Cyclopean Snare

Cyclopean Snare was released in the 2005 Magic: The Gathering set Ravnica: City of Guilds, which introduced the plane of Ravnica and its unique ten-guild system. As an uncommon artifact, it was designed to provide utility within the set’s mechanics, specifically allowing players to tap down troublesome creatures as a form of board control. The design reflects the industrial and urban aesthetic of the setting, emphasizing the city's focus on traps and technological constructs.

The card was illustrated by Keith Garletts, whose work for the set leaned into the grim, architectural style that defined the early Ravnica block. Garletts sought to capture the oppressive and mechanical nature of the city's defenses, depicting a complex, constricting device meant to immobilize intruders. Upon release, the card was received as a functional, if niche, piece of draft-environment utility, characteristic of the era's focus on artifact-based interaction.