Spectral Prison
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.
When enchanted creature becomes the target of a spell, sacrifice this Aura.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Avacyn Restored
- Price
- $0.04
- EDHREC rank
- #28962
Spectral Prison locks a creature down for as long as it stays tapped — no combat, no activated abilities, no blocking — at the cost of three mana and an enchantment slot. It's a passable budget option, but the tap-to-sustain clause means any untap effect on your opponent's side breaks it for free.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Spectral Prison competes against Darksteel Mutation, Imprisoned in the Moon, and Kenrith's Transformation — all of which answer the threat permanently rather than conditionally. Spectral Prison's reliance on the creature staying tapped is a real liability at a table where vigilance, untap effects, and turn-based untap steps conspire against you. In Pauper, the commons pool is thinner, so it finds a more legitimate niche as budget creature control. Legacy and Vintage have far cleaner answers and will never touch it.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.04 bulk tier
Spectral Prison is deep bulk at $0.04 — you're buying it because it's the cheapest body on the effect, not because it's the best one. At this price tier there's no financial consideration; just know you're paying for accessibility, not power.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.