Deadlock Trap 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
This artifact enters tapped. When this artifact enters, you get(two energy counters).
, Pay
Complete guide
Deadlock Trap is a versatile control tool from the Kaladesh block that utilizes energy to keep threats at bay. By tapping down both creatures and planeswalkers, it prevents combat pressure and shuts off powerful activated abilities.
Energy Production and Tapping
Deadlock Trap enters the battlefield tapped, meaning you typically cannot use it the turn it arrives. Upon entering, its triggered ability grants you two energy counters ({E}{E}). These counters are placed on you, the player, rather than the artifact itself. To activate its primary function, you must tap the artifact and pay one energy counter. This allows you to target a creature or planeswalker, tapping it and preventing its activated abilities from being used for the remainder of the turn.
Step-by-Step Resolution
First, you announce the ability, choose a legal target, and pay the costs (tapping Deadlock Trap and spending {E}). When the ability resolves, the target permanent becomes tapped. Simultaneously, a continuous effect is applied to that permanent: its activated abilities (anything formatted as 'Cost: Effect') cannot be activated until the turn ends. Note that this does not stop triggered abilities or static effects.
Timing and Priority
Timing is crucial when using Deadlock Trap. You cannot use it to 'undo' an ability that has already been put on the stack. If your opponent casts a planeswalker, they receive priority first and can activate one of its loyalty abilities before you have the chance to use Deadlock Trap. To stop a creature from attacking, you must activate the Trap during the Beginning of Combat step at the latest.
Common Mistakes
A common misconception is that energy counters are a form of mana. They are not; you cannot use mana-producing cards like Arcane Signet to pay for Deadlock Trap's activation. Additionally, remember that while a tapped planeswalker cannot activate its abilities under the Trap's effect, it can still be attacked by creatures or lose loyalty through damage as normal.
Interaction examples
If you activate Deadlock Trap targeting a creature during your opponent's Upkeep, that creature is tapped and cannot use any activated abilities for the rest of the turn. Even if the opponent uses a separate spell to untap that creature, the restriction remains: its activated abilities are still locked until the turn concludes.
Arcane SignetYou have three energy counters and an Arcane Signet on the field. You activate Deadlock Trap's ability to tap a threat. You must pay one energy counter from your player pool. You cannot tap Arcane Signet to pay this cost, as energy and mana are distinct resources. After the cost is paid, you have two energy counters remaining.
Swiftfoot BootsIf an opponent's creature is equipped with Swiftfoot Boots, it has hexproof and cannot be targeted by Deadlock Trap. You must wait for the creature to lose hexproof or target a different permanent. If you activate the Trap and the opponent equips the Boots in response, the Trap's ability will fail to resolve as the target is now illegal.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Deadlock Trap
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Some spells and abilities that give you
may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't get any .No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Energy counters are a kind of counter that a player may have. They're not associated with any specific permanents.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Keep track of how many energy counters each player has. Potential ways to track this include writing theme down on paper or using dice, but any method that is clear and mutually agreeable is fine. (At higher levels of tournament play, dice may not be allowed for tracking counters that players have.)
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect says you get one or more
, you get that many energy counters. To pay one or more , you lose that many energy counters. You can't pay more energy counters than you have. Any effects that interact with counters a player gets, has, or loses can interact with energy counters.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Energy counters aren't mana. They don't go away as steps, phases, and turns end, and effects that add mana "of any type" can't give you energy counters.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
Some triggered abilities state that you "may pay" a certain amount of
. You can't pay that amount multiple times to multiply the effect. You simply choose whether or not to pay that amount of as the ability resolves.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
Some triggered abilities that state that you "may pay" a certain amount of
describe an effect that happens "If you do." In that case, no player may take actions to try to stop the ability's effect after you make your choice. If the payment is followed by the phrase "When you do," then you'll choose any targets for that reflexive triggered ability and put it on the stack before players can take actions.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
If a spell or ability with one or more targets states that you "may pay" some amount of
, and each permanent that it targets has become an illegal target, the spell or ability won't resolve. You can't pay any even if you want to.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast is the energy symbol. It represents one energy counter.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
There are many important moments in the story, but the most crucial—called "story spotlights"—are shown on cards. These cards have the Planeswalker symbol in their text box; this symbol has no effect on gameplay. You can read more about these events in the official Magic fiction at http://www.mtgstory.com.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
Players may respond to Deadlock Trap's last ability by activating an ability of the target permanent if that ability's timing permissions allow it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #12· Wizards of the Coast
After a planeswalker enters the battlefield, the active player receives priority and may activate an ability of that planeswalker before any player can activate Deadlock Trap's last ability.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #13· Wizards of the Coast
Once a player has announced an ability, Deadlock Trap can't be used to undo it. The last ability must be activated before that player activates that ability.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #14· Wizards of the Coast
If the tapped creature somehow becomes untapped, it can attack and block as normal, but its abilities still can't be activated this turn.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #15· Wizards of the Coast
Activated abilities contain a colon. They're generally written "[Cost]: [Effect]." Some keywords are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder text.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #16· Wizards of the Coast
A tapped planeswalker can be attacked or dealt damage as normal.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Deadlock Trap
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.