Winter's Chill MTG Card


Winter’s Chill disrupts opponent strategies by tapping creatures and forcing extra costs. Its instant speed offers flexibility, allowing players to react swiftly to threats. Casting Winter’s Chill requires specific mana and discarding, which could be limiting.
Winter's Chill - Ice Age
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityRare
TypeInstant
Released1995-06-03
Set symbol
Set nameIce Age
Set codeICE
Number107
Frame1993
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byEdward P. Beard, Jr.

Text of card

Cast only during combat before defense is chosen. At end of combat, destroy X target attacking creatures; X cannot be greater than the number of snow-covered lands you control. For each attacking creature, its controller may pay o1 or to prevent it from being destroyed in this way. If that player pays o1, the creature neither deals nor receives damage in combat. If that player pays , the creature deals and receives damage in combat as normal.


Cards like Winter's Chill

Winter’s Chill stands out in the wide array of control spells Magic: The Gathering has to offer. Much like its icy name suggests, this card proves to be quite adept at freezing the opposition, reminiscent of Frost Breath. Both cards have the ability to halt creatures in their tracks, preventing them from untapping during the next untap step. However, Winter’s Chill differs in flexibility, allowing players to decide the number of targets and how much mana to invest into freezing the opponent’s creatures.

Looking into other comparative spells, there’s the classic Icefall, a card that shares the chill theme, albeit with the added benefit of destroying a land. While sharing a mana cost, Icefall doesn’t offer the same degree of creature control as Winter’s Chill does. Then, we encounter Skred, which similarly takes advantage of snow lands for damage output rather than containment. Skred’s effectiveness is dependent on the number of snow lands you control, contrasting with Winter’s Chill’s variable X cost that reflects the number of creatures it can affect.

To wrap it up, Winter’s Chill fits snugly into decks that seek to keep the board in a state of suspended animation. Its scalable nature gives it a strategic edge, making it a potent option for players who want to manage their mana smartly while controlling the battlefield tempo.

Frost Breath - MTG Card versions
Icefall - MTG Card versions
Skred - MTG Card versions
Frost Breath - MTG Card versions
Icefall - MTG Card versions
Skred - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Winter's Chill by color, type and mana cost

Ancestral Recall - MTG Card versions
Jump - MTG Card versions
Sleight of Mind - MTG Card versions
Twiddle - MTG Card versions
Unsummon - MTG Card versions
Siren's Call - MTG Card versions
Power Sink - MTG Card versions
Blue Elemental Blast - MTG Card versions
Spell Blast - MTG Card versions
Magical Hack - MTG Card versions
Sea Kings' Blessing - MTG Card versions
Enchantment Alteration - MTG Card versions
Riptide - MTG Card versions
Mind Bend - MTG Card versions
Denied! - MTG Card versions
Hydroblast - MTG Card versions
Whispers of the Muse - MTG Card versions
Ertai's Trickery - MTG Card versions
Force Spike - MTG Card versions
Opt - MTG Card versions
Ancestral Recall - MTG Card versions
Jump - MTG Card versions
Sleight of Mind - MTG Card versions
Twiddle - MTG Card versions
Unsummon - MTG Card versions
Siren's Call - MTG Card versions
Power Sink - MTG Card versions
Blue Elemental Blast - MTG Card versions
Spell Blast - MTG Card versions
Magical Hack - MTG Card versions
Sea Kings' Blessing - MTG Card versions
Enchantment Alteration - MTG Card versions
Riptide - MTG Card versions
Mind Bend - MTG Card versions
Denied! - MTG Card versions
Hydroblast - MTG Card versions
Whispers of the Muse - MTG Card versions
Ertai's Trickery - MTG Card versions
Force Spike - MTG Card versions
Opt - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Winter’s Chill is crafted to disrupt your opponent’s flow by potentially tapping multiple target creatures. This forced stasis not only hinders their attack strategy but can also require them to pay additional costs to stay in the game, which can put you ahead in card economy.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly a resource accelerator, Winter’s Chill can be instrumental in slowing down your opponent’s board development. This can give you the necessary time to build your resources and establish a better board presence without the immediate threat of an overwhelming attack.

Instant Speed: Its instant speed is a strategic asset, granting you the ability to alter the pace of the battle at a moment’s notice. Whether you’re preventing a surprise onslaught or throwing a wrench in your opponent’s end-of-turn plans, the hastiness of Winter’s Chill provides a versatile tool in any player’s arsenal.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Winter’s Chill requires players to discard a card from their hand, which can often be a significant setback. The loss of card advantage can hinder your strategy, particularly if your deck relies on maintaining a full hand to execute combos or maintain control over the game state.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost demands specifically blue mana, which can be restrictive. Decks that do not run heavily on blue sources may find it challenging to consistently have the right mana available when this card could be most impactful, potentially reducing its utility in multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a higher casting cost for its freeze effect, players may find that Winter’s Chill competes unfavorably in the mana economy when compared to other control or disruption spells. Given that the MTG environment offers numerous alternatives that can provide similar or better effects for fewer resources, Winter’s Chill could be considered less efficient in terms of mana investment.


Reasons to Include Winter’s Chill in Your Collection

Versatility: Winter’s Chill offers a unique form of disruption that could stymie your opponents by enabling you to control combat before it begins. It fits well into decks emphasizing on tempo or control, aiding to slow down aggressive opponents significantly.

Combo Potential: This card works exceptionally well with strategies that seek to restrict the opponent’s options. By taxing your opponent’s mana, you can potentially lock them out of playing certain spells, seamlessly fitting into decks that capitalize on taxing or freezing opponent resources.

Meta-Relevance: Against decks that rely heavily on untapped creatures entering the battlefield to win swiftly, Winter’s Chill can become a stalwart defense. In a meta that favors fast creature play, it can tip the scales back into a more manageable pace, allowing you the necessary time to execute your winning strategy.


How to beat

Winter’s Chill is a card that can put opponents on thin ice with its ability to freeze over creatures and potentially lock down a game. Having a strategy to navigate this frosty enchantment is crucial for any MTG player facing a cold front. A key tactic is to prioritize the use of direct removal spells to clear the way, as Winter’s Chill targets creatures that are about to attack. Cards like Doom Blade or Path to Exile can preemptively eliminate threats without falling victim to the Chill’s icy grip.

Alternative strategies include favoring creatures with vigilance that don’t tap to attack, therefore sidestepping Winter’s Chill’s effect entirely. It’s also beneficial to have enchantment destruction in your deck, such as Disenchant or Naturalize, to thaw out the situation. In multi-player formats, diplomacy can be a valuable tool, as teaming up to handle shared threats is often more efficient. Remember, staying adaptable and keeping warm resources at the ready can melt away the advantage that Winter’s Chill offers an opponent.

Understanding and anticipating this card’s potential impact will give you the upper hand, as you’ll be well-prepared to face and overcome this frosty obstacle in your MTG battles.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Winter's Chill MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age, 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 Winter's Chill and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Winter's Chill has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Winter's Chill 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 The payments are made when the spell resolves. The three options are: pay to let creature act as normal, pay to have creature neither deal or receive damage, or pay nothing and the creature does deal and receive damage but it will be destroyed at end of combat.
2013-09-20 If a turn has multiple combat phases, this spell can be cast during any of them as long as it’s before the beginning of that phase’s Declare Blockers Step.