Coldsteel Heart MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeSnow Artifact

Key Takeaways

  1. It delivers essential mana fixing and acceleration, crucial for multi-color deck consistency.
  2. Offers unique combo potential with snow permanents and artifact synergies in MTG.
  3. While potent, it can be countered through timely artifact removal or pressure strategies.

Text of card

Coldsteel Heart comes into play tapped. As Coldsteel Heart comes into play, choose a color. : Add one mana of the chosen color to your mana pool.

The Phyrexian death machine awoke, its coldsteel heart imbuing it with sinister new power.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Coldsteel Heart doesn’t draw cards directly, it efficiently filters mana and can smoothen out your draws by ensuring you have the necessary mana colors to play the cards in your hand.

Resource Acceleration: As a mana rock, Coldsteel Heart ramps your mana one turn ahead. This can be crucial in casting high-impact spells sooner and can be particularly beneficial in formats where early game advantage is key.

Instant Speed: Although Coldsteel Heart is not an instant, it plays well with instant-speed strategies by providing a permanent increase in mana resources, which frees up your lands to cast instants or activate abilities during your opponents’ turns.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While the Coldsteel Heart does not require an actual discard, it necessitates being played as a tapped artifact, meaning you cannot benefit from it until your next turn. This delay functionally mirrors the setback of a discard, as you cannot use that mana advantage immediately when you most need it.

Specific Mana Cost: Coldsteel Heart asks for a precise two mana investment and once placed, it only provides one specific color of mana. This condition might not seamlessly fit into the mana curve or color requirements of a deck, especially in multi-colored configurations that demand a more flexible mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although two mana might not seem excessive, for an artifact that only produces one additional mana, the return on investment can be considered suboptimal. In a game where tempo is crucial, this cost for a later gain could be a significant drawback when faced with faster, more agile decks. Other mana-producing artifacts or ramp spells could potentially offer more immediate or versatile benefits.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Coldsteel Heart stands out for its adaptability across various decks, offering mana fixing that can be essential in two-color decks or any strategy requiring a consistent mana base for early game plays.

Combo Potential: This card is not just a mana source; it shines in decks that synergize with snow permanents or utilize artifacts for combo interactions, making Coldsteel Heart a multifaceted tool for inventive plays.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where speed can be decisive, Coldsteel Heart provides an edge by smoothing out mana curves and enabling faster deployment of high-impact spells, ensuring its relevance in various competitive formats.


How to beat Coldsteel Heart

Coldsteel Heart sets itself apart in MTG as a solid mana acceleration artifact with a pinch of mana fixing. Similar to other mana stones, it comes with a one-time choice of color, offering a permanent mana boost once it’s on the battlefield. It’s a static ability that differs from the more flexible mana dorks that can be eliminated or repurposed during the game.

When facing Coldsteel Heart, the key is disruption. Artifact removal spells are your best ally, with options like Disenchant or Abrade providing efficient ways to dispatch the Heart and slow down your opponent’s game plan. It’s essential to time these spells right, ideally before the Heart can be used. Alternatively, applying sufficient early-game pressure can often force your opponent to divert mana away from the acceleration Coldsteel Heart provides, and into immediate threats or defenses instead.

Moreover, engaging in counterplay strategies like land destruction can also be effective, though often less direct. Keeping the pressure up and maintaining control of the board can neutralize the advantage that Coldsteel Heart offers, keeping you in the driver’s seat throughout the duel. Understanding when to react and when to let the artifact sit can be the key to victory against decks utilizing this potent mana artifact.


Cards like Coldsteel Heart

Coldsteel Heart is a standout mana-fixing artifact in MTG, joining the ranks of other powerful mana accelerators. Like Coldsteel Heart, cards such as Mind Stone offer mana ramp benefits, with the additional upside of being able to draw a card later on.

Another card worth mentioning is the classic staple, Arcane Signet, which taps for any mana color in your commander’s identity but lacks the snow mana synergy Coldsteel Heart provides. Mana ramp cards like Fellwar Stone can also adjust to the color identity of opponents’ lands, offering a different flexibility compared to the set choice upon casting Coldsteel Heart.

While each of these other cards offers varying benefits, Coldsteel Heart remains unique in its ability to provide a specific color of mana or even a snow mana that can be crucial for activating certain abilities. Its two-mana cost and color-fixing qualities make it a reliable option for many MTG decks. The comparison highlights its relevance in a game where mana efficiency and acceleration are key to success.

Mind Stone - MTG Card versions
Arcane Signet - MTG Card versions
Fellwar Stone - MTG Card versions
Mind Stone - Weatherlight (WTH)
Arcane Signet - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Fellwar Stone - The Dark (DRK)

Cards similar to Coldsteel Heart by color, type and mana cost

Chaos Orb - MTG Card versions
Winter Orb - MTG Card versions
Ankh of Mishra - MTG Card versions
Jandor's Saddlebags - MTG Card versions
Amulet of Kroog - MTG Card versions
Nacre Talisman - MTG Card versions
Howling Mine - MTG Card versions
Essence Bottle - MTG Card versions
Emerald Medallion - MTG Card versions
Scrying Glass - MTG Card versions
Cursed Totem - MTG Card versions
Mask of Intolerance - MTG Card versions
Tsabo's Web - MTG Card versions
Millikin - MTG Card versions
Swiftfoot Boots - MTG Card versions
Ark of Blight - MTG Card versions
Surestrike Trident - MTG Card versions
Demon's Horn - MTG Card versions
Angel's Feather - MTG Card versions
Energy Chamber - MTG Card versions
Chaos Orb - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Winter Orb - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Ankh of Mishra - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Jandor's Saddlebags - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Amulet of Kroog - Renaissance (REN)
Nacre Talisman - Ice Age (ICE)
Howling Mine - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Essence Bottle - Tempest (TMP)
Emerald Medallion - Commander Anthology (CMA)
Scrying Glass - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Cursed Totem - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Mask of Intolerance - Apocalypse (APC)
Tsabo's Web - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Millikin - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Swiftfoot Boots - The Brothers' War Retro Artifacts (BRR)
Ark of Blight - Scourge (SCG)
Surestrike Trident - Darksteel (DST)
Demon's Horn - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Angel's Feather - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Energy Chamber - Fifth Dawn (5DN)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Coldsteel Heart MTG card by a specific set like Coldsnap and Commander 2015, 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 Coldsteel Heart and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Coldsteel Heart Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2006-07-21 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12006-07-21ColdsnapCSP 1362003normalblackMark Romanoski
22015-11-13Commander 2015C15 2492015normalblackMark Romanoski
32018-06-08Commander Anthology Volume IICM2 1812015normalblackMark Romanoski
42019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 15622015normalblackMark Romanoski
52020-09-26The ListPLST CM2-1812015normalblackMark Romanoski
62022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 3012015normalblackMark Romanoski
72022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 942015normalblackI☆LA

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Coldsteel Heart has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
GladiatorLegal
TimelessLegal

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