Chrome Steed MTG Card

Chrome Steed offers a board advantage by potentially becoming a 4/4 creature with minimal requirement. Use in artifact decks for resource acceleration, enabling quicker and more impactful plays. Increases deck flexibility, fitting multiple game strategies and adapting to varied metagames.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Artifact Creature — Horse
Abilities	Metalcraft
Released	2010-10-01
Set symbol
Set name	Scars of Mirrodin
Set code	SOM
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	142
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jana Schirmer & Johannes Voss

Text of card

Metalcraft — Chrome Steed gets +2/+2 as long as you control three or more artifacts.

According to Auriok myth, it collects scrap in order to reassemble its lost rider.

Cards like Chrome Steed

Chrome Steed harnesses synergistic energy in the world of artifact creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Echoing the mechanical nature of Myr Enforcer, which benefits from an affinity for artifacts, Chrome Steed also becomes more potent the more artifacts are in play. While Myr Enforcer can potentially hit the battlefield earlier due to its affinity, Chrome Steed’s imposing presence when boosted makes it a card not to overlook.

Another comparable entity is Spined Thopter, which shares the feature of needing a specific board state to be its best self. However, Spined Thopter offers flying capability at a lower cost, presenting an evasive threat. Conversely, Chrome Steed requires more strategic setup with metalcraft to achieve its true 4/4 potential. Cranial Plating is a different sort of artifact but also thrives among a multitude of artifacts, granting a potentially game-swinging power boost, although it doesn’t stand alone as a creature.

Judging the utility and potential of these artifact-centric cards, Chrome Steed stands solidly in MTG strategies focused on maximizing artifact synergies, offering a robust option for players crafting a metalcraft-laden deck.

Cards similar to Chrome Steed by color, type and mana cost

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Chrome Steed presents a strategic layer in deck building, rewarding players who design their decks with a solid artifact base. By potentially becoming a 4/4 creature with minimal investment, this card effectively posits itself as a two-for-one deal in terms of board presence, giving you an advantage over your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: As a part of artifact-centric decks, Chrome Steed can contribute to resource acceleration. When synergized with cards that tap artifacts for mana or benefit from the number of artifacts you control, Chrome Steed can be an integral cog in the machine that propels your gameplay forward, enabling larger, more impactful plays much sooner.

Instant Speed: While Chrome Steed itself may not have instant speed, it fits perfectly into a game strategy that operates at such a pace. It can be played right before your turn to leverage the metalcraft ability or in the face of an unsuspecting opponent who may not be considering the instant speed tricks up an artifact-heavy deck’s sleeve, effectively making your moves more dynamic and less predictable.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: For players considering the integration of Chrome Steed in their decks, it’s worth noting that the absence of any discard requirements does offer a small sigh of relief. This allows commanders to maintain hand equilibrium without the stress of sacrificing valuable cards.

Specific Mana Cost: Chrome Steed demands a precise mana configuration to achieve its peak performance. Fielding four mana of any type is a straightforward ask, yet acquiring the two additional artifacts to turn on Metalcraft can prove to be a stringent condition, not always perfectly aligning with the mana curve sought in swift-paced games.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Chrome Steed’s initial investment hovers at four mana, which, upon careful scrutiny, may surface as a significant commitment. When we consider the metal juggernauts of the artifact realm, such an expenditure might be justified by transformative or decisive effects. Chrome Steed, however, with its conditional stat boost, does stand at the precipice of scrutiny, begging the question of whether its presence justifies its cost, especially when the battlefield teems with more cost-efficient alternatives.

Reasons to Include Chrome Steed in Your Collection

Versatility: Chrome Steed seamlessly fits into artifact-based decks and can be an asset in both aggressive and defensive strategies due to its scalable power.

Combo Potential: Its ability to gain +2/+2 when you control three or more artifacts opens up opportunities for synergies with cards designed to proliferate artifacts onto the battlefield, amplifying its threat level on the board.

Meta-Relevance: As game environments frequently fluctuate, a card like Chrome Steed with inherent flexibility can adapt to multiple metagames, making it a resilient choice, especially in formats that prize artifact mechanics.

How to beat

Chrome Steed, a creature card that can bolster the battlefield presence in Magic: The Gathering, possesses metalcraft which grants it a significant power boost when you control three or more artifacts. To effectively counter it, consider employing artifact removal strategies such as Shatter or Naturalize before the metalcraft threshold is met. This disrupts not only the individual card’s potential but also the broader artifact synergy within the opponent’s deck.

Alternatively, tactical use of combat tricks and burn spells can also swing the match in your favor. Swift direct damage spells like Lightning Bolt or bounce effects provided by Unsummon can remove Chrome Steed from the field or prevent it from becoming a substantial threat. Ensuring you have a clear strategy for dealing with artifact-heavy decks is essential for maintaining control of the game against this resilient creature card.

Overall, staying one step ahead of the metalcraft ability is key. Focusing on early interaction with the opponent’s artifacts or keeping efficient removal at the ready will ensure that Chrome Steed’s impact on the game is minimal, upholding your path to victory.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Chrome Steed MTG card by a specific set like Scars of Mirrodin, 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 Chrome Steed and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Chrome Steed has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal