Rune of Protection: Black MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Enchantment |
| Abilities | Cycling |
| Released | 1998-10-12 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Urza's Saga |
| Set code | USG |
| Number | 36 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Scott M. Fischer |
Key Takeaways
- It provides targeted protection from black spells, which can be pivotal in certain matchups.
- Cycling ability enhances card flow, allowing players to adapt to the game’s demands.
- Cost-effective protection aligns with white mana strategies, fitting smoothly into such decks.
Text of card
oo W Prevent all damage to you from a black source. (Treat further damage from that source normally.) Cycling (You may pay and discard this card from your hand to draw a card. Play this ability as an instant.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Playing Rune of Protection: Black can offer a significant edge by neutralizing threats repeatedly. Even though it doesn’t draw you cards directly, the ability to cycle for a new card contributes to preventing card disadvantage, keeping your hand equipped to deal with other challenges on the battlefield.
Resource Acceleration: While Rune of Protection: Black isn’t a direct source of resource acceleration, its low casting cost facilitates a smooth and efficient use of mana. It allows players to establish a defensive posture without hindering the development of their mana base and board state, providing an indirect form of acceleration by saving resources otherwise spent on handling threats.
Instant Speed: The allure of this enchantment lies in its capability to be activated at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to respond to threats targeting you. This instant-speed activation can deter opponents from committing to certain strategies while you remain untapped, and thus can effectively change the pace and plays of your adversary.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Carrying Rune of Protection: Black entails a strategy with a careful hand management component. Players must be ready to part with a card should they wish to activate its cycling ability, which might strain their resources especially when the game has progressed to a point where each card in hand is vital.
Specific Mana Cost: With a mana requirement dedicated to white mana, decks that do not run heavily on white mana may find it challenging to accommodate this card. It is particularly restrictive for multicolor decks that may only include white as a secondary or tertiary color and thus might struggle to reliably access the necessary mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment for this enchantment is not insignificant. Considering the efficiency of other cards at similar or lower cost, there might be concerns about the opportunity cost of running this card in a deck. Alternatives that offer broader protection or more flexible utility options can potentially usurp the slot allotted for Rune of Protection: Black, especially in competitive play where mana efficiency is paramount.
Reasons to Include Rune of Protection: Black in Your Collection
Versatility: Much like its place in the cycle of Runes, Rune of Protection: Black offers flexibility in shielding your game from any black threats. This can adjust to various situations whether you’re up against single-target removals or widespread destructive spells sourced from black magic.
Combo Potential: As part of a five-card cycle, it can pair well with other Runes or cards appreciating protection abilities. In decks built around synergies with enchantments, it can be part of a powerful defensive strategy, ensuring your valuable creatures remain on the battlefield.
Meta-Relevance: With the shifting landscape of competitive play, cards that offer protection can be pivotal. When black-heavy decks are prevalent, incorporating this Rune provides a tailored defense. It’s a useful sideboard card that can tactically adjust to your meta-game circumstances, possibly tipping the scales in your favor during matches.
How to beat
Rune of Protection: Black is a specialized card in Magic: The Gathering that offers a defensive shield against one of the game’s most feared colors. To circumvent this spell’s protective aura, flexibility in your approach is key. One strategy involves using non-black sources of damage or cards that can remove enchantments. Cards like Disenchant or Naturalize allow you to effectively target and eliminate Rune of Protection: Black, rendering its shielding capabilities moot.
Card versatility also plays an important role. Utilize multi-colored creatures or spells that can perform well under restrictions imposed by targeted protection. Adaptability in your deck’s composition ensures that you are not overly reliant on one color or strategy, thus mitigating the protection that this Rune offers. By executing a balanced attack and keeping answers to enchantments handy, you can effectively neutralize Rune of Protection: Black and maintain control of the game.
Lastly, consider the benefit of indirect tactics such as card advantage or board control. By outmaneuvering your opponent on multiple axes, you can reduce the impact of this and similar protective cards. Ultimately, maintaining a diverse and responsive deck will enhance your ability to triumph over enchantments specifically designed to stall your strategy.
Cards like Rune of Protection: Black
Rune of Protection: Black is an enchantment that provides specific color protection within the versatile realm of Magic: The Gathering. Similar enchantments like Circle of Protection: Red offer protection against another color but share the same activation concept, allowing a player to prevent damage from cards of the designated color. Rune of Protection: Black, however, is particularly useful in a game where black spells and creatures are prevalent.
Other counterparts include Story Circle, which gives players the ability to choose a color to protect against as they cast it, offering a more flexible defense. Rune of Protection: Black stands out due to its cycling ability, giving players the option to discard it for a new card, thus providing dual utility in both protection and card advantage. While not as adaptable as Story Circle, its lower mana cost and cycling feature can synergize well with decks focused on specific matchups or those looking for a quick draw option.
In the sphere of protective spells, Rune of Protection: Black aligns closely with its kin, yet distinguishes itself by allowing players to adapt to the tides of battle, either hunkering down with its protective powers or cycling towards potentially game-altering draws.
Cards similar to Rune of Protection: Black by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Rune of Protection: Black MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga, 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 Rune of Protection: Black 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 Rune of Protection: Black has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Rune of Protection: Black card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | A source of damage is a permanent, a spell on the stack (including one that creates a permanent), or any object referred to by an object on the stack. A source doesn’t need to be capable of dealing damage to be a legal choice. |
| 2004-10-04 | Can be used even when there is no damage to prevent. It prevents the next damage (if any) from the source this turn. |
| 2008-10-01 | Cycling is an activated ability. Effects that interact with activated abilities (such as Stifle or Rings of Brighthearth) will interact with cycling. Effects that interact with spells (such as Remove Soul or Faerie Tauntings) will not. |
