Phyrexian Censor 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
Each player can't cast more than one non-Phyrexian spell each turn. Non-Phyrexian creatures enter tapped.
Complete guide
Phyrexian Censor is a formidable control piece that enforces the will of New Phyrexia upon the battlefield. It forces your opponents to slow down by restricting their spellcasting and hindering their creature deployments. Understanding how it tracks spell types is key to mastering this Wizard's oppressive presence.
Enforcing the Great Work
Phyrexian Censor has two primary abilities that target anything not belonging to the Phyrexian collective. First, it limits each player to casting only one non-Phyrexian spell per turn. Second, it causes all non-Phyrexian creatures to enter the battlefield tapped. Notably, Phyrexian Censor itself is a Phyrexian, meaning its own casting does not count toward your limit of one non-Phyrexian spell for the turn.
Tracking the Turn
The restriction on spellcasting is retrospective. Even if Phyrexian Censor wasn't on the battlefield when you cast your first non-Phyrexian spell, it 'remembers' that action once it enters. If you have already cast a non-Phyrexian spell this turn, you cannot cast another one while the Censor is active. Furthermore, even if a non-Phyrexian spell is countered, it still counts as having been cast, preventing you from attempting another non-Phyrexian spell until the next turn.
What Counts as Non-Phyrexian?
A spell is only 'Phyrexian' if it has the Phyrexian creature type on its type line. Most artifacts, enchantments, instants, and sorceries lack this type and are therefore non-Phyrexian. Even if a card has 'Phyrexian' in its name, it is still considered non-Phyrexian unless it possesses the specific creature type. This makes the Censor particularly effective against decks that rely on casting multiple spells in a single turn, such as Storm or Prowess archetypes.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumWith Phyrexian Censor on the battlefield, you cast Solemn Simulacrum. Since Solemn Simulacrum is a Golem and lacks the Phyrexian type, it must enter the battlefield tapped. This does not prevent its 'enters' ability from triggering, so you still search for a basic land, which also enters the battlefield tapped per its own text.
Roaming ThroneIf you cast Roaming Throne while Phyrexian Censor is out, the Throne is a non-Phyrexian spell and will count as your one allowed non-Phyrexian spell for the turn. As it enters, you may choose 'Phyrexian' as its creature type. Because Roaming Throne is now a Phyrexian, it is no longer affected by the second ability of the Censor and will enter the battlefield untapped.
If you cast Solemn Simulacrum first and then cast Phyrexian Censor in the same turn, this is legal because the Censor is a Phyrexian spell. However, once the Censor is on the battlefield, you cannot cast any more non-Phyrexian spells for the rest of that turn because the Censor sees you have already used your limit of one.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Phyrexian Censor
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
A “non-Phyrexian spell” is any spell that doesn’t have the Phyrexian creature type, even if “Phyrexian” appears in its name. Artifact spells, battle spells, and Goblin creature spells are examples of non-Phyrexian spells.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Phyrexian Censor looks at the entire turn to see if a player has cast a non-Phyrexian spell, even if Phyrexian Censor wasn’t on the battlefield when that spell was cast. Phyrexian Censor is a Phyrexian spell, so you could cast it and then a non-Phyrexian spell in the same turn.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If a player casts a non-Phyrexian spell that was countered, they can’t cast another non-Phyrexian spell during the same turn.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Phyrexian Censor
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