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Shackles

Enchantment — Aura

Enchant creature
Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.
{W}: Return this Aura to its owner's hand.

CMC
3
Mana cost
{2}{W}
Color identity
W
Rarity
common
Set
Exodus
Price
$0.14
EDHREC rank
#22118
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Shackles card art
Shackles taps a creature an opponent controls — repeatable when paired with untap effects like Displacer Kitten, effectively locking a threat out of combat or blocking forever. The cost is that you're spending a card and mana to delay rather than answer, which limits it to decks that can loop it or leverage the tap trigger meaningfully.

Format Analysis

Where it lives, where it can’t

FormatVerdict
commander legal
legacy legal
modern not legal
pioneer not legal
standard not legal
vintage legal
pauper legal
oathbreaker legal

Shackles is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, and Oathbreaker — and Pauper is where it sees the most honest evaluation, since the common-only card pool makes repeatable tap effects more meaningful. In Commander, Shackles is a niche include: it underwhelms as a one-shot and only earns its slot in decks that can recur or loop it turn after turn. Legacy and Vintage have enough raw power that a tap-one-creature effect isn't competing for slots. Oathbreaker mirrors Commander's calculus — build around it or skip it.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

Price Context

Current price

$0.14 bulk tier

At $0.14, Shackles is deep bulk — grab a copy without thinking twice if the deck wants it. That price is stable simply because demand is narrow; it won't rise unless a high-profile loop deck drags it into the spotlight.

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Sources

Mentioned

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Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.