Shield of the Realm
Artifact — Equipment
If a source would deal damage to equipped creature, prevent 2 of that damage.
Equip 
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- C
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Dominaria
- Price
- $0.08
- EDHREC rank
- #22507
Shield of the Realm redirects all damage that would be dealt to its equipped creature to itself instead, making that creature effectively indestructible against combat and burn as long as the Shield survives. At one mana to cast and one to equip, the rate is good — the catch is that the Shield eats damage and dies, so repeated attacks will chew through it fast.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Shield of the Realm is a fringe inclusion — voltron decks will consider it, but most competitive equipment lists prioritize protection that doesn't expire after one big hit. In Legacy, Modern, and Pioneer, the equipment landscape is too demanding for a shield that breaks on contact; Sword of Feast and Famine and similar pieces do far more for the mana investment. Vintage doesn't ban it, but nothing about the format calls for it. Shield of the Realm is legal in Oathbreaker, where protecting a low-loyalty planeswalker from a single commander strike could matter, though dedicated protection spells are usually more reliable.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.08 bulk tier
At $0.08, Shield of the Realm is deep bulk — you're paying for cardboard, not scarcity. There's no meaningful financial upside here, but at that price the only question worth asking is whether the effect earns a deck slot, not whether it earns a dollar.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.