Unlocking Untap Loops with a Subtle Blue Enchantment

Blue Magic thrives on tempo, tricks, and a little bit of elegance. Bonds of Quicksilver is the kind of aura that makes you rethink how you untap—quite literally. This Conspiracy: Take the Crown enchantment, a common in CN2 at a modest mana cost of {3}{U}, flashes onto the battlefield to attach to a creature your opponent might not want to lose. Its text is a quiet rebellion: an enchanted creature doesn’t untap during its controller’s untap step. That simple sentence is a doorway to some juicy theoretical engine work for a deck built around untapping loops, machine-like combos, and the occasional blue tempo flourish. 🧙‍♂️🔥

Oracle text: Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step.

Flavorful and practical, Bonds of Quicksilver invites you to build around timing, permission, and the rhythm of untaps. The card’s blue identity—Flash, control, and subtle disruption—pairs nicely with engines that untap permanents on command. It’s not just about locking a single creature; it’s about orchestrating a sequence where untaps happen on your terms and, ideally, in a way that creates inevitability. The sea-flavored flavor line—“The sea's reach extends beyond its shores”—feels perfectly matched to a strategy that reaches across the board and into the stack. 🎨💎

How this aura can influence an untap-focused strategy

At first glance Bonds of Quicksilver seems narrowly focused: stop a single creature from untapping during its own untap step. In practice, that constraint can be repurposed as a constraint on your opponent’s tempo while you assemble an untap engine. The key is to use other effects that either untap on different timing or repeatedly re-enter the battlefield to re-trigger untap interactions. Think of Bonds as the hinge on a larger door—one that leads to a world where untap triggers, mana generation, and card draw loop themselves into the same cadence. 🧙‍♂️⚔️

In a blue shell, you’ll want to lean on two kinds of synergy: untap sources that function independent of the untap step, and protective measures that keep your engine alive through counterspells and disruption. The first category includes effects that untap all your permanents when you cast a spell, or that untap on other players’ turns. The second includes bounce, countermagic, and tempo-laden tech that buys you a free turn to untap and refuel. The result is a deck that feels like a calm sea one moment and a surprising hurricane the next. 🧭💥

Skeletons of an infinite untap engine (high-level templates)

• Template A — Cast-and-untap engine with Paradox-like repetition: Pair Bonds of Quicksilver with an engine that untaps your board when you cast a spell (think, at the abstract level, cards that untap artifacts, creatures, and lands). Each spell cast becomes a mini untap event; with enough mana to fuel recurring spells, you can push toward a loop where the enchanted creature repeatedly untaps on non-untap-step timing, generating advantage with every cast. This approach leans into classic blue tech—counterspells, card draw, and mana acceleration—while giving the Bond a meaningful role in the loop. 🧙‍♂️🎲
• Template B — Seedborn Muse-style symmetry (untap on others’ turns): With Bonds on a creature, you tilt the tempo in your favor by having untaps occur on other players’ turns, while you still manage your own sequence via cantrips and countermagic. Seedborn Muse or similar effects untap all permanents on each other player’s untap step, transposing untap opportunities into your broader plan. The enchantment’s caveat doesn’t prevent untaps that happen outside your own untap step, so you can sculpt recurring untap moments and keep the engine alive through disruption. 🧊🧩
• Template C — Dramatic reversal of the standard “infinite mana” path: In a blue-dominant build, use a classic infinite-mana route (such as Dramatic Reversal or other spell-based untap combos) and weave Bonds into the narrative by ensuring the enchanted creature can participate in the sequence when untaps resolve. The endgame is not merely mana; it’s a storm of resource generation backed by permission and careful sequencing. Bonds adds a narrative beat to the timing, a reminder that even a single aura can shape the tempo of your entire play cycle. 🔮💡

Note: actual deck construction should tailor the engine to your playgroup. The presence of Paradox Engine, Seedborn Muse, or any spell-trigger untap engine changes how you sequence interactions. If your playgroup has a ban hammer swinging over certain combos, adapt with alternative untap sources and robust protection. The beauty of Bonds is that it invites you to think creatively about timing, not just raw power. 💎

Practical tips for building around Bonds of Quicksilver

• Protect your engine: Blue needs to keep its tempo up. Include counterspells, bounce effects, and card draw to maintain momentum while you assemble your untap loop. The aura itself is not a win condition; it’s the gateway to tempo-friendly loops that can sustain pressure over multiple turns. 🧙‍♂️
• Look for untap synergies: Seek out effects that untap on triggers other than the untap step. The more independent your untap events are from your own untap step, the more reliably you can chain your plays and keep the engine flowing. 🔁
• Plan your win condition: Infinite untaps are exciting, but you’ll want a concrete win condition to close the game—storm, large draw sequences, or a big combo piece that converts untaps into a decisive advantage. Don’t be afraid to fold back into a control-or-tempo plan if necessary. ⚡
• Color balance and mana base: In blue-heavy builds, include reliable mana sources and resilient cards that can be recast or untapped themselves. The mana cushion helps you keep the engine alive even when opponents disrupt your setup. 💧

Conclusion: a thoughtful, flavor-packed journey

Bonds of Quicksilver invites pedantic deck builders to trade a little interference for a lot of clever timing. It’s not a slam-dunk, “win in five minutes” card on its own, but in the hands of a patient, tempo-minded commander or cube drafter, it becomes a hinge that unlocks elegant loops and satisfying plays. If you’re chasing the dream of infinite untaps, this aura hands you a narrative thread you can pull through a blue deck—one that rewards planning, precision, and a touch of misdirection. And if you’re exploring new tech for your blue-heavy list, the Conspiracy set’s playful flavor and Steven Belledin’s art remind us that Magic has always been less about brute force and more about finding the right moment to flip the script. 🧭🎨

Product spotlight

While you brainstorm your next brew, consider a practical companion for long study sessions and tournament prep alike: the Foot-shaped ergonomic memory foam wrist rest mouse pad. It’s a comfortable desk partner as you lab out untap sequences, practice timing, and jot down decklists in between games.

Foot-shaped ergonomic memory foam wrist rest mouse pad

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