MTG: 20 Protection Spells to Prevent Damage

So, if one player is dealt 21 damage by the same commander on the turn Everybody Lives! was cast, they'll lose at the beginning of their next turn. This happens because this card doesn't prevent damage that "would be dealt", even though it is an excellent protection and will buy you a turn in many situations.

Just like Teferi's Protection, this card protects you and your board by phasing out all your permanents, preventing anything and anyone from changing your life total, and protecting you from everything.

This spell costs a lot of mana, but, to use all of its effects, you'll have to gift an opponent an extra turn.

You can only cast Illusionist's Gambit when an opponent is declaring their blockers. This spell removes all creatures from combat, untaps them, and then starts an extra combat phase. Furthermore, creatures won't be able to attack you or your planeswalkers in this combat.

Fog, Holy Day, Ethereal Haze, and Darkness

Ok, we did add four cards to this section, but we have a good reason!

Fog (yes, the one that named this entire section of spells), Holy Day, Ethereal Haze, and Darkness are all one-mana instants that prevent any combat damage that would be dealt in a turn. Apart from their color identities and Ethereal Haze's "Arcane", they're the same card.

Does that make them weaker? Not at all!

With these cards, even if you only have one mana left, you can escape a lethal attack.

Spore Frog and Kami of False Hope

Spore Frog and Kami of False Hope are also the same card, but their color identities are different.

As they're both creatures, finding a way to return them to your battlefield after they go to your graveyard won't be that hard.

From personal experience, very few things are more annoying and tiresome than a Spore Frog in a Meren of Clan Nel Toth Commander deck.

Arachnogenesis

Just imagine it: it's the combat phase and your opponent has a board full of 1/1 Goblin tokens ready to attack you. Your life total is at risk, and everything you have to protect yourself is…

Yes, that's right! A fog that creates tokens!

Arachnogenesis creates X Spider tokens with reach, where X is the number of creatures attacking you. It also prevents combat damage dealt by non-Spider creatures on that turn.

Besides protecting you, this card refills your board and can remove resources from your opponents (in the example we listed above, your Spiders would kill those Goblin tokens).

Druid's Deliverance

If you're playing a deck that creates tokens, this fog is perfect for you! Besides preventing damage, Druid's Deliverance creates a token that is a copy of a creature token under your control. For instance, if you have a 1/2 Spider token, you can target it and create another one.

Fog of War

Fog of War is more situational than the other spells we commented so far, but it still stands out.

This spell gives you life equal to the number of creatures on the battlefield, and prevents damage that would be dealt by creatures with 3 power or less.

Inkshield

Inkshield is one of the most expensive spells in this article, but, when you cast it, you realize its effect is definitely worth it.

Unlike Arachnogenesis, which considers the number of creatures attacking, this spell considers the amount of damage it prevented. You'll create a 2/1 Inkling token with flying for each point of damage prevented this way.

Obscuring Haze

Obscuring Haze, an honest option, is one of many spells that are better with your commander in play!

If you control a commander, you can cast it for free to prevent any damage that would be dealt by enemy creatures that turn.

This means you can use it to protect yourself or make sure your creatures will survive when they attack an opponent.

Dawn Charm

Spells with multiple modes are always welcome in any deck!

You can use Dawn Charm as a fog, but it is also an option if you want to regenerate a target creature or even counter a spell that is targeting you.

Constant Mists

This spell's buyback is sacrificing a land when you cast it. If you do that, this card returns to your hand after it resolves.

This recursion is quite interesting, but a bit expensive. I highly recommend you use Constant Mists in recursive decks with cards like Crucible of Worlds and Lumra, Bellow of the Woods.

As you don't have to use its buyback, you can cast it for two mana and let it go to your graveyard after it resolves.

Blessed Respite

What could be cooler than preventing combat damage?

Simple, preventing combat damage and shuffling the cards in your graveyard back into your deck. Or, simply using this card to force your opponent to shuffle their graveyard into their deck, and this way disable their reanimate interactions.

Riot Control

Fog that works against burn? We have that too!

Riot Control prevents all damage that would be dealt to you that turn, regardless of which type of damage. Furthermore, this spell gives you 1 life for each creature your opponents control.

Jaheira's Respite

At first, the idea of spending five mana to cast a fog definitely seems a bit inefficient. However, just like Inkshield, this fog has many benefits that make up for its cost.

Jaheira's Respite prevents combat damage and lets you search and put in play as many basic lands as there are creatures attacking you.

This instant could, potentially, fill your board with lands, and get you way more than what you used to cast it.

Comeuppance

This is another card that prevents all damage that would be dealt, combat damage or not, and also protects your planeswalkers!

Comeuppance is a fun option which could kill the creature that is attacking you, or simply ricocheting all the damage your opponent tried dealing to you that turn.

Selfless Squire

Selfless Squire's ETB effect prevents all damage that would be dealt to you. Furthermore, it gains +1/+1 counters equal to the amount of damage that it prevented.

Take the Bait

Preventing damage and getting an extra combat phase? We have that too!

You can only cast Take the Bait during your opponent's combat phase. With it, you'll prevent damage that would be dealt to your life total and your planeswalkers, untap attacking creatures, and goad them to attack again in an extra combat phase.

Moment's Peace

Moment's Peace, possibly one of the most iconic fogs, has flashback, which means you can use it again when you cast it from your graveyard. Next, you have to exile it.

See how many fogs you can play in MTG? And they come in all colors! We got a few of the coolest, funniest, and most popular fogs in this article, but, do you remember any others? Tell us which fog is your favorite in our comment section down below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!