Grip of Chaos MTG Card


Grip of Chaos can induce indirect card advantage by throwing off opponents’ targeted plans. The card’s ability to misdirect actions speeds up gameplay by hindering opponents’ strategies. Despite a sorcery speed, it alters game pace dramatically once it hits the battlefield.
Grip of Chaos - Scourge
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment
Released2003-05-26
Set symbol
Set nameScourge
Set codeSCG
Number98
Frame1997
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byMark Tedin

Text of card

Whenever a spell or ability is put onto the stack, reselect its target at random if it has a single target. (Select from among all legal targets.)

When the world is consumed by chaos, the skilled and the foolish are on equal footing.


Cards like Grip of Chaos

Grip of Chaos is an intriguing piece of the MTG puzzle known for sowing unpredictability on the battlefield. With a power that redirects spells and abilities randomly, it parallels with the unpredictable nature of cards like Whims of the Fates. This card also dares players to gamble with their permanents, leaving the outcome to chance. While Grip of Chaos affects all spells and abilities, Whims of the Fates’ effect is limited to permanents and thus, is not as all-encompassing.

Confusion in the Ranks is another card that shares Grip of Chaos’s penchant for chaotic gameplay. Both create situations where players must navigate a game where control of permanents is constantly shifting. However, Confusion in the Ranks swaps control of targeted artifacts, creatures, and enchantments, offering a different kind of disorder that is still within players’ influence to some extent, unlike the fully random effect of Grip of Chaos.

Through their abilities to disrupt the conventional flow of the game, both Grip of Chaos and Confusion in the Ranks reshape how players approach their strategies. Yet, Grip of Chaos stands out by affecting every spell and ability, making it a distinctive card choice for enthusiasts of chaotic game states in MTG.

Whims of the Fates - MTG Card versions
Confusion in the Ranks - MTG Card versions
Whims of the Fates - MTG Card versions
Confusion in the Ranks - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Grip of Chaos by color, type and mana cost

Territorial Dispute - MTG Card versions
Arcane Bombardment - MTG Card versions
Fiery Emancipation - MTG Card versions
Risky Move - MTG Card versions
Dragon Roost - MTG Card versions
Tide of War - MTG Card versions
Curse of the Fire Penguin // Curse of the Fire Penguin Creature - MTG Card versions
Homura, Human Ascendant // Homura's Essence - MTG Card versions
Rage Reflection - MTG Card versions
Wild Evocation - MTG Card versions
Warstorm Surge - MTG Card versions
Guild Feud - MTG Card versions
Lightning Diadem - MTG Card versions
Cyclops of Eternal Fury - MTG Card versions
Might Makes Right - MTG Card versions
Sunbird's Invocation - MTG Card versions
Form of the Dinosaur - MTG Card versions
Haphazard Bombardment - MTG Card versions
Mirror March - MTG Card versions
Dreamshaper Shaman - MTG Card versions
Territorial Dispute - MTG Card versions
Arcane Bombardment - MTG Card versions
Fiery Emancipation - MTG Card versions
Risky Move - MTG Card versions
Dragon Roost - MTG Card versions
Tide of War - MTG Card versions
Curse of the Fire Penguin // Curse of the Fire Penguin Creature - MTG Card versions
Homura, Human Ascendant // Homura's Essence - MTG Card versions
Rage Reflection - MTG Card versions
Wild Evocation - MTG Card versions
Warstorm Surge - MTG Card versions
Guild Feud - MTG Card versions
Lightning Diadem - MTG Card versions
Cyclops of Eternal Fury - MTG Card versions
Might Makes Right - MTG Card versions
Sunbird's Invocation - MTG Card versions
Form of the Dinosaur - MTG Card versions
Haphazard Bombardment - MTG Card versions
Mirror March - MTG Card versions
Dreamshaper Shaman - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Grip of Chaos doesn’t directly provide card draw, but its chaotic effect can indirectly generate card advantage by disrupting opponents’ targeted strategies, allowing you to navigate the game more efficiently.

Resource Acceleration: While this card does not offer traditional mana acceleration, it can indirectly speed up your resources by misdirecting removal spells or beneficial auras your opponents aimed at their own permanents, giving you open lanes to press your advantage.

Instant Speed: Although Grip of Chaos is an enchantment played at sorcery speed, it can dramatically alter the pace of the game once on the battlefield. It turns every instant and ability with a single target into a random outcome, reshaping strategies on the fly and potentially swinging the tide in your favor during critical moments.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Grip of Chaos doesn’t directly demand a card be discarded, its chaotic effect can effectively cause you to lose vital cards. It does this by randomizing targets, which might lead to unfavorable outcomes, sometimes equivalent to an involuntary discard if your strategy relies on precision.

Specific Mana Cost: Grip of Chaos has a specific mana cost that includes both red and generic mana. This may restrict the card to decks that can reliably produce red mana, thus narrowing the range of decks that can effectively utilize it.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that involves six mana, including four generic and two red, Grip of Chaos has a relatively high investment for its unpredictable effect. This cost can be impractical in fast-paced games where resources are better allocated to more consistent and immediate threats or defenses.


Reasons to Include Grip of Chaos in Your Collection

Versatility: Grip of Chaos introduces a unique and unpredictable dynamic to the game that can turn the tide in multipurpose decks. This red enchantment can thrive in environments where controlled chaos gives you an edge over opponents who rely on precise strategies and targets.

Combo Potential: With the chaos it brings to the battlefield, this card has the ability to disrupt opponents’ combos while enabling your own. By hindering targeted spells and abilities, it opens up opportunities to use your spells in inventive ways that opponents will find difficult to counter.

Meta-Relevance: In metas that are densely populated with decks relying on stack interaction and target-specific spells, Grip of Chaos can serve as a powerful equalizer. Its presence can deter opponents from executing their planned sequence of play, thereby keeping the competitive landscape fresh and challenging.


How to beat

Grip of Chaos is a complex enchantment in Magic: The Gathering that scrambles targeted spells and abilities. It emphasizes the unpredictable aspect of the game, making it difficult to maintain control of outcomes or execute precise strategies. When facing this chaotic card, it’s essential to focus on non-targeted effects and spells that won’t be redirected. Board sweeping effects or spells that affect all players equally, like Wrath of God or Pyroclasm, bypass Grip of Chaos’s disruptive influence, as they do not require specific targets.

Another effective tactic is to utilize the chaos to your advantage by playing cards with beneficial effects regardless of the target, such as Radiate or any spell with a symmetrical effect. Alternatively, prioritize playing permanents with static abilities that don’t rely on targeting. It is also wise to wait until you can remove Grip of Chaos with enchantment destruction cards such as Naturalize or Disenchant when the timing is less likely to compromise your strategy. Patience and deck flexibility are crucial in outmaneuvering the pandemonium that Grip of Chaos introduces to the battlefield.

By adapting to the unpredictability and minimizing targeted actions, you can mitigate the disruption Grip of Chaos brings to the game and maintain an edge over your opponents, turning their strategies upside down while steadying your own path to victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

Wrapping up the whirlwind that Grip of Chaos brings to your MTG matches, we encourage enthusiasts of controlled pandemonium to include this card in their arsenals. Its ability to shake up standard playstyles and challenge normative deck strategies is an invaluable tool for any player looking to innovate their game. If you relish the chance to disrupt the battlefield and keep your opponents guessing at every turn, learning to harness the power of Grip of Chaos can be incredibly rewarding. Explore its full potential and discover how to integrate it into your tactics for an eclectic and formidable deck composition. Dive deeper with us and redefine the way you play MTG.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Grip of Chaos MTG card by a specific set like Scourge, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Grip of Chaos and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Grip of Chaos has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Grip of Chaos card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2004-10-04 If there are multiple legal targets, it may still choose the original one.
2004-10-04 If there are no other legal targets, it keeps its target.
2004-10-04 The ability triggers when a spell or ability is put on the stack, and this target-changing ability itself goes on the stack. This means that the spell or ability keeps its original target until this ability resolves. You determine the new target when this ability resolves, at which time the set of legal targets may have changed.