Mandatory Friendship Shackles 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
Whenever you crank this Contraption, target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
Complete guide
Mandatory Friendship Shackles is a unique artifact from the Contraption deck that turns the social bond of friendship into a tactical debuff. By utilizing the sprocket system, players can repeatedly weaken opposing threats or eliminate small creatures without spending extra mana.
What it Does
Mandatory Friendship Shackles is a Contraption, a special artifact type that resides in a dedicated Contraption deck. It doesn't enter the battlefield like a normal spell; instead, it is assembled onto one of three sprockets. Once on a sprocket, it provides a triggered ability that gives a target creature -1/-1 until the end of the turn whenever it is 'cranked' during your upkeep.
How it Resolves Step by Step
First, at the beginning of your upkeep, you move the CRANK! counter to the next sprocket (from 1 to 2, 2 to 3, or 3 back to 1). Second, you choose any number of Contraptions on that specific sprocket to crank. If you choose to crank Mandatory Friendship Shackles, its ability triggers and you choose a target creature. Finally, the ability goes on the stack and, when it resolves, the target creature receives the -1/-1 penalty until the cleanup step.
Common Mistakes
A common error is forgetting that cranking is optional; you do not have to target your own creatures if the opponent has no legal targets, but if you do crank it, you must choose a legal target. Another mistake involves the scrapyard. If this card leaves the battlefield for any zone other than exile, it goes to your scrapyard, not your graveyard, meaning cards that return artifacts from the graveyard won't find it.
When to Play it
This card is most effective when your opponent relies on 1-toughness utility creatures or tokens. Because it triggers during your upkeep, it can clear the way for your attackers before you enter your combat phase. It is also a great tool for shrinking a large blocker just enough to allow your creatures to survive a trade.
Interaction examples
During your upkeep, you move the CRANK! counter to the sprocket containing Mandatory Friendship Shackles. You choose to crank it, targeting an opponent's 2/2 creature. The creature becomes a 1/1 until end of turn, making it much less threatening during your combat phase.
SkullclampIf you have a 1/1 creature equipped with Skullclamp, it is currently a 2/0 and would normally die. However, if you use Mandatory Friendship Shackles to target an opponent's creature instead, you maintain your board state. Conversely, you can use the Shackles to target your own 2/2 creature equipped with Skullclamp, reducing it to a 1/1 (effectively 2/0 with the Clamp) to intentionally trigger the 'draw two cards' ability.
Sol RingWhile Sol Ring cannot pay for Mandatory Friendship Shackles (since Contraptions are assembled, not cast), Mandatory Friendship Shackles is still an artifact on the battlefield. Any effect that counts the number of artifacts you control will see both the Sol Ring and the Shackles, potentially powering up other artifact-related abilities.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Mandatory Friendship Shackles
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Contraptions are artifacts. Anything that interacts with artifacts will interact with Contraptions.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Contraptions aren't put into your main deck. They go into a separate deck called the Contraption deck.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
In Constructed formats, a Contraption deck must have at least fifteen different Contraption cards and no more than one of each.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
In Limited formats, a Contraption deck may include any number of Contraption cards in your card pool. You don't have to include every Contraption card you draft or open in sealed deck. In those formats, your Contraption deck may include duplicates.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
In silver-bordered games using Contraptions, you have three sprockets, illustrated on the back of Contraption cards. At the start of the game, put a CRANK! counter on sprocket 3.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
While Contraptions you control are on the battlefield, the Contraption deck is not, even if you are using it to signify the three sprockets.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
If you or a permanent you control are instructed to assemble a Contraption, reveal the top card of your Contraption deck. Put it onto the battlefield on one of the three sprockets.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you control any Contraptions, move the CRANK! counter to the next sprocket. You may then crank any number of Contraptions on that sprocket, causing their abilities to trigger. Cranking a Contraption is always optional.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
If you crank multiple Contraptions, their abilities can be put onto the stack in any order. The ability put onto the stack will resolve first.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
If a Contraption would leave the battlefield and go to any zone other than exile, it instead goes to the scrapyard, the Contraption deck's version of the graveyard. Things that affect the graveyard do not affect the scrapyard. You can exile Contraptions just fine.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
If you or a permanent you control assembles a Contraption and your Contraption deck is empty, nothing happens. You don't lose the game.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #12· Wizards of the Coast
Any Contraption that's on the battlefield and wasn't assembled immediately heads to the scrapyard. However, if it's a not an actual Contraption card (like Copy Artifact isn't), it goes to your graveyard as normal. Non-Contraption cards can't be in the scrapyard.
No other card is named in this ruling.
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