Chains of Custody is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Enchant creature you control When this Aura enters, exile target nonland permanent an opponent controls until this Aura leaves the battlefield. Enchanted creature has ward. (Whenever it becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player pays
Complete guide
Chains of Custody is a versatile white Aura that provides both defensive utility and proactive removal. By enchanting one of your own creatures, you can lock away a troublesome threat while granting your unit a layer of protection through the ward ability.
Arresting the Opposition
When Chains of Custody enters the battlefield, its triggered ability targets a nonland permanent an opponent controls and exiles it. This effect is temporary; the exiled card remains in limbo only as long as Chains of Custody stays on the battlefield. Additionally, the creature you enchant gains ward {2}, forcing opponents to pay extra mana whenever they try to target your creature with spells or abilities.
Step-by-Step Resolution
First, you cast the Aura targeting a creature you control. Upon resolution, it enters the battlefield and its triggered ability goes on the stack. You then choose a target nonland permanent an opponent controls. If Chains of Custody is destroyed in response to this trigger, the target is never exiled. If it remains, the target is exiled. Later, if Chains of Custody leaves the battlefield for any reason, the exiled card immediately returns under its owner's control as a fresh object.
Aura and Token Interactions
It is important to remember that if you exile a token, it ceases to exist and will never return. If you exile an Aura, its owner chooses a new legal permanent for it to enchant as it returns to the battlefield. This return doesn't target, meaning it can even bypass abilities like shroud. However, if the returning Aura has no legal permanent to attach to, it stays in exile indefinitely.
Common Pitfalls
Avoid enchanting a creature that is likely to be sacrificed or bounced quickly, as losing the creature also puts the Aura into the graveyard, which immediately returns the exiled threat to your opponent. Also, remember that ward {2} only counters the spell if the opponent refuses to pay; it does not make the creature completely untargetable.
Interaction examples
Smothering TitheIf your opponent has a Smothering Tithe generating Treasures, you can cast Chains of Custody on your creature. The triggered ability exiles Smothering Tithe. Because Smothering Tithe is a nonland permanent, it is removed from the board, stopping your opponent from generating mana whenever you draw cards until they find a way to destroy your Aura.
Ghostly PrisonWhen facing a Ghostly Prison that prevents you from attacking, you can use Chains of Custody to exile it. Once the enchantment is exiled, the restriction is lifted, allowing you to attack freely with your creatures. The creature enchanted by Chains of Custody will also be harder to remove thanks to ward {2}, making it a safer vessel for your removal effect.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Chains of Custody
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Auras attached to the exiled permanent will be put into their owners' graveyards. Any Equipment will become unattached and remain on the battlefield. Any counters on the exiled permanent will cease to exist. When the card returns to the battlefield, it will be a new object with no connection to the card that was exiled.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If an Aura is exiled this way, its owner chooses what it will enchant as it returns to the battlefield. An Aura put onto the battlefield this way doesn't target anything (so it could be attached to a permanent with shroud, for example), but the Aura's enchant ability restricts what it can be attached to. If the Aura can't legally be attached to anything, it remains in exile for the rest of the game.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If a token is exiled this way, it will cease to exist and won't return to the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If Chains of Custody leaves the battlefield before its second ability resolves, the target permanent won't be exiled.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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