Chainer, Dementia Master MTG Card
2002-02-04 - Number 56
2023-01-13 - Number 299
2023-01-13 - Number 77
2023-01-13 - Number 424
2023-08-04 - Number 505
2023-08-04 - Number 144
2023-08-04 - Number 13
| Card sets | Released in 7 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Human Minion |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Text of card
All Nightmares get +1/+1. o Bo Bo B, Pay 3 life: Put target creature card from a graveyard into play under your control. That creature is black and is a Nightmare in addition to its creature types. When Chainer, Dementia Master leaves play, remove all Nightmares from the game.
Cards like Chainer, Dementia Master
Chainer, Dementia Master is a unique powerhouse within the realm of reanimation strategies in Magic: The Gathering. Bearing resemblance in purpose to other notorious reanimators like Meren of Clan Nel Toth, Chainer offers a distinct take on bringing creatures back from the graveyard. While Meren can recur creatures at the end of your turn, Chainer’s ability is more flexible, allowing you to resurrect any creature card at instant speed, albeit at a higher mana cost and life payment.
Looking at other parallels, we find Sheoldred, Whispering One, who also reanimates creatures, but does so during your upkeep, with no cost attached, and provides the added benefit of forcing your opponents to sacrifice creatures. However, Sheoldred lacks the instant speed and selective targeting that Chainer, Dementia Master offers. Conversely, Geth, Lord of the Vault, another peer in this sector, can arbitrarily reanimate creatures or artifacts from opponent’s graveyards, giving it a unique angle of disrupting your adversary’s game plan but with less control over your own graveyard assets.
The potency of Chainer, Dementia Master in MTG cannot be understated. Its unparalleled ability to pull creatures from any graveyard on demand and give them haste sets it apart, placing it as a formidable card in black-centric, creature-heavy decks focused on exploiting graveyard synergies.
Cards similar to Chainer, Dementia Master by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Chainer, Dementia Master allows you to reanimate creatures from any graveyard, offering a repeatable means to swing the balance of creatures in your favor. This can translate into significant card advantage, especially in longer games where graveyards are well-stocked with potential targets.
Resource Acceleration: By utilizing Chainer’s ability, you effectively bypass the mana costs of the creatures you’re bringing back. This can act as a form of resource acceleration, allowing you to deploy threats or create board presence without expending the mana normally required.
Instant Speed: Although Chainer itself does not operate at instant speed, its activation capability can be used at any time you could cast an instant. This flexibility lets you wait until the end of your opponent’s turn to reanimate creatures, cleverly managing your resources while keeping up the element of surprise.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Chainer, Dementia Master’s ability necessitates discarding a creature card, presenting a challenge when your hand is lacking in creature cards. This requirement makes maintaining card advantage more difficult and can hamper your game plan, especially in the late game where each card in hand is invaluable.
Specific Mana Cost: His activation cost demands both black mana and three generic mana, making him less flexible for multi-colored decks. This specific mana requirement can be restrictive and requires a commitment to black mana-producing lands or mana-fixing abilities to ensure consistent playability.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three black mana and two generic mana, Chainer’s total cost is quite high. In a format where efficiency is king, his cost might slow you down, allowing opponents to establish a stronger presence on the board or disrupt your strategy before you can make the most of his abilities.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Chainer, Dementia Master is a card that fits seamlessly into various black-centered or multicolored decks. Its ability to reanimate creatures from any graveyard provides strategic flexibility in both casual and more competitive play.
Combo Potential: This card’s synergy with graveyard-based strategies allows for powerful combinations. Players can craft numerous combos around Chainer, exploiting the mechanic of resurrecting key creatures for continuous effects or game-ending interactions.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where graveyard manipulation is always a relevant tactic, Chainer, Dementia Master holds a place in the meta by countering strategies that rely heavily on the graveyard while also capitalizing on the extensive utility of creature reanimation.
How to beat
Understanding the nuances of Chainer, Dementia Master is crucial when you’re on the opposite side of the battlefield. Recognized as a formidable force in MTG due to its ability to reanimate creatures from any graveyard, Chainer changes the endgame strategy. Key to triumphing over Chainer is having swift graveyard disruption at the ready. Relic of Progenitus or Tormod’s Crypt can exile graveyards in a flash, nullifying Chainer’s power.
Strategic removal also plays a significant role. Instead of directly confronting Chainer with spot removal, which can be costly due to mana requirements, consider using enchantments like Rest in Peace to prevent any graveyard-based shenanigans. In environments heavy with creature control, packing sacrifice effects can force an opponent to think twice before activating Chainer’s abilities, as your opponent needs a creature in play to exploit its full potential.
Therefore, it’s not just about having the right cards, but the timing of using them. Recognizing the perfect moment to disrupt your opponent’s graveyard or to render Chainer useless with a well-placed piece of removal is as critical as the spells you choose to include in your deck. By keeping these strategies in mind, players can navigate around the obstacles Chainer presents and emerge victorious.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Chainer, Dementia Master MTG card by a specific set like Torment and Dominaria Remastered, 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 Chainer, Dementia Master and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The Chainer, Dementia Master Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2002-02-04 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2002-02-04 | Torment | TOR | 56 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Mark Zug | |
| 2 | 2023-01-13 | Dominaria Remastered | DMR | 299 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Mark Zug | |
| 3 | 2023-01-13 | Dominaria Remastered | DMR | 77 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Mark Zug | |
| 4 | 2023-01-13 | Dominaria Remastered | DMR | 424 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Kev Walker | |
| 5 | Commander Masters Art Series | ACMM | 13 | 2015 | Art series | Borderless | Mark Zug | ||
| 6 | 2023-08-04 | Commander Masters | CMM | 505 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Mark Zug | |
| 7 | 2023-08-04 | Commander Masters | CMM | 144 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Mark Zug |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Chainer, Dementia Master has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Chainer, Dementia Master card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2022-12-08 | The creature put onto the battlefield by Chainer’s activated ability is black only, not black in addition to its other colors. It is, however, a Nightmare in addition to its other creature types. As it enters the battlefield, it is already a black Nightmare (and perhaps some other creature types); it doesn’t enter and then become a black Nightmare. |