Channel Harm MTG Card

Channel Harm provides strategic damage redirection and potential board control at instant speed. Demands a precise mana mix and a discarded card, which can limit its late-game utility. Versatile and impactful, it can act as a silver bullet in the right meta environment.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant
Released	2015-01-23
Set symbol
Set name	Fate Reforged
Set code	FRF
Number	7
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	David Gaillet

Text of card

Prevent all damage that would be dealt to you and permanents you control this turn by sources you don't control. If damage is prevented this way, you may have Channel Harm deal that much damage to target creature.

Cards like Channel Harm

Channel Harm stands out as a unique protective spell in Magic: The Gathering. It bears some similarity to damage prevention cards like Deflecting Palm or Comeuppance. Deflecting Palm not only prevents damage but also throws it back at the opponent, a similar surprise factor in the way Channel Harm redirects the outcome of a combat. However, Channel Harm offers the advantage of targeting any spell, not just damage from a single source, providing broad reactive potential across multiple attackers.

Another card worth mentioning is Settle the Wreckage, which uniquely exiles attacking creatures instead of preventing damage. While Channel Harm has the potential to turn the tide in your favor by dealing damage equivalent to the prevented amount, Settle the Wreckage permanently removes the threat without directly harming the opponent’s life total. Contrastingly, Channel Harm can effectively end a game by directing massive amounts of damage back at the aggressor.

While Channel Harm might be more mana-intensive, ultimately, its ability to not only shield but also retaliate with substantial force adds a compelling layer to its defensive capabilities, making it a powerful card to have when facing a formidable attack.

Cards similar to Channel Harm by color, type and mana cost

Beacon of Immortality - MTG Card versions

Pegasus Guardian // Rescue the Foal - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Channel Harm lets you turn a potentially unfavorable situation into a strategic benefit by redirecting damage to a single creature. In doing so, you can protect your key creatures or life total while removing a threat, effectively swinging the board state in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: Although Channel Harm itself does not directly accelerate resources, using it cleverly can maintain your creature-based resources on the board. By preventing the loss of your creatures, you ensure your mana investments stick around for subsequent turns.

Instant Speed: The instant speed nature of Channel Harm offers the flexibility to disrupt your opponent’s plans at the most opportune moment. Whether it’s during the combat phase to surprise an attacking opponent or in response to a targeted removal, the ability to cast Channel Harm in these pivotal moments can provide a significant tempo swing.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the stipulations for Channel Harm is that it necessitates the discarding of another card in order to be played. This can be particularly taxing during late-game scenarios where your hand may already be depleted, leaving you with fewer options and potentially causing a disadvantageous trade-off just to activate this spell.

Specific Mana Cost: Channel Harm requires a precise combination of mana types to cast, specifically needing white mana. This requirement can be restrictive, limiting the card’s inclusion to decks that are capable of producing white mana consistently, potentially excluding it from a variety of mono-colored or colorless deck types that could benefit from its protective effect.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: In the realm of cards aiming to prevent damage, Channel Harm comes at a somewhat steep resource cost. For six mana, players might expect a more impactful and broad-ranging effect. While the card does provide a somewhat unique reactive capability, other options may offer similar protection or board control effects for a more economical mana investment, which allows players to maintain tempo and resource efficiency within the match.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Channel Harm offers a unique form of protection, capable of turning a dire situation into an advantage. It has the ability to fit into decks that prioritize defense, control, or even those looking for an edge in multiplayer games.

Combo Potential: The card can serve as an essential piece in combos, especially where redirecting damage can disrupt opponent strategies or be harnessed for your benefit, such as with lifegain synergies or damage-triggered abilities.

Meta-Relevance: Given its surprise factor and ability to thwart strategies reliant on a single, large damage source, Channel Harm can be a metagame silver bullet. In an environment with heavy hitters or combo finishers, it can be a game-changer.

How to beat

Channel Harm is an intriguing spell that can turn the tables in a tight Magic: The Gathering match. This card is distinctive for its ability to protect your life total and creature assets by redirecting damage to another target. To outmaneuver Channel Harm, the key strategy is to bait it out or deplete your opponent’s mana before launching a decisive assault.

Consider utilizing low-cost spells that provoke a Channel Harm play. By pressuring your opponent into using their mana inefficiently, you ensure they have less available to leverage this powerful instant. Another effective tactic is to hold onto instant-speed removals or counterspells. This way, you’re ready to disrupt your opponent’s game plan at a critical moment, neutralizing the impact of Channel Harm and maintaining the offensive.

The crux of the strategy is to plan, pace, and provoke. Carefully timing your moves and understanding when to force your opponent’s hand can negate the benefits of Channel Harm, leaving you in a favorable position to claim victory in your MTG encounters.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Channel Harm MTG card by a specific set like Fate Reforged, 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 Channel Harm and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Channel Harm has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2014-11-24	Channel Harm’s effect is not a redirection effect. If it prevents damage, you may have Channel Harm (not the original source) deal damage to the creature as part of that prevention effect. Channel Harm is the source of the new damage, so the characteristics of the original source (such as its color, or whether it had lifelink or deathtouch) don’t affect the new damage. The new damage is not combat damage, even if the prevented damage was.
2014-11-24	Channel Harm’s only target is the creature it may deal damage to. You choose that target as you cast Channel Harm, not at the time it prevents damage.
2014-11-24	If the target creature is an illegal target as Channel Harm tries to resolve, the entire spell doesn’t resolve. No damage will be prevented.
2014-11-24	If two players have each cast Channel Harm targeting a creature the other controls, and a source one player controls would deal damage to the second player or a permanent that player controls, one Channel Harm will prevent that damage and try to deal damage to the creature controlled by the first player. That player’s Channel Harm will then prevent that damage and try to deal damage to the creature controlled by the second player. This forms a loop that either player can break by choosing to not have Channel Harm try to deal damage. It doesn’t matter which player breaks the loop, as no damage will be dealt in either case.
2014-11-24	Whether the target creature is still a legal target is not checked after Channel Harm resolves. Damage will still be prevented, even if Channel Harm can’t deal damage to that creature.
2014-11-24	You can choose a creature you control as the target. If you do, the damage Channel Harm deals to that creature won’t be prevented.