Enchant is an evergreen keyword found on Enchantment – Auras in Magic: The Gathering. Enchantment auras can only be attached to the permanent or player specified on the card, for example, creatures. This article delves into how enchant works in MTG, lists the best enchant cards, ideas for an enchant deck, strategies to play against enchant heavy decks, and common enchant questions!
MTG Enchant rules
What do the MTG rules say about enchant?
This card can only be attached to an [object or player].
Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules, 303 “Enchant” and 702.5. “Enchantment”.
Enchant is a keyword found on enchantments with the aura subtype. The enchant quality shows you which kind of permanent or player the aura can be attached to e.g. creatures. As long as that aura stays attached, it gives a special effect, usually to whatever it’s enchanting.
Hi! This post may contain affiliate links to online stores. If you use a link and buy something, I may get a commission at no extra cost to you. See my affiliate disclosure.
Enchant is one of the oldest mechanics in the game, dating back to Alpha. However, back then, it was instead shown on the card type, not in the text. So, you would have had cards with the type Enchant Creature instead of Enchantment Aura and enchant creature as the text.
This style of ruling was very distracting and difficult to understand for newer players. Types were reworked for Ninth Edition, and auras were introduced to replace the enchant type. Now those enchantments read enchant creature in their rules text.
On older cards, you will still find enchant creature as their type, obviously. However, all these cards had errata to change them to enchantment auras. The enchant target is specified in their rules text. Treat them as such.
Regardless of where you’ve found the ability, enchant has always been an evergreen mechanic. This means that you can expect to find it in every set on at least a few cards.
Currently, all colours have access to enchant through auras. However, white and green are the colours with the most enchantment synergy and typically have some of the strongest auras.
MTG Enchant Examples
Let’s say I control Axgard Cavalry, a 2/2 dwarf berserker. I can enchant it with Sentinel’s Eyes, an aura, by casting that card and choosing Axgard Cavalry as its target.
Because it’s the enchanted creature now, Axgard Cavalry gets the effects listed in Sentinel’s Eyes’ text. As such, it is now 3/3 and has vigilance.
My opponent can use auras against me, though. For instance, they can cast Pacifism on Axgard Cavalry, which will stop it from attacking or blocking. They can even cast auras like Mire’s Grasp, which gives the creature -3/-3.
This would kill Axgard Cavalry by reducing its toughness to 0. In that case, all auras enchanting it would go to the graveyard too, regardless of which player controls them. The same applies if Axgard Cavalry leaves the battlefield another way, like if it’s exiled.
Finally, player auras work the same way. So, if I cast Overwhelming Splendor on an opponent, they are the enchanted player for that card. Their creatures will have base power and toughness 1/1. They can’t activate abilities that aren’t mana or loyalty abilities either.
Enchant vs Hexproof
Fortunately, you can still enchant your creatures if they have hexproof. This is because hexproof stops your opponent’s spells targeting your creatures, not your own. You cannot enchant an opponent’s hexproof creature, though.
Similarly, you can enchant ward creatures just fine. Obviously, you can’t enchant creatures with shroud, though, because those can’t be the target of any spells or abilities, including your own.
For example, I can enchant a hexproof creature like Angler Turtle with Furor of the Bitten without any issues. However, I cannot enchant Argothian Enchantress with an aura because that creature has shroud.
Enchant vs Protection
You can enchant protection creatures as long as they don’t have protection from the aura you’re trying to enchant them with. Keep in mind that the creature doesn’t necessarily need protection from enchantments. Protection from the aura’s colour will also do.
For example, I want to enchant my Auriok Champion, which has protection from black and red. So, I can’t choose a black aura like Infernal Scarring, but I could enchant it with a white aura, such as Light of Promise.
Enchant vs Equip
As we’ve explained, enchant is a keyword found on auras that attaches the aura to a suitable permanent. Conversely, equip is a keyword found on equipment that attaches that equipment to a creature you control if you pay a certain cost.
The first major difference between auras and equipment is their reusability. You can only use an aura once because it goes to the graveyard if its enchanted creature leaves the battlefield.
Equipment don’t go to the graveyard if they become unattached, however. You can attach them to another creature again if their original target is destroyed, as long as you pay their equip costs.
For example, somebody destroys my Auriok Champion, which I’ve enchanted with Light of Promise and equipped with Cultist’s Staff. Now, Light of Promise goes to the graveyard too, but Cultist’s Staff remains on the battlefield to be used again.
This means that auras can often be more powerful than equipment at the cost of their reusability. Another difference is that auras enter the battlefield attached to a target, while equipment do not. You have to pay again to equip, which changes their tempo drastically.
Because of this, enchant is typically a more versatile keyword than equip. While auras can only be used once compared to equipment having multiple uses, auras can enchant a greater number of permanents and are typically stronger too.
For instance, Cultist’s Staff and the aura Arachnoform both cost 2 mana and give a creature +2/+2. However, Cultist’s Staff costs an additional 3 mana to equip it, while Arachnoform enters enchanting a creature and gives it reach and all creature types too.
Of course, nothing is stopping you from combining both abilities, as I’ve shown already. Go ahead and enchant and equip the same creature. This can make any given creature into an immediate game-ending threat with the right choice of cards.
Best MTG Enchant Cards
Mechanized Production (Enchant artifact you control – Blue Aura)
Alternate win cards are always fun, and not only is Mechanized Production fun but it’s stronger than most. You get a copy of your enchanted artifact each of your turns. When you control 8 or more of the same artifact, you win the game.
Now, this might take a while to get going on its own. But you can enchant artifact tokens or even a basic land if you can turn it into an artifact. Similarly, the tokens themselves aren’t to be underestimated. They’re essentially a free army if they’re creatures, or great utility otherwise.
Song of the Dryads (Enchant permanent – Green Aura)
Normally, green doesn’t have great removal. However, Song of the Dryads is the exception, it’s awesome green removal. You can enchant any troublesome permanent and turn it into a harmless forest.
Song of the Dryads is so good because it’s so versatile. This kind of ability is strong in any colour, really. At the cost of only 3 mana, you can take out any creature, artifact, enchantment, planeswalker or land that annoys you.
Curse of Opulence (Enchant player – Red Aura Curse)
Whenever a player attacks the cursed player, they get a gold token. They can sacrifice the token to add a mana of any color. Of course, you get the gold too. This is an incredible political tool in multiplayer games, one of the best in red’s arsenal.
The best thing about Curse of Opulence is how cost-effective it is. It’s an absolute bargain at only 1 mana and it always gives the other players a reason to attack an opponent who isn’t you. The ramp is great as well.
Eldrazi Conscription (Enchant creature – Tribal Eldrazi Aura)
The strongest of creature auras, Eldrazi Conscription has a big cost and a bigger impact. Sure, it might cost 8 mana. But if giving your creature +10/+10, trample and annihilator 2 doesn’t win you the game, nothing will.
Eldrazi Conscription shines when you can get it out early, and get it out onto a creature with some kind of evasion and protection. If the enchanted creature can connect twice, that’s game over. Keeping this powerful aura on the battlefield is a guaranteed victory!
Animate Dead (Enchant creature – Black Aura)
One of the first reanimator spells and still one of the best, Animate Dead takes a creature from any graveyard and puts it under your control. Of course, if Animate Dead is destroyed, the creature dies again, but typically your opponent doesn’t last that long.
Overall, Animate Dead is a great card in a lot of black decks simply because it can give you double the value for your creatures, as well as your removal spells. The only penalty to the creature itself is -1/-0, which is negligible given the quality of creatures you can reanimate with this.
On Thin Ice (Enchant snow land you control – White Aura)
On Thin Ice is great, low-cost removal. When it enters the battlefield, you can exile any creature until this aura leaves. And it enchants one of your lands too, which makes removing it harder than usual.
If you’re running snow lands, getting this enchantment out is easy, and, unlike other white removal spells, there’s no penalty associated with On Thin Ice. You give your opponent nothing in return, except a bad day after their best creature was just exiled.
MTG Enchant Decks
The auras you can find enchant on are available in all colours, but white and green have the best enchantment synergy cards. For Standard-legal enchant, the Theros: Beyond Death set is a good choice as it has a general enchantment theme.
Enchantress – Legacy
Arguably the best deck to use enchantments in the format, Legacy Enchantress has a simple strategy. Gain card advantage with Enchantress’s Presence and Argothian Enchantress, then win the game using Sigil of the Empty Throne and other powerful enchantments.
What makes Enchantress such a powerful deck is this initial synergy. By playing many low-cost utility enchantments, Enchantress can create an engine that lets you keep drawing cards. Thus, letting you play more enchantments.
This is supported by a ramp package, which is where the auras shine. Utopia Sprawl and Wild Growth enchant your lands to produce extra mana, allowing you to overwhelm slower decks with ease. For the same purpose, the deck also runs copies of Serra’s Sanctum.
In terms of protection, Enchantress decks also impress. Cards like Solitary Confinement and Elephant Grass have their downsides totally negated by this deck’s astonishing card draw and ramp potential. Other enchantments such as Lignify and Oblivion Ring provide targeted removal.
Lastly, Sigil of the Empty Throne and Words of War are the win conditions, respectively, by spawning hordes of angels and pinging the opponent. Again, as enchantments, both cards synergize fantastically in this deck.
How to play against Enchant
Enchant is a keyword found exclusively on auras, so playing against enchant means playing against auras and other enchantment cards in general.
Removal
The best answer to auras is to play enchantment removal. Both green and white have many cards that can outright destroy enchantments, auras included. Some also target artifacts or can function as board wipes for the enchantment card type.
Destroy the enchanted creature
Although less reliable, you can also destroy the creature the auras are enchanting. Targeting it when any kind of removal will work. This includes simply bouncing or flickering the creature, as that will permanently remove all the auras attached to it.
However, destroying the enchanted creature isn’t always possible, especially in combat. Many auras provide powerful buffs like a toughness boost or an ability like first strike, making the enchanted creature very durable. Others might have hexproof, preventing them being targeted at all.
Play hand attacks
Another way of playing against enchantments is to play hand attacks. Forcing your opponent to discard cards stops them playing those cards. Black excels at targeted discard, allowing you to neutralize specific threats before they ever hit the field.
Use counterspells
Auras are also vulnerable to counterspells. For blue decks, their best play against enchantments is to simply counter the most threatening auras. Countering enchantment synergy cards is also effective.
Remember to prioritize, though. Because they’re so powerful, auras actually make for great distractions. Watch out that your opponent isn’t using a different strategy to actually win the game!
MTG Enchant FAQs
What is Enchant World?
Enchant World is an old type of card that is no longer printed. Specifically, world is a supertype that appeared on certain enchantments. These enchantments usually affect the entire battlefield at once. There could only be one world enchantment in play at any time.
World enchantments were retired after Visions due to their complexity and lack of design space. The theme of enchantments impacting both players returned in the Planechase casual format and legendary enchantments in the Kamigawa block.
Is an Enchantment an Enchanted Permanent?
An enchantment is not an enchanted permanent. Enchantment is a card type, which includes auras. A permanent which has an aura attached to it is called an enchanted permanent.
Sometimes, however, you can enchant enchantments. Then they are enchanted permanents. Certain auras enchant other enchantments as part of their rules. Other times, you can enchant creatures that are also enchantments, like those from Theros: Beyond Death.
Can You Enchant an Already Enchanted Creature?
You can enchant an already enchanted creature and there are no rules against doing so. There’s no limit to the number of auras one creature can have. In fact, this is a cornerstone of some powerful strategies.
Do Auras Enter the Battlefield?
Auras are permanents and so enter and remain on the battlefield. Many auras also have enter the battlefield abilities that trigger when they do this. Other cards reward you whenever an enchantment enters under your control.
Who Controls Enchantment Auras?
The player who cast the aura will control it after it enters the battlefield, even if it targets a permanent they don’t control or another player. This is because auras can enchant any acceptable target, unlike equipment that can only be equipped to your creatures.
A note about Enchant MTG
In summary, enchant is keyword attaches auras to permanents or player. Enchant indicates which kind of target the aura can be attached to, while the aura’s text shows you what enchanting does.
Enchant is a powerful and beloved keyword ability with some fantastic cards. So, add some enchant to your deck today. Your opponent will be dazzled!
For a guide on How to Build your MTG Deck, see our article! Playing Commander? See our full guide on How to Build a Commander Deck it’s packed full of tips!
More Magic: The Gathering Keywords Explained
- How to Build an MTG Deck
- How to Build a Commander Deck in MTG
- MTG Evergreen Keywords List
- MTG Counter
- MTG Counters (markers)
- MTG Deathtouch
- MTG Defender
- MTG Double Strike
- MTG Equip
- MTG Fear
- MTG Fight
- MTG First Strike
- MTG Flash
- MTG Flying
- MTG Haste
- MTG Hexproof
- MTG Indestructible
- MTG Intimidate
- MTG Lifelink
- MTG Menace
- MTG Protection
- MTG Prowess
- MTG Reach
- MTG Regenerate
- MTG Sacrifice
- MTG Shroud
- MTG Tap and Untap
- MTG Trample
- MTG Vigilance
- MTG Ward
Emily
Hi, I’m Emily, the tabletop gamer behind My Kind of Meeple. If this article helped you, I’d be honoured if you’d say, “Thanks!” with a £3 coffee on Ko-fi.
