Entrapment Maneuver MTG Card


Creates card advantage by generating tokens and deterring attacks, conserving your board presence. Provides instant speed play, granting strategic flexibility and reactive capabilities during games. Accelerates resources through token generation based on attacking creature’s power, altering board dynamics.
Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeInstant

Text of card

Target player sacrifices an attacking creature. You create X 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens, where X is that creature's toughness.

"Greed, rage, and bloodlust all lead to death at the hands of those who keep their heads." —Sergeant Eyra


Cards like Entrapment Maneuver

The Entrapment Maneuver is a unique card in Magic: The Gathering, standing tall within the pantheon of tactical Instants. When we scrutinize its contemporaries, the card Compulsory Evacuation Device rises to mind. Similar to Entrapment Maneuver, it offers player control by allowing you to return a creature to the owner’s hand. Yet, the former has an edge with its capability to churn out a swarm of 1/1 Soldier tokens proportional to the blocked creature’s power.

There’s also the enchantment card, Luminarch Ascension. While operating on a different mechanic, this card generates 4/4 Angel creature tokens, a parallel to Entrapment Maneuver’s creation of tokens. However, its conditions are more stringent, requiring no loss of life in a turn to add quest counters. Comparatively, Entrapment Maneuver only needs your creature to be blocked, a relatively common play, making it valuable in a strategy aimed at quickly overwhelming opponents with numbers.

In sum, our evaluation places Entrapment Maneuver favorably among its peers in Magic: The Gathering. This can be credited to its potential for swift token generation and tactical flexibility it brings to the battlefield.

Luminarch Ascension - MTG Card versions
Luminarch Ascension - MTG Card versions

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Rapid Fire - MTG Card versions
Congregate - MTG Card versions
Scour - MTG Card versions
Reverent Mantra - MTG Card versions
Sivvi's Ruse - MTG Card versions
Mirror Strike - MTG Card versions
Surprise Deployment - MTG Card versions
Ray of Distortion - MTG Card versions
Chastise - MTG Card versions
Akroma's Will - MTG Card versions
Semester's End - MTG Card versions
Recuperate - MTG Card versions
Solidarity - MTG Card versions
Altar's Light - MTG Card versions
Abuna's Chant - MTG Card versions
Retaliate - MTG Card versions
Aether Shockwave - MTG Card versions
Return to Dust - MTG Card versions
Divine Verdict - MTG Card versions
Join the Ranks - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Entrapment Maneuver is excellent for building significant card advantage in games. When an opponent attacks, you can cast this spell, forcing them to reconsider their offensive strategies. The resulting tokens can act as blockers, not only repelling assaults but also conserving your important cards on the field.

Resource Acceleration: Each time Entrapment Maneuver is activated, you gain a certain number of creature tokens equivalent to the attacking creature’s power. This adds an impressive element of resource acceleration to your gameplay, diversifying the battlefield with new entities that you can use strategically on your subsequent turns. Such a rapid increase in resources could decisively tilt the game to your favor.

Instant Speed: The beauty of Entrapment Maneuver is that it operates at instant speed. It allows you to keep your mana and options open until the precise moment you decide to deploy the spell. The flexibility of instant speed actions confers a significant strategic advantage, letting you respond to opponents’ moves in real-time and keep them guessing about your next play.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: With the Entrapment Maneuver, there’s no requirement to discard, but there’s an unwritten cost. The card itself might seem like a good trade-off as it gives you soldiers in return for a potentially threatening attacker; however, it requires you to make the strategic decision of whether losing the potential blocker is worth the soldiers you’ll gain.

Specific Mana Cost: The Entrapment Maneuver requires a fair bit of mana setup with a specific need for white mana. This requires building your deck to accommodate for the mana needs, limiting your options in color balances or the types of cards you can utilize efficiently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Entrapment Maneuver costing four mana might prove cost-prohibitive in certain situations. The cost isn’t necessarily unfair for the effect, but it’s enough that it may not always be viable in a pinch, especially considering there are other cards with similar effects or lower costs.


Reasons to Include Entrapment Maneuver in Your Collection

Versatility: Entrapment Maneuver is a multi-functional card that offers flexibility to players. It performs well in various types of decks, predominantly those that capitalize on instant spells and creature generation. This card’s ability to create tokens matches a myriad of game scenarios, proving its adaptability.

Combo Potential: The inherent combo potential of Entrapment Maneuver is appealing to many players. Making effective use of the generated Soldier tokens can trigger significant synergies or intensify tactics that gain from additional creatures entering the battlefield. Combined with other spells or abilities, it catapults your strategic advantage.

Meta-Relevance: Entrapment Maneuver holds relevance in the current meta dominated by aggressive strategies. The potential for instant creature creation gives you defense against rush decks and furthering your board presence. In the ongoing dynamic of the game, Entrapment Maneuver manages to sustain its worth.


How to Beat

Entrapment Maneuver in Magic: The Gathering is an atypical card with a distinct function. As a white Instant spell used for strategic defense, it forces opponents to reassess their battle tactics while offering you an advantageous upper hand. Adequate strategy against this card is paramount for countering its impact.

Tactics like overpowering with multiple creatures on the battlefield or utilizing creatures with Indestructible or Hexproof characteristics can prove profitable. Spells that invalidate target abilities or remove creatures from combat can also significantly diminish the effects of Entrapment Maneuver. On the other hand, cards that grant creature morphing abilities effectively dodge Entrapment Maneuver’s trap since the casting requirement entails an unblocked creature.

Following this strategy, players can mitigate the potential negative effects posed by Entrapment Maneuver. Adapting playstyle according to the game scenario and considering the potential presence of this card may ultimately influence the game’s outcome. In conclusion, foreseeing and strategizing against cards Carry about unique effects like Entrapment Maneuver is a crucial element in mastering Magic: The Gathering.


BurnMana Recommendations

Unlocking the potential of Entrapment Maneuver in MTG is like discovering a tactical linchpin for your deck’s defense strategy. This card’s capability to turn the tides in your favor shouldn’t be overlooked. Whether you’re adding depth to your existing collection or seeking to enhance your play with resourceful instants, this card packs a punch with its token-generation and instant-speed flexibility. Ready to fortify your defenses and outmaneuver the competition? Dive deeper into the strategic uses of Entrapment Maneuver and integrate this card into your winning formula. Visit us to delve into more insights and make your deck a formidable one.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Entrapment Maneuver MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2016 and Treasure Chest, 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 Entrapment Maneuver and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Entrapment Maneuver Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2016-11-11 and 2024-03-08. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-11-11Commander 2016C16 22015NormalBlackFilip Burburan
22016-11-16Treasure ChestPZ2 102015NormalBlackFilip Burburan
32022-10-07Warhammer 40,000 Commander40K 185★2015NormalBlackNikola Matkovic
42022-10-07Warhammer 40,000 Commander40K 1852015NormalBlackNikola Matkovic
52024-03-08FalloutPIP 6882015NormalBlackNicholas Gregory
62024-03-08FalloutPIP 1602015NormalBlackNicholas Gregory
72024-03-08FalloutPIP 4492015NormalBlackNicholas Gregory
82024-03-08FalloutPIP 9772015NormalBlackNicholas Gregory

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Entrapment Maneuver has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2016-11-08 An “attacking creature” is one that has been declared as an attacker or put onto the battlefield attacking during this combat. Unless that creature leaves combat, it continues to be an attacking creature through the end of combat step, even if the player it was attacking has left the game or the planeswalker it was attacking has left combat.
2016-11-08 Entrapment Maneuver doesn't target the creature to be sacrificed. The target player chooses one as it resolves. No player may take any other actions between the target player choosing the creature and you creating Soldier tokens.
2016-11-08 If you cast Entrapment Maneuver after combat damage has been dealt, only creatures that survived combat can be sacrificed.
2016-11-08 To determine how many Soldier tokens are created, use the toughness of the sacrificed creature as it last existed on the battlefield.