Stony Silence MTG Card


Indirectly shifts card advantage in your favor by neutralizing opponent’s artifact abilities. Slows opponent’s resource acceleration, offering strategic pacing benefits. Instant impact on resolution, disrupting opponent strategies effectively.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment

Text of card

Activated abilities of artifacts can't be activated.

Let moss grow over gargoyles —Gavony saying meaning "forget painful memories"


Cards like Stony Silence

Stony Silence stands as a powerful artifact-neutralizing force in the realm of Magic: The Gathering. Much like its counterpart, Null Rod, it prevents activated abilities of artifacts from being used, effectively silencing strategies reliant on these. While Null Rod shares this shutdown capability, Stony Silence provides it within a white mana base, allowing it to fit seamlessly into white-centric or multicolored decks focused on control.

Comparatively, Kataki, War’s Wage offers a dynamic approach to disrupting artifact-heavy plays. Unlike the static effect of Stony Silence, Kataki pressures opponents with a continuous tax — each artifact requires an upkeep cost or it’s sacrificed. The key difference lies in Stony Silence’s blanket effect which, once on the field, requires no further investment, while Kataki can be removed, reinstating the threat of opposing artifacts.

When examining these options, Stony Silence emerges as a robust staple in decks intent on hindering artifact strategies. The card’s ability to nullify an entire category of permanents without ongoing costs cements its role in competitive formats, showcasing its unique role in a strategist’s arsenal.

Null Rod - MTG Card versions
Kataki, War's Wage - MTG Card versions
Null Rod - MTG Card versions
Kataki, War's Wage - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Stony Silence by color, type and mana cost

Blessing - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: White - MTG Card versions
Island Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
Crusade - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Blue - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Artifacts - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Red - MTG Card versions
Energy Storm - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Black - MTG Card versions
Ward of Lights - MTG Card versions
Gossamer Chains - MTG Card versions
I'm Rubber, You're Glue - MTG Card versions
Absolute Grace - MTG Card versions
Serenity - MTG Card versions
Mageta's Boon - MTG Card versions
Seal of Cleansing - MTG Card versions
Absolute Law - MTG Card versions
Sacred Ground - MTG Card versions
Pacifism - MTG Card versions
Earnest Fellowship - MTG Card versions
Blessing - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: White - MTG Card versions
Island Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
Crusade - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Blue - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Artifacts - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Red - MTG Card versions
Energy Storm - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Black - MTG Card versions
Ward of Lights - MTG Card versions
Gossamer Chains - MTG Card versions
I'm Rubber, You're Glue - MTG Card versions
Absolute Grace - MTG Card versions
Serenity - MTG Card versions
Mageta's Boon - MTG Card versions
Seal of Cleansing - MTG Card versions
Absolute Law - MTG Card versions
Sacred Ground - MTG Card versions
Pacifism - MTG Card versions
Earnest Fellowship - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Stony Silence. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Boros PrisonBoros Prison VintageRed PrisonVintage League 2024-05-01
Other ShopsOther Shops VintageOther ShopsVintage Challenge 32 2024-02-10
Aggro ShopsAggro Shops VintageAggro ShopsVintage Challenge 32 2023-12-16
Colorless AggroColorless Aggro VintageAggro ShopsHSI7
Mono-White InitiativeMono-White Initiative VintageMono-White Initiative2023 NA Vintage Champs
Jeskai ControlJeskai Control VintageJeskai Control2023 Asia Vintage Championship

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Despite not providing direct card draw, Stony Silence can contribute to card advantage by neutralizing an opponent’s artifacts that otherwise generate card draw or filter effects. In this way, it effectively removes several cards from your opponent’s board, indirectly shifting the card advantage in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: Stony Silence may not actively accelerate your own resources, but by disabling mana abilities of artifacts, it can significantly slow down an opponent’s resource acceleration. This restraint often leads to a deceleration of your opponent’s game plan, giving you the upper hand in developing your board without pressure.

Instant Speed: While Stony Silence is an enchantment that operates at sorcery speed, it is notably impactful upon the battlefield akin to an instant-speed disruption. Upon resolution, it immediately ceases the functionality of activated artifact abilities, disrupting opponents’ strategies mid-combo or prior to their utilization of artifact-based engine pieces.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Stony Silence does not require discarding, it effectively discards the utility of artifact abilities. This can be detrimental if your strategy relies heavily on artifact synergies or activated abilities, forcing a reevaluation of your deck’s composition.

Specific Mana Cost: Stony Silence necessitates both white mana and colorless mana to cast. This specificity can restrict its inclusion to decks that can readily produce white mana, potentially limiting its versatility across various deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of two mana, Stony Silence may not seem steep. However, considering it does not directly impact the board state or offer an immediate advantage, its mana cost can be seen as high compared to other two-mana spells that could affect the game upon entry.


Reasons to Include Stony Silence in Your Collection

Versatility: Stony Silence has the ability to fit into various deck strategies, particularly those aiming to hinder opponents who rely heavily on artifact-based strategies. Its broad impact across numerous artifact-centric decks makes it a worthwhile addition to any collection.

Combo Potential: Though Stony Silence itself does not actively participate in combos, it can severely disrupt opponents’ intricate artifact combinations. This creates an advantage, allowing your own non-artifact strategies to flourish without interference.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames where artifact decks are prevalent, incorporating Stony Silence can give you a significant edge. It acts as a powerful counter to widely-used artifact staples and can decisively shift the game in your favor against such strategies.


How to beat

Stony Silence is an artifact-hating card that has become a staple in sideboards across various formats in Magic the Gathering. This white enchantment can shut down the abilities of all artifacts, rendering them useless and turning off key components in many strategies. Powerful and potentially game-swinging, the ability to nullify an opponent’s artifacts can be detrimental to decks that rely heavily on them. To overcome Stony Silence, a player needs to adapt their approach.

One effective method is running enchantment removal cards like Disenchant or Naturalize to directly deal with the enchantment. Another strategy involves shifting the focus of your deck away from artifact-based tactics to those less affected by Stony Silence, such as creature-heavy or spell-based decks. Additionally, playing around Stony Silence by not overcommitting artifacts to the board or by having an alternate win condition in your strategy can minimize its impact on your game plan. It’s crucial to recognize the presence of Stony Silence in the meta and prepare your deck accordingly to ensure you’re not caught off guard by this powerful piece of disruption.

Understanding and anticipating this enchantment can mean the difference between being locked out of the game and outmaneuvering your opponent. Incorporating flexibility and removal options into your deck is key to maintaining the upper hand against Stony Silence.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of Stony Silence is crucial for any MTG aficionado. This enchantment offers strategic control over artifact-heavy opponents, altering the pace of the game in your favor. Yet, its strict mana requirements may call for tailored deck construction. In metagames dominated by artifacts, Stony Silence becomes an indispensable tool, shutting down complex machinery with ease. To integrate this powerful card seamlessly into your collection, dive deeper with us. Expand your knowledge, optimize your deck, and refine your game plan to harness the full potential of Stony Silence in your arsenal. Ready for a deeper understanding? Elevate your MTG gameplay with us.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Stony Silence MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad and Modern Masters 2017, 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 Stony Silence and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Stony Silence Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2011-09-30 and 2017-03-17. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12011-09-30InnistradISD 362003NormalBlackWayne England
22017-03-17Modern Masters 2017MM3 252015NormalBlackMark Poole

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Stony Silence has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2017-03-14 Activated abilities contain a colon. They’re generally written “
-ost:
-ffect].” Some keyword abilities, such as equip, are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder text.
2017-03-14 No abilities of artifacts can be activated, including mana abilities.
2017-03-14 Stony Silence’s ability affects only artifacts on the battlefield. Activated abilities that work in other zones (such as cycling) can still be activated. Triggered abilities (starting with “when,” “whenever,” or “at”) are unaffected.