Protection Racket MTG Card


Protection Racket offers card advantage and pressures opponents to pay life or let you draw during upkeep. Its requirement to discard and specific mana cost can limit versatility and strain early game plays. Valuable for combo and control decks, it remains relevant through meta shifts and mind games.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Text of card

At the beginning of your upkeep, repeat the following process for each opponent in turn order. Reveal the top card of your library. That player may pay life equal to that card's mana value. If they do, exile that card. Otherwise, put it into your hand.


Cards like Protection Racket

Protection Racket is an intriguing piece in the puzzle of resource denial strategies within Magic: The Gathering. It’s a fresh twist on taxing effects, akin to cards like Rhystic Study which imposes a tax on opponents for the benefit of drawing cards. Unlike Rhystic Study, Protection Racket exhorts a mandatory payment or penalty during upkeep, potentially affecting the opponent’s resources significantly more.

Another parallel can be drawn with Smothering Tithe. While both revolve around taxing your opponents, Smothering Tithe’s ability triggers on draws and yields Treasure tokens which can be a different form of resource advantage. Protection Racket, with its unique penalty of either payment or card revelation, can pivot the direction of the game by garnering card advantage or knowledge of an opponent’s hand.

Examining these cards closely, Protection Racket carves its niche with a mix of informational leverage and resource impact. It challenges players to balance the threat of exposure against the cost of payment, making it a distinctive choice for control decks in Magic: The Gathering that thrive on disrupting opponents.

Rhystic Study - MTG Card versions
Smothering Tithe - MTG Card versions
Rhystic Study - MTG Card versions
Smothering Tithe - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Protection Racket by color, type and mana cost

Gloom - MTG Card versions
Season of the Witch - MTG Card versions
Tourach's Gate - MTG Card versions
Tourach's Chant - MTG Card versions
Withering Wisps - MTG Card versions
Necropotence - MTG Card versions
Funeral March - MTG Card versions
Casting of Bones - MTG Card versions
Blanket of Night - MTG Card versions
Hecatomb - MTG Card versions
Krovikan Fetish - MTG Card versions
Dauthi Embrace - MTG Card versions
Megrim - MTG Card versions
Recurring Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Contamination - MTG Card versions
Oppression - MTG Card versions
Lurking Evil - MTG Card versions
Maggot Therapy - MTG Card versions
Murderous Betrayal - MTG Card versions
Noxious Field - MTG Card versions
Gloom - MTG Card versions
Season of the Witch - MTG Card versions
Tourach's Gate - MTG Card versions
Tourach's Chant - MTG Card versions
Withering Wisps - MTG Card versions
Necropotence - MTG Card versions
Funeral March - MTG Card versions
Casting of Bones - MTG Card versions
Blanket of Night - MTG Card versions
Hecatomb - MTG Card versions
Krovikan Fetish - MTG Card versions
Dauthi Embrace - MTG Card versions
Megrim - MTG Card versions
Recurring Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Contamination - MTG Card versions
Oppression - MTG Card versions
Lurking Evil - MTG Card versions
Maggot Therapy - MTG Card versions
Murderous Betrayal - MTG Card versions
Noxious Field - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Netting additional cards is crucial in deck performance, and Protection Racket shines by offering you an opportunity to draw a card at the beginning of your upkeep. This steady stream of resources keeps your hand filled with options and can potentially overwhelm your opponent over time.

Resource Acceleration: In an intriguing twist, Protection Racket accelerates your resources by putting your opponent in a dilemma. If they refuse to pay life to prevent you from drawing, you essentially create a resource imbalance in your favor without spending any additional mana.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting spells at instant speed can’t be overstated. While Protection Racket itself is not an instant, it affects game dynamics immediately upon resolution and compounds the benefit of any actual instant-speed spells in your deck by pressuring the opponent to conserve resources to pay the racket’s cost during their turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Protection Racket demands that you discard a card, which could be detrimental when your hand is already depleted, leaving you at a strategic disadvantage.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s mana cost includes black mana, which might not seamlessly fit into decks that don’t heavily utilize that color, potentially limiting its versatility across various deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that requires three specific mana, Protection Racket might prove costly, especially when you’re aiming to set up a defensive position early on. Other cards may offer protection at a more affordable rate, leading to swifter and potentially more effective plays.


Reasons to Include Protection Racket in Your Collection

Versatility: Protection Racket is a unique addition to any collection due to its ability to perform in a wide range of deck types. Its conditional card draw mechanism can benefit control and combo decks alike, providing them with much-needed resource advantage.

Combo Potential: With its ability to offer card draw under specific conditions, Protection Racket can be a key piece in setups that thrive on either denying the opponent’s plays or accommodating your strategic responses, opening up avenues for various combo finishes.

Meta-Relevance: Given that it interacts with the opponent’s decisions, Protection Racket speaks directly to any meta where mind games and control elements dictate the pace. It allows players to either gain an upper hand in resources or puts pressure on opponents to alter their gameplay, thus staying relevant in ever-changing competitive environments.


How to beat

Protection Racket presents a challenging scenario for players as it offers both a shield and a potential card advantage to your opponent in MTG. The enchantment requires careful management since it triggers at the beginning of upkeep, offering the opponent the choice to pay life or give you a free draw. Despite this, there are ways to circumvent its benefits. To tackle it effectively, consider using enchantment removal spells common in white and green like Disenchant or Naturalize to eliminate it outright. Another strategy is to avoid triggering its effect by limiting the number of creatures you control until you’re ready to handle the advantage it might give to your opponent. Additionally, employing cards that can bypass the protection, such as with spells that “can’t be countered” or using unblockable creatures, can help maintain pressure without granting your opponent extra cards. Remember, staying patient and focusing on controlling the game state until you can safely deal with Protection Racket without it backfiring is key. An understanding of the right moment to dismantle this enchantment, paired with precise play, will help you navigate past the obstacles it sets.


BurnMana Recommendations

Grasping the full potential of Protection Racket in MTG is an enlightening experience. Its unique ability to influence both card advantage and resource acceleration is invaluable, particularly in decks that wield control or seek to establish a formidable card presence. Coupled with strategic combo plays, it becomes more than just an enchantment; it becomes a linchpin in carefully crafted deck strategies. Nevertheless, like any powerful card, Protection Racket is not without its complexities and demands a thoughtful integration into your collection. Interested in harnessing its potential or finding the perfect counterplay? Dive into our in-depth guides for insider knowledge that can transform your approach and elevate your game.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Protection Racket MTG card by a specific set like New Capenna Commander and New Capenna Commander, 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 Protection Racket and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Protection Racket Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2022-04-29 and 2022-04-29. Illustrated by Ernanda Souza.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12022-04-29New Capenna CommanderNCC 1402015NormalBlackErnanda Souza
22022-04-29New Capenna CommanderNCC 392015NormalBlackErnanda Souza

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Protection Racket has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal