Silence 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
Your opponents can't cast spells this turn.
Complete guide
Silence is a powerful white instant that effectively shuts down your opponents' ability to interact with spells for a full turn. By resolving this card, you ensure that no new spells can be cast against you, providing a safe window for your most important plays. It is a staple for combo players and control enthusiasts alike who need to protect their winning turn.
What Silence Does
Silence creates a continuous effect for the remainder of the turn that prevents your opponents from casting any spells. This includes all types of spells: creatures, sorceries, instants, artifacts, enchantments, and planeswalkers. It does not matter where they are casting them from; whether the card is in their hand, graveyard, or exile, they simply cannot initiate the casting process.
How It Resolves Step by Step
First, you cast Silence and pay its mana cost. The spell goes on the stack and can be responded to by your opponents. If Silence resolves, its effect immediately begins and lasts until the current turn ends. It is important to note that Silence only affects spells cast after it has resolved. If an opponent casts a spell in response to your Silence, that spell will still resolve normally because it was already on the stack before Silence's restriction began.
Common Mistakes
A frequent misconception is that Silence stops everything an opponent might do. However, Silence only prevents the 'casting' of spells. Your opponents are still free to activate abilities of permanents they control, use cycling abilities from their hands, or play lands (since playing a land is not casting a spell). Furthermore, Silence does not counter spells that were already cast; if you want to stop a spell that is already on the stack, you need a counterspell, not Silence.
When to Play It
The best time to play Silence is usually during your own upkeep if you want to prevent an opponent from interfering with your turn, or at the start of an opponent's turn to prevent them from developing their board. In some cases, you can cast it in response to a specific trigger to ensure no follow-up spells can be played, but remember it won't stop the trigger itself.
Interaction examples
Path to ExileOn your turn, you cast Silence during your upkeep. Once it resolves, your opponent cannot cast any spells. You can now safely cast Path to Exile on their best creature during your main phase without fear of them responding with their own protection spells or countermagic.
You want to ensure your Prisoner's Dilemma resolves so your opponents have to make their tough choice. You cast Silence first. If the opponents do not counter Silence, they lose their window to cast any spells (like counterspells) for the rest of the turn, allowing you to cast Prisoner's Dilemma safely.
While Silence stops all spells, Revel in Silence (the back half of Flamescroll Celebrant) goes a step further by also stopping planeswalker loyalty abilities. If you cast Silence, your opponent can still use a planeswalker's [+] or [-] ability. If you had cast Revel in Silence instead, both spells and loyalty activations would be blocked.
Swords to PlowsharesIf an opponent casts Swords to Plowshares on your creature, casting Silence in response will not save your creature. The Swords to Plowshares is already on the stack. Silence will resolve, preventing the opponent from casting *further* spells this turn, but the Swords to Plowshares will still resolve and exile your creature.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Silence
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Silence won't affect spells that your opponents cast before you cast Silence, including any spells that are still on the stack. Silence also won't stop your opponents from casting spells after you cast Silence but before Silence resolves.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
The only thing Silence stops is casting spells. Your opponents can still activate abilities, including abilities of cards in their hands (like cycling). Their triggered abilities work as normal, they can still play lands, and so on.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
A player who can't cast a spell can't suspend a card.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Isochron Scepter + Silence + Seedborn Muse + Teferi, Time Raveler
- 1On each opponent upkeep activate Isochron Scepter to cast Silence, preventing your opponent from casting spells.
- 2Seedborn Muse untaps both Isochron Scepter and the mana required to activate it each turn.
- 3Teferi, Time Raveler prevents your opponent from playing spells at instant speed before you are able to cast Silence or in response to Silence.
Isochron Scepter + Silence + Seedborn Muse + Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
- 1On each opponent upkeep activate Isochron Scepter to cast Silence, preventing your opponent from casting spells.
- 2Seedborn Muse untaps both Isochron Scepter and the mana required to activate it each turn.
- 3Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir prevents your opponent from playing spells at instant speed before you are able to cast Silence or in response to Silence.
Interactions with other cards
These cards' text mentions Silence.
Each opponent secretly chooses silence or snitch, then the choices are revealed. If each opponent chose silence, Prisoner's Dilemma deals 4 damage to each of them. If each opponent chose snitch, Prisoner's Dilemma deals 8 damage to each of them. Otherwise, Prisoner's Dilemma deals 12 damage to each opponent who chose silence. Flashback {5}{R}{R}
Whenever an opponent activates an ability that isn't a mana ability, this creature deals 1 damage to that player. {1}{R}: This creature gets +2/+0 until end of turn. Your opponents can't cast spells or activate planeswalkers' loyalty abilities this turn. Exile Revel in Silence.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Silence
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.