Unexplained Absence

Instant

For each player, exile up to one target nonland permanent that player controls. For each permanent exiled this way, its controller cloaks the top card of their library. (To cloak a card, put it onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature with ward {2}. Turn it face up any time for its mana cost if it's a creature card. While face down, whenever it becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player pays {2}.)

Tokens

• A Mysterious Creature

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (3)

gzusvictory on Halvar, Divine Voltron

2 months ago

Correction

Unexplained Absence can exile multiple nonland permanents and you target a nonland of your own, which can useful in response to someone using a removal spel on your nonland permanent.

gzusvictory on Halvar, Divine Voltron

2 months ago

Thoughts on Unexplained Absence?

I am thinking it would replace Stroke of Midnight or Generous Gift since it exiles and can hit multiple creatures for one more mana.

TheBestMagicCard on Hokori, Dust Drinker - Prison/Stax/Value Creatures

2 months ago

I realized that the most powerful thing Hokori can do is totally lock opponents out of playing anything, as long as there a couple support cards, mostly Mishra's Helix, God-Pharaoh's Statue, and maybe Kismet and Loxodon Gatekeeper.

This is more powerful then hate bears, and like "you can't do something" cards, as well as other cost-increasing cards. If I can just prevent opponents from casting anything by leaving them no untapped lands ever, it doesn't matter if the have a board wipe, or an enter-the-battlefield effect, or graveyard recursion, because they just can't cast anything...

Even if I could keep people from casting things for a few turns, if they gradually build their mana back up and could cast a threat that one of my dinky-conditional-hatebears didn't affect, then that sucked for me... Way better to just try and lock them down outright and not ever give them the chance...

I've decided to take out some more conditional/reactive cards for some better threats, so that I can have some recourse if opponents manage to cast a threat, and to try to close the game out a little faster. The deck also needs card draw to help stay ahead of opponents, and not stall out. I'm also realizing that removal is very powerful in this deck. Usually a one-to-one trade off for targeted removal can be questionable, but in this deck it's a little different. If I Swords to Plowshares a creature that cost 5 mana to cast, my opponent might have been saving mana up for a few turns to cast that card, now I just spent 1 mana to nerf it, and ideally Hokori is in play so now they will have to wait several more turns to cast something else, so spot removal turns into huge tempo advantage also. Even better than one-for-one spot removal is board wipe, and repeatable removal.

I've switched in new cards that present threats, draw cards, and remove opponent's cards, they include: Battle Angels of Tyr, Aerial Extortionist, Mass Calcify, Unexplained Absence, Magus of the Tabernacle, Champions of Minas Tirith, and Archon of Coronation.

Trouble in Pairs seems like it could be powerful, but it is also reactionary and conditional upon opponent's doing something advantageous.