Paralyzing Grasp
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Return to Ravnica
- Price
- $0.05
- EDHREC rank
- #24285
Paralyzing Grasp taps a creature and keeps it tapped for as long as the enchantment sticks — effectively locking out one blocker or threat indefinitely. Three mana for a conditional, enchantment-based tap effect is a bad rate in any format with access to hard removal or bounce.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Paralyzing Grasp is legal across Commander, Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, Pauper, and Oathbreaker, but its playability is narrow in all of them. In Commander, a three-mana Aura that doesn't remove a threat is almost never worth a card slot — opponents will have answers, and the creature comes back the moment Paralyzing Grasp leaves the battlefield. In Pauper, where common-only card quality is the binding constraint, it sees niche play in dedicated tap-matters or enchantress shells but is rarely a maindeck staple. Everywhere else, cheaper and more permanent answers exist in abundance.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.05 bulk tier
At $0.05, Paralyzing Grasp is deep bulk — you're paying for the cardboard, not any secondary-market demand. That price reflects its gameplay ceiling accurately, so don't expect movement.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.