View source for Enchantment

{{Infobox type
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|subtype=[[Enchantment type]]
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'''Enchantment''' is a [[card type]] that represents persistent magical effects, usually remaining in play indefinitely.  

==Description==
Most enchantments have [[continuous effect]]s or [[Triggered ability|triggered abilities]], but some have abilities that can be [[Activated ability|activated]] by their [[controller]]s.<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/enchantment-better-things-part-one-2007-06-25|Enchantment For Better Things, Part One|[[Mark Rosewater]]|June 25, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/enchantment-better-things-part-two-2007-07-02|Enchantment For Better Things, Part Two|[[Mark Rosewater]]|July 2, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{DailyRef|feature/enchant-words-2007-06-28|Enchant Words|[[Matt Cavotta]]|June 28, 2007}}</ref>

===Enchantments vs. colored artifacts===
Enchantments function very similarly to [[colored artifact]]s. The main distinction is [[flavor]] and what cards can destroy it.<ref>{{EzTumblr|http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/177993054843/if-colored-artifacts-really-are-the-future-how|title=If colored artifacts really are the future, how are you going to distinguish them from enchantments?|September 11, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{EzTumblr|http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/183712516333/there-was-a-time-when-colored-artifacts-were-taboo|title=How has R&D’s philosophy on that front changed?|March 25, 2019}}</ref> As a general rule, artifacts with activated abilities can have a [[cost]] that [[tap]]s the artifact, while enchantments almost never do on the enchantment themselves, instead granting other permanents or the permanent they are attached to an ability that has a tapping cost. Colored Equipment (especially those that freely equip upon entry) and Auras also have overlap. 

The only three examples of pure enchantments that tap themselves are found on [[futureshifted]] cards (<c>Flowstone Embrace</c>, <c>Second Wind</c>, <c>Witch's Mist</c>).<ref>{{EzTumblr|https://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/168243496703/hi-mark-enchantments-do-not-tap-is-this-a-hard|December 5, 2017}}</ref> [[R&D]] has no further plans to put tapping onto enchantments, because it is one of the few differences still existing between artifacts and enchantments.<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/future-sight-design-handoff-document-2021-05-17|''Future Sight'' Design Handoff Document|[[Mark Rosewater]]|May 17, 2021}}</ref>

==Rules==
{{CR+G|Enchantment|s}}

===Subtypes===

The [[subtype]] for enchantment is called [[enchantment type]] and is exclusive to enchantments.

==Obsolete Terminology==
Formerly, enchantments were one of two types: [[global enchantment|global]] or [[local enchantment|local]]. The [[type line]] of global enchantments reads "Enchantment", whereas that of local enchantments reads "Enchant [quality]", e.g. "Enchant Permanent", "Enchant Creature", "Enchant Wall", "Enchant Land", etc. There was also the enchantment-exclusive supertype World, which was retired after ''[[Visions]].''

With the release of [[Ninth Edition]], the terms "global enchantment" and "local enchantment" were deprecated, and the type system was reformed so that both global and local enchantments have the [[card type]] Enchantment. To distinguish between them, local enchantments have the [[subtype]] [[Aura]] and a line of rules text which reads "Enchant [quality]", whereas global enchantments have neither of these. Since then, other enchantment-specific subtypes, called [[enchantment type]]s, have  been introduced, such as [[Curse]] and [[Saga]].<ref>{{DailyRef|latest-developments/enchanting-discourse-2007-06-29|Enchanting Discourse|[[Aaron Forsythe]]|June 29, 2007}}</ref>

{{CR|glossary|Global Enchantment}}
{{CR|glossary|Local Enchantment}}

==Enchantment creatures and artifacts==
The [[Theros block]] had an "enchantments matter" theme and introduced [[enchantment creatures]] and [[enchantment artifacts]].<ref>{{DailyRef|latest-developments/making-enchantments-matter-2014-05-02|Making Enchantments Matter|[[Sam Stoddard]]|May 2, 2014}}</ref> This was repeated for ''[[Theros Beyond Death]]'', ''[[Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty]]'' and ''[[Duskmourn: House of Horror]]''<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/deaths-door-part-2-2020-01-06|At Death's Door, Part 2|[[Mark Rosewater]]|January 6, 2020}}</ref>

==Friendly to enchantments==
[[White]] and [[green]] are the two colors that most appreciate enchantments and reward the player for playing them.<ref name="Color Pie 2017">{{DailyRef|making-magic/mechanical-color-pie-2017-2017-06-05|Mechanical Color Pie 2017|[[Mark Rosewater]]|June 5, 2017}}</ref> [[Black]] sometimes cares in sets with an enchantment theme or subtheme.<ref name="Pie Changes">{{DailyRef|making-magic/mechanical-color-pie-2021-changes-2021-10-18|Mechanical Color Pie 2021 Changes|[[Mark Rosewater]]|October 18, 2021}}</ref>

==Enchantment destruction==
[[White]] and [[green]] usually have one enchantment destruction card at [[common]], although green's is usually also a spell that destroys [[artifact]]s.<ref name="Color Pie 2017"/> Starting with ''[[Commander 2019]]'', [[black]] has become secondary in enchantment removal. At first, it remained unable to remove deal-with-the-devil enchantments it has cast on itself<ref>{{EzTumblr|https://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/186869030893/just-saw-mire-in-misery-this-is-the-black|title=This is the black enchantment removal you've been hinting at right?|August 08, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Pie Changes">{{DailyRef|making-magic/mechanical-color-pie-2021-changes-2021-10-18|Mechanical Color Pie 2021 Changes|[[Mark Rosewater]]|October 18, 2021}}</ref>, but this retriction has since been removed<ref>{{EzTumblr|https://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/761175556668719104/has-blacks-design-philosophy-changed-on-its|title=Has Black's design philosophy changed on its ability to remove enchantments?|September 09, 2024}}</ref>.

==Enchantment tokens==
The first non-creature token was the enchantment token copy of <c>Imperial Mask</c> that can be given to your teammates. This appeared in ''[[Future Sight]]''.

Due to the high volume of enchantment-creatures and enchantment synergies in the block, the [[Theros block]] introduced numerous enchantment-creature tokens, including an enchantment-artifact-creature token for <c>Hammer of Purphoros</c>. This was followed by a one-off [[Shrine]] enchantment-creature token in ''[[Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty/Commander decks]]'' then with multiple tokens in ''[[Duskmourn: House of Horror]]''.

<c>Estrid, the Masked</c> was the first card to make an [[aura]] [[enchantment token]].<ref>{{EzTumblr|https://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/612522210612150272/mark-today-my-sacred-right-of-birthday-trivia|title=Can I have an obscure trivia about Estrid or enchantments matters?|March 13, 2020}}</ref> New aura tokens were printed after that, again as one-offs, in ''[[Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty/Commander decks]]'', ''[[Doctor Who]]'' and ''[[Fallout]]''.

''[[Shard (subtype)|Shard]]'' is the first enchantment type introduced as a [[Predefined token]], they are only created by cards representing [[Niko Aris]]. ''[[Role]]s'', introduced with ''[[Wilds of Eldraine]]'', are an enchantment type exclusive to predefined aura tokens.

Enchantment tokens returned in the ''[[Mystery Booster]]'' set, where the  [[test card]] <c>Celestine Cave Witch</c> lets you [[sacrifice]] [[insect]]s to create [[curse]] enchantment tokens, and <c>Domesticated Mammoth</c> arrives on the battlefield with an aura token of <c>Pacifism</c> on it.

The following is a list of the only enchantment tokens without a subtype.

;[[Test card]]s
{{Test tokens|header=y|type=Enchantment}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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