Declaration of Naught
Enchantment
As this enchantment enters, choose a card name.
: Counter target spell with the chosen name.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Morningtide
- Price
- $16.78
- EDHREC rank
- #18475
Declaration of Naught names a card on entry and becomes a permanent, repeatable counter for every copy of that card — no mana required after the first two blue. The catch is the naming happens when it enters, so you need to know what you're shutting down before you cast it.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Declaration of Naught does its best work — naming an opponent's commander locks out their primary game plan entirely, and the free activation makes it better the longer the game goes. It's especially punishing against commanders that are the deck's only win condition, since the naming effect has no expiration date. In Legacy and Vintage, faster clocks and more varied threat packages make the naming requirement a liability; you can brick one card but still lose to a dozen others. Modern is theoretically legal but the format moves too fast for a slow, reactive enchantment to pull weight in most shells. Oathbreaker is a clean fit for the same reason as Commander — a well-timed Declaration of Naught aimed at the opposing oathbreaker can strand an entire deck.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
Nevermore fills a nearly identical role for under $1 — it names a nonland card on entry and prevents those cards from being cast, which covers commanders and key spells the same way Declaration of Naught does, minus the counter trigger. The real difference is that Declaration of Naught uses the stack, which matters against cards that don't technically get cast; if you're primarily targeting commanders, Nevermore is the cleaner budget swap.
Price Context
Current price
$16.78 mid tier
At $16.78, Declaration of Naught sits in mid-tier pricing — expensive enough that it's a deliberate purchase, not an afterthought. The price is supported by low reprint history and a narrow but loyal audience in Commander stax and control builds, so it's unlikely to crater soon, but it's also not a card you're running speculatively.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.