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Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Card of the Day

Daily Since November 2001!

Pacifism
Image from Wizards.com

 Pacifism
- M14

Reviewed March 12, 2014

Constructed: 3.00
Casual: 3.19
Limited: 3.88
Multiplayer: 3.07

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale:
1 being the worst.  3 - average.  5 is the highest rating

Click here to see all of our 
Card of the Day Reviews 

BMoor

Pacifism

The last time we reviewed this card was in 2003, and when I say "we", I'm using the term loosely because I wasn't a Pojo writer back then. In fact, the COTD crew has completely rotated since then, so I suppose "we" never did review Pacifism.

As removal goes, it isn't bad. It's usually a good bit cheaper than the creature it's removing, it doesn't rely on a creature's toughness, and it isn't restricted on what it's allowed to target. Most of white's best removal only works in combat. Trouble is, Pacifism may not say "target attacking or blocking creature" but it still kind of only works in combat. It stops creatures from attacking or blocking... but nothing else. It's therefore of limited use on a creature with an activated ability. It also leaves the "removed" creature on the battlefield, making it a legitimate target for anything that might need one. (Time to Feed comes to mind.) Many raise the point that the Pacifism itself can be destroyed, but in practice this comes up less often than one might think. Only white and green can do this reliably, and even they don't often run enchantment destruction except in the sideboard. Blue can often bounce and recast the creature, but that's still requires the Blue mage to spend his bounce spell, plus the time and mana recasting the creature. Black may have spells like Altar's Reap that require the sacrifice of a creature, allowing it to still "make use" of a pacified creature, and it may have a way to get that creature back from the graveyard, but not always. Red's only real option is if all its creatures are pingers-- otherwise it must write off a Pacified creature as dead. All around, a Pacified creature is a creature that's mostly out of the game, and for two mana that's not bad.

Constructed- 2.5
Casual- 3.25
Limited- 4.5
Multiplayer- 3


David Fanany

Player since 1995

Pacifism

I don't think there are any cards that have been reprinted as often as Pacifism, but retained their original art and flavor text in so many of those printings. In a time when it's not clear that Wizards of the Coast recognizes the strength and value of its past assets, that fact makes me smile. As a matter of fact, I've been a fan of Pacifism ever since the days of Mirage - while there are times that you'd prefer to get a creature off the table entirely, there are other times when you actively don't. Decks with access to cards like Unburial Rites literally laugh at the likes of Diabolic Edict and Terror, and that's before you get into nonsense like Thragtusk and Kokusho. It's a little disconcerting that Wizards of the Coast seems to have made such an effort to undermine Pacifism's role with things like Restoration Angel and Cloudshift, but it remains a very solid choice in a lot of settings.

Constructed: 3/5
Casual: 4/5
Limited: 4/5
Multiplayer: 3/5

Michael "Maikeruu" Pierno

Today's card of the day is Pacifism which is a two mana White aura that prevents the target creature from attacking or blocking.  While this doesn't stop effects it is a classic White one for one that can lock down offensive or defensive threats and is particularly useful against creatures with a mandatory upkeep cost.  Overall this has been one of the go to choices for putting a creature on the sideline and will likely remain so for years to come.
 
In a Limited format where this is available it is a fantastic common that always belongs in a deck running White as for just two mana can shut down many of the biggest threats in a set.  A strong second or third pick in Booster as it generally functions in a removal role and is even worth hate drafting if a top end choice isn't available in color.
 
Constructed: 3.5
Casual: 3.5
Limited: 4.0
Multiplayer: 3.5


Skid Rambo

For the first time in his life, Grakk felt a little warm and fuzzy inside. (Sorry, but I couldn’t resist.) Pacifism is the most common White creature removal spell in Magic the Gathering history. It may not be the best creature removal spell but it is cheap and easily splashed with other colors. If you have a Hero of Iroas on the battlefield then Pacifism will only cost 1 white mana. That is pretty cool. Pacifism can be a great Limited card, especially if you snag multiple copies. The bad things about Pacifism are pretty obvious. It doesn’t actually remove the creature from play, nor does it stop activated abilities. Pacifism can help decks that rely on Enchantments or Auras. Overall, Pacifism is a classic card that will never be outdated!

Constructed: 3
Casual: 3
Limited: 3
Multiplayer: 3


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