: Untap target attacking creature. Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to and dealt by that creature this turn.Maze of Ith untaps a target attacking creature and prevents combat damage both to and from it for the turn. This gives a defensive deck repeatable influence over combat without spending a spell each time. The ability can discourage a large attacker, but it does not remove that creature from the battlefield.
Maze has no native mana ability, so counting it as an ordinary mana-producing land can make an opening hand misleading. Chromatic Lantern can grant it a mana ability when that is useful. Untapping the attacker does not erase attack triggers already created, and hexproof or shroud can prevent targeting. It is best at limiting one creature’s combat damage rather than answering an entire wide attack.
Combat payoffs need a dependable route to the defending player. Check flying blockers, available removal, and effects that prevent damage before committing every resource to one attacker. Haste can reduce the delay between deploying a threat and using it, while Equipment can make an existing creature more relevant without requiring a second expensive threat to survive an entire turn cycle.
Maze can target your own attacking creature when preventing its combat damage is acceptable, potentially keeping it alive through a bad block. It also untaps that creature. This does not grant a second attack or remove it from combat, so evaluate the remaining combat effects before assuming the attacker is completely safe.
