Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Untapping Your Army: Reclaiming Board Presence with Common Courtesy

Blue often wears the role of tempo in Magic: The Gathering, but the charm of Common Courtesy is that it flips tempo into a social contract. This uncommon enchantment from the whimsical Unsanctioned set costs 2 generic and 2 blue mana ({2}{U}{U}) and sits comfortably in a blue-control shell that thrives on dictating the pace of the game. Its countereffect is not just about stopping spells—it's about shaping the conversation around what gets cast and when. The flavor text seals the vibe: “You didn't say the Magic word.” 🧙‍♂️🔥💎

In practice, the card’s first line—“Whenever a player casts a spell without asking your permission while casting it, counter that spell”—turns the table on spur-of-the-moment plays. It makes your opponents think before they fling a spell into the void, because a slip of the tongue could trigger a counterspell from the blue core of your board. The real twist arrives with the second line: “When a player asks you permission to cast a spell and you refuse, counter that spell and sacrifice this enchantment.” This is the moment when the jurisdiction of the table shifts from a simple counter to a bargaining chip. You become the referee, and if you stall too aggressively, you may lose the enchantment—sacrifice as the price for a hard-won, board-wide advantage. ⚔️🎲

That dynamic—permission, refusal, sacrifice—creates a narrative of control that goes beyond the usual counterspells. It invites a kind of political play in my sides of the table: who’s allowed to do what, and when? In many multiplayer games, Common Courtesy doesn’t just protect you from a single big threat; it curates the entire board state. If you’re the blue player with the most to lose on a crowded board, you can use this enchantment to politely, or not-so-politely, filter the noise. It’s not just about you saying “no”; it’s about everyone recognizing that the table’s tempo matters, too. 🧙‍♂️🔥

“Control in MTG isn’t always about denying power; it’s about ordering the flow of power so you can react decisively.”

Let’s talk practical play patterns. Common Courtesy shines in longer, governance-heavy matchups where the board state is the real prize. If you’ve spent early turns setting up mana dorks, cantrips, or a suite of permission spells, you’re ready to leverage the enchantment to slow down or redirect threats. When an opponent tries a pivotal spell—say a big plane-walk or a key combat trick—you can counter it if they didn’t ask for permission. The moment you’re approached with a request to cast and you deny, you’re not just countering a spell; you’re delivering a tacit referendum on the pace of the game. And yes, this can lead to lively, spicy plays that leave everyone grinning or groaning, depending on how your table vibes with humor and strategy. 🧙‍♂️🎨

Design-wise, Common Courtesy is a curious creature in the mana-blooming world of MTG. It’s mono-blue (colors: U) and sits in the rarefied air of the Unsanctioned set, a silver-bordered, nonstandard release that invites playfulness and experimentation more than tournament ubiquity. Its rarity—uncommon—fits its power-to-social-pressure ratio: not the kind of card you slam into a top-tier modern shell, but a delightful, memorable inclusion in fun formats or casual decks where the social contract wins as much as the counterspell does. The artwork by Mike Raabe captures that mischievous, almost courtroom-like vibe: a reminder that magic is as much about rules as it is about wonder. 🎨💎

If you’re building around this enchantment, think about the typical blue shell: draws, counters, permission, and card advantage. You’ll want ways to refill your hand and protect the board while you curate spells that would otherwise disrupt your plans. Pair Common Courtesy with effects that untap or reset your team after you’ve endured a few rounds of strategic push-and-pull. It’s not about being mean; it’s about crafting a playful, intelligent game state where thoughtful pauses become the real win condition. And if your playgroup loves the jokes and social swaps that come with Und, you’ll have a blast seeing people negotiate permission with a wink and a nod. 🧙‍♂️💎⚔️

One practical caveat: in real tournament formats, this card belongs to a niche, nonstandard space. It’s designed for vibe and memory as much as for literal pro-level play. That said, the core idea—controlling what gets cast and when—remains a resonant concept for any blue deck that values tempo control, political maneuvering, and clever timing. The artful tension between “permission granted” and “permission denied” can spark some memorable late-game sequences as players weigh the risk of asking for consent against the reward of a clean counter. And if you ever need a small break from the siege, you can always lean into the theme of untapping your army to reclaim your board—because sometimes the best way to win is to reset the table with a confident, well-timed demand for consent. 🧙‍♂️🔥

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