


How to Beat Detention Sphere

The Detention Sphere is a powerful tool that can disrupt strategies by exiling any number of cards with the same name. This can create a significant obstacle, yet it’s not insurmountable. To navigate around Detention Sphere, timing and card selection become critical. A smart strategy is to diversify your threats, ensuring that losing any single name won’t cripple your game plan.

Instant-speed removal or enchantment destruction spells are an excellent countermeasure. For instance, Naturalize or its many variants can dismantle the sphere before its effect becomes a hurdle. Similarly, holding up a counterspell for Detention Sphere itself can negate its potentially game-changing effect entirely. Hexproof and indestructible creatures also stand resilient against a Detention Sphere play. Importantly, remember that once the Detention Sphere leaves the battlefield, your exiled cards will return, so temporary solutions can be just as effective in outlasting its control.

Understanding how to rise above the constraints of formidable cards like Detention Sphere can give you a noticeable edge, making you better equipped for ongoing MTG challenges. Diversify, anticipate, and be ready to act when the Sphere makes its appearance.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering Magic the Gathering is about making strategic decisions, not just on the battlefield but also in curating your deck. Detention Sphere has emerged as a key card, whether you aim to control the pace of the match or need a trump card against token swarms and identical threats. Its nuanced abilities offer intriguing possibilities for deck builders and players looking to craft meticulous strategies. We encourage you to delve deeper into the tactical applications of this card and others that complement its strengths. Enhance your collection by understanding the roles that versatile cards like Detention Sphere play within it. Discover more insights and navigations through MTG with us, and refine your decks to secure your victories one game at a time.


Cards like Detention Sphere

Detention Sphere stands out in the realm of Magic: The Gathering as a powerful answer to a broad array of threats on the battlefield. Its nearest cousin is Oblivion Ring, which exiles any nonland permanent until it leaves the battlefield. While both cards execute a similar exile function, Detention Sphere steps up the game by allowing for the removal of multiple permanents sharing the same name, which can be a game-changer in certain matchups.

Alternatively, there’s Banishing Light, another functional counterpart that serves a similar purpose. Although it doesn’t have the breadth of Detention Sphere in dealing with multiple permanents, it’s still a prominent option for exiling troublesome cards one at a time. And let’s not discount the efficient Efficiency of Cast Out, offering a similar exiling effect but with the added benefit of cycling to draw a card in situations where its exiling ability isn’t immediately necessary.

Assessing these options, Detention Sphere’s unique capability to cleanse the board of clones or a swarm of tokens from cards like Lingering Souls makes it a valuable tool in a player’s arsenal. Its impact against decks that rely on symmetry can’t be understated, positioning it as a premier tactical play in the current meta.

Oblivion Ring - MTG Card versions
Banishing Light - MTG Card versions
Cast Out - MTG Card versions
Oblivion Ring - Lorwyn (LRW)
Banishing Light - Journey into Nyx (JOU)
Cast Out - Amonkhet (AKH)

Cards similar to Detention Sphere by color, type and mana cost

Chromatic Armor - MTG Card versions
Spectral Shield - MTG Card versions
Arenson's Aura - MTG Card versions
Reparations - MTG Card versions
Teferi's Care - MTG Card versions
Plumes of Peace - MTG Card versions
Steel of the Godhead - MTG Card versions
Ardent Plea - MTG Card versions
Ephara's Enlightenment - MTG Card versions
Invocation of Saint Traft - MTG Card versions
Lawmage's Binding - MTG Card versions
Dovin's Acuity - MTG Card versions
High Alert - MTG Card versions
The Raven's Warning - MTG Card versions
Niko Defies Destiny - MTG Card versions
Moderation - MTG Card versions
A-Brine Comber // A-Brinebound Gift - MTG Card versions
Brine Comber // Brinebound Gift - MTG Card versions
Pull of the Mist Moon - MTG Card versions
Invasion of Theros // Ephara, Ever-Sheltering - MTG Card versions
Chromatic Armor - Ice Age (ICE)
Spectral Shield - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Arenson's Aura - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Reparations - Mirage (MIR)
Teferi's Care - Invasion (INV)
Plumes of Peace - Dissension (DIS)
Steel of the Godhead - Duel Decks: Venser vs. Koth (DDI)
Ardent Plea - The List (PLST)
Ephara's Enlightenment - Born of the Gods (BNG)
Invocation of Saint Traft - Shadows over Innistrad Promos (PSOI)
Lawmage's Binding - The List (PLST)
Dovin's Acuity - Ravnica Allegiance (RNA)
High Alert - The List (PLST)
The Raven's Warning - Kaldheim Promos (PKHM)
Niko Defies Destiny - Kaldheim (KHM)
Moderation - Modern Horizons 2 Promos (PMH2)
A-Brine Comber // A-Brinebound Gift - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)
Brine Comber // Brinebound Gift - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)
Pull of the Mist Moon - Alchemy: Dominaria (YDMU)
Invasion of Theros // Ephara, Ever-Sheltering - March of the Machine (MOM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Detention Sphere MTG card by a specific set like Return to Ravnica and RNA Guild Kit, 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 Detention Sphere and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Detention Sphere Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2012-10-05 and 2019-02-15. Illustrated by Kev Walker.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12012-10-05Return to RavnicaRTR 1552003normalblackKev Walker
22019-02-15RNA Guild KitGK2 102015normalblackKev Walker

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Detention Sphere has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Detention Sphere card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2012-10-01 Although the target of the enters-the-battlefield ability must not be a land, lands with the same name as that permanent will be exiled.
2012-10-01 If Detention Sphere leaves the battlefield before its enters-the-battlefield ability has resolved, its leaves-the-battlefield ability will trigger and do nothing. Then the enters-the-battlefield ability will resolve and exile the targeted nonland permanent and other permanents with that name indefinitely.
2012-10-01 If the target nonland permanent is an illegal target when the enters-the-battlefield ability tries to resolve, it won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen. No permanents will be exiled, including those with the same name as the target.
2012-10-01 The enters-the-battlefield ability has only one target. The other permanents with that name aren’t targeted. For example, a permanent with protection from white will be exiled if it has the same name as the target nonland permanent.

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