Martyr's Bond MTG Card


Martyr’s Bond can provide significant card advantage by forcing opponents to sacrifice key resources. Its ability can lead to mana advantages and shape game states with its delayed instant effect. Demands thoughtful deck building given its specific mana cost and potential impact on the hand.
Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Text of card

Whenever Martyr's Bond or another nonland permanent you control is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, each opponent sacrifices a permanent that shares a card type with it.

"Our lives are connected by divine law. The truth of this will be made evident in time." —Zedruu the Greathearted


Cards like Martyr's Bond

Within the realm of Magic: The Gathering, Martyr’s Bond is a standout enchantment recognized for its ability to echo across the battlefield. Comparable in effect to cards like Grave Pact and Dictate of Erebos, Martyr’s Bond ensures that when you lose a nonland permanent, other players are compelled to sacrifice a similar type. What sets Martyr’s Bond apart is its broader reach—catching artifacts, creatures, and enchantments alike, thereby guaranteeing that the sacrifice aspect of the game is not limited to just creatures.

Against Dictate of Erebos, for instance, Martyr’s Bond shines with its inclusion of artifacts and enchantments, not just creatures. This adds a layer of strategic depth for players looking to control the board state. Grave Pact also enforces a creature-only sacrifice, whereas Martyr’s Bond’s larger scope can impact the game more widely, making it a powerful tool in decks built around synergistic sacrifice effects.

Ultimately, Martyr’s Bond offers a unique combination of deterrence and board impact. It broadens the sacrifices demanded of opponents and reinforces the strategy of mutually assured destruction. Its expansive coverage among different permanent types solidifies Martyr’s Bond as a valuable card in Magic: The Gathering for players who enjoy orchestrating the tides of sacrifice within the game.

Grave Pact - MTG Card versions
Dictate of Erebos - MTG Card versions
Grave Pact - MTG Card versions
Dictate of Erebos - MTG Card versions

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Martyr’s Bond, whenever a nonland permanent you control is put into the graveyard, each opponent must sacrifice a permanent that shares a card type with it. This can potentially create a significant card advantage by reducing opponents’ resources while maintaining your own board presence.

Resource Acceleration: Although Martyr’s Bond itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its ability to pressure opponents into sacrificing key pieces can indirectly lead to mana advantages. For example, if an opponent is forced to sacrifice a land or a mana dork, it can set them back in terms of resource development while you continue to advance yours.

Instant Speed: Martyr’s Bond operates at a capacity resembling that of “delayed instant” effects. Once on the battlefield, its inherent ability triggers automatically whenever the conditions are met, occurring akin to instant speed, and can be leveraged during any phase of the game, be it in your turn or your opponent’s. This ensures that you’re able to use Martyr’s Bond’s effects to continually shape the game state to your advantage.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Martyr’s Bond does not directly require a discard, but its steep mana cost might force players to deplete their hand to get it onto the battlefield, hindering their ability to respond to opponents’ threats later in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s mana cost demands one white mana, which restricts its immediate placement to decks heavy in white or that have a reliable mana base for multiple colors, potentially reducing its versatility in a broader range of decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of six mana, Martyr’s Bond can be quite expensive. Many faster-paced or aggressive decks may find this cost inhibitive, as it might slow down their game plan or leave them vulnerable while they set up their mana sources to cast it.


Reasons to Include Martyr’s Bond in Your Collection

Versatility: Martyr’s Bond is a card that seamlessly integrates into various deck archetypes, particularly those that center around sacrifices or where permanents are regularly put at risk. This enchantment has the power to apply pressure on opponents across multiplayer formats due to its broad range of effects.

Combo Potential: With an ability that forces opponents to mimic your sacrifices, Martyr’s Bond has inherent synergy with cards that thrive on sacrifice mechanics. It can act as a linchpin in strategies designed to deplete opponent’s resources while advancing your board state.

Meta-Relevance: Given that its impact is felt across all types of the board, Martyr’s Bond holds relevance in a variety of metagames. It can be particularly effective in commander games where the attrition wars and strategic sacrifices often dictate the flow of the game.


How to beat

Martyr’s Bond is a commanding enchantment in Magic: The Gathering that can put opponents in a tight spot by making them sacrifice their own permanents whenever you lose one. To navigate around this card, one strategy is to prioritize the removal of enchantments. Direct enchantment removal cards like Disenchant or Naturalize will allow you to dispatch Martyr’s Bond without having to lose any of your own assets in the process.

In addition to targeted removal, consider employing counterspells such as Negate or Cancel to prevent Martyr’s Bond from hitting the board in the first place. It’s also beneficial to limit the number of permanents you commit to the board, reducing the impact of the card’s effect should it come into play.

Players can also turn to sacrifice fodder – cheap, expendable creatures or tokens that can be sacrificed with minimal loss to yourself when Martyr’s Bond triggers. By choosing when and what to sacrifice, you retain control over the game state and reduce the potential negative impact of this powerful enchantment.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG involves not only knowing the strengths of your cards but also understanding how they influence the surrounding meta. Martyr’s Bond serves as a significant force in formats where sacrifice strategies reign. Its ability to disrupt opponents’ boards through equitable loss puts you in a favorable position, especially in multiplayer settings. If you’re considering including Martyr’s Bond in your collection, remember it works wonders in decks that capitalize on sacrifice-driven synergies. Elevate your MTG knowledge and refine your deck-building skills with us. Discover how to integrate Martyr’s Bond effectively and ensure your strategies are as resilient as they are formidable.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Martyr's Bond MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Commander 2011, 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 Martyr's Bond and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Martyr's Bond Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2011-06-17 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 779452015NormalBlackSeb McKinnon
22011-06-17Commander 2011CMD 192003NormalBlackRyan Pancoast
32019-06-28Signature Spellbook: GideonSS2 22015NormalBlackSeb McKinnon
42019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 1742003NormalBlackRyan Pancoast
52020-09-26The ListPLST CMD-192003NormalBlackRyan Pancoast

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Martyr's Bond has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2011-09-22 Each opponent must sacrifice only one permanent for each trigger, even if the nonland permanent you controlled that went to the graveyard had multiple types. For example, if an artifact creature you control is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, each opponent sacrifices exactly one artifact or creature, and that permanent doesn’t need to be an artifact creature.
2011-09-22 If Martyr’s Bond and other nonland permanents are put into the graveyard from the battlefield at the same time, Martyr’s Bond will trigger for itself and each of those other nonland permanents.