Smoke MTG Card


Smoke levels the playing field by capping creature attacks, favoring control-centric playstyles. It forces players to adapt their strategy, potentially slowing down opponents with swarms of creatures. Despite its utility, Smoke’s upkeep cost and specific mana requirements may limit its inclusion in decks.
Card setsReleased in 14 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Text of card

Each player can only untap one creature during his or her untap phase.


Cards like Smoke

Smoke is a unique enchantment in MTG that has a way of slowing down the battlefield by limiting the number of creatures that can attack each turn. When considering cards with a similar controlling impact, Propaganda immediately comes to mind. However, Propaganda works off a different axis, requiring opponents to pay mana in order to attack, which can be circumvented with enough resources. Smoke, meanwhile, imposes a hard cap on creature attacks regardless of the opponent’s mana pool.

Meekstone is another card that shares some strategic parallels with Smoke, focusing on restricting creatures’ movements. Meekstone targets creatures specifically based on their power, keeping the powerful behemoths at bay, while Smoke blankets all creatures regardless of their size. This blanket approach can lead to different tactical considerations, especially in decks where players want to limit all combatants, not just the strongest.

Comparatively, Smoke stands out for its ability to consistently throttle the combat phase for every player turn after turn. While similar cards might offer more conditional control or require more resources from the opponent to overcome, Smoke’s unique constraints make it a standalone powerhouse in controlling aggressive MTG strategies.

Propaganda - MTG Card versions
Meekstone - MTG Card versions
Propaganda - MTG Card versions
Meekstone - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Smoke by color, type and mana cost

Power Surge - MTG Card versions
Raging River - MTG Card versions
Giant Strength - MTG Card versions
Goblin Kites - MTG Card versions
The Brute - MTG Card versions
Lightning Reflexes - MTG Card versions
Consuming Ferocity - MTG Card versions
Agility - MTG Card versions
Errantry - MTG Card versions
Heat of Battle - MTG Card versions
Goblin Festival - MTG Card versions
Scald - MTG Card versions
Cave Sense - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Surge - MTG Card versions
Maniacal Rage - MTG Card versions
Battle Strain - MTG Card versions
Goblin Bombardment - MTG Card versions
Underworld Breach - MTG Card versions
Lightning Rift - MTG Card versions
Fractured Loyalty - MTG Card versions
Power Surge - MTG Card versions
Raging River - MTG Card versions
Giant Strength - MTG Card versions
Goblin Kites - MTG Card versions
The Brute - MTG Card versions
Lightning Reflexes - MTG Card versions
Consuming Ferocity - MTG Card versions
Agility - MTG Card versions
Errantry - MTG Card versions
Heat of Battle - MTG Card versions
Goblin Festival - MTG Card versions
Scald - MTG Card versions
Cave Sense - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Surge - MTG Card versions
Maniacal Rage - MTG Card versions
Battle Strain - MTG Card versions
Goblin Bombardment - MTG Card versions
Underworld Breach - MTG Card versions
Lightning Rift - MTG Card versions
Fractured Loyalty - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Smoke excels in its ability to restrict each player to one creature attack per turn. This balances the playing field and provides a strategic edge, especially when facing decks that summon a multitude of creatures.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly affecting mana resources, Smoke can decelerate opponents’ board development. This allows you to allocate resources toward advancing your board state without the immediate pressure of a full-scale attack from swarms of enemy creatures.

Instant Speed: Though Smoke is an enchantment and not cast at instant speed, its continuous effect functions during each opponent’s turn. This effectively provides a persistent advantage, akin to the control typically exerted by instant-speed interactions, by limiting how opponents can engage in combat.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Smoke demands you to discard two cards to keep it on the battlefield, which might be detrimental when your hand is already depleted.

Specific Mana Cost: The restrictive red and an additional colorless requirement can put a strain on decks not heavily invested in those mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Smoke’s overall cost may be considered steep, considering that it doesn’t immediately impact the board or offer direct resource advantage.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Smoke offers a unique approach to control, limiting each player’s creature attacks and fitting into numerous deck archetypes that focus on restricting opponent’s actions.

Combo Potential: In conjunction with cards that further tap or incapacitate opponent’s creatures, Smoke can become part of a strategy to thoroughly lock down combat and create advantageous board states.

Meta-Relevance: Within a meta heavy on creature-based aggro or midrange decks, Smoke’s ability to reduce the number of attacks can be a game-changer, often tipping the scales in your favor during prolonged matches.


How to beat

Smoke is an enchantment card that can slow down the pace of the game significantly in MTG. The ability to restrict each player to only one creature attack per turn can create a substantial roadblock, especially in formats where creature-based strategies dominate. To successfully navigate around this limitation, focus on strategies that don’t rely heavily on creature combat.

Cards with abilities that allow multiple actions within a turn can mitigate the effects of Smoke. Utilize instant-speed spells, abilities that don’t require tapping, and non-creature-based win conditions. Another effective tactic is to employ enchantment removal spells, such as Disenchant or Naturalize, to get rid of Smoke directly. Alternatively, you can incorporate counterspells like Negate or Cancel to prevent Smoke from hitting the battlefield in the first place.

Building a well-rounded deck that can adapt to various control strategies is key. By incorporating versatile removal and alternative win conditions, you maintain a strong position against disruptive cards like Smoke. A balanced approach allowing for creature aggression and spell-based strategies ensures resilience in face of such enchantments.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Smoke MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Smoke and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Smoke Magic the Gathering card was released in 13 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-08-05Limited Edition AlphaLEA 1751993NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
21993-10-04Limited Edition BetaLEB 1761993NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
31993-12-01Unlimited Edition2ED 1761993NormalWhiteJesper Myrfors
41993-12-10Collectors' EditionCED 1761993NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
51993-12-10Intl. Collectors' EditionCEI 1761993NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
61994-04-01Foreign Black BorderFBB 1781993NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
71994-04-01Revised Edition3ED 1781993NormalWhiteJesper Myrfors
81994-06-21Summer Magic / EdgarSUM 1781993NormalWhiteJesper Myrfors
91995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 2221993NormalWhiteJesper Myrfors
101995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 2221993NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
111997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 2681997NormalWhiteTom Kyffin
122011-01-10Masters Edition IVME4 1371997NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
132022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 4681997NormalBlackJesper Myrfors
142022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 1712015NormalBlackJesper Myrfors

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Smoke has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Smoke 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 Animated lands are affected by this spell. If on the battlefield with an effect that limits the number of land you untap, untapping an animated land will count as the one creature and the one land you can untap... thereby limiting you to one thing to be untapped.