Creeping Chill MTG Card
2018-10-05 - Number 66
2024-01-12 - Number 453
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Sorcery |
Text of card
Creeping Chill deals 3 damage to each opponent and you gain 3 life. When Creeping Chill is put into your graveyard from your library, you may exile it. If you do, Creeping Chill deals 3 damage to each opponent and you gain 3 life.
Cards like Creeping Chill
Creeping Chill is a noteworthy card in MTG, providing both direct damage to opponents and life gain for the player. It’s often compared to similar effects found in cards like Sovereign’s Bite, which also delivers a three-life swing but lacks the self-milling trigger that can cast Creeping Chill for free. This self-mill synergy allows Creeping Chill to serve dual purposes, as a component in graveyard-based strategies and as a source of incidental advantages.
Another card that it invites comparison with is Exquisite Blood, a life-gain card with a more passive approach but with potential for infinite combos. Unlike Exquisite Blood, Creeping Chill provides a guaranteed singular effect but it doesn’t offer the ongoing, scaling potential. Lastly, there’s the card Gnaw to the Bone, another life-gain spell usually found in decks that self-mill, however, it requires a larger graveyard presence to be effective compared to the straightforward nature of Creeping Chill.
In analyzing Creeping Chill alongside its counterparts, it’s clear the card holds a unique position with its combination of immediate impact, incidental casting opportunities, and strategic depth for graveyard-focused decks in MTG.
Cards similar to Creeping Chill by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Creeping Chill shines in graveyard-centric decks, offering an unexpected boon when milled or discarded. When it hits the graveyard from your library, you get to cast it for free, essentially drawing a card with no cost that also affects the game state, keeping your hand full while still deploying threats.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, the lifegain from Creeping Chill can indirectly accelerate your game plan. That burst of life can buy critical turns for setting up your board or enable riskier plays that can lead to a faster victory.
Instant Speed: Even though Creeping Chill is not cast at instant speed, the fact that it can be triggered during any part of the game provides a form of tempo akin to instant-speed plays. It disrupts opponents’ calculations and can swing races in your favor when life totals are close.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One of the major drawbacks of Creeping Chill is its reliance on being discarded or milled from your library to automatically cast it for free. In situations where you’re holding it in hand without a viable way to discard it, this card can lose much of its strategic value, leaving you with an essentially dead card.
Specific Mana Cost: Creeping Chill demands a specific mana alignment to cast it directly from your hand, which is one black and two generic mana. For players running multi-colored decks or those with a mana base not heavily skewed towards black, this can pose a challenge in efficiently casting the spell when needed.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a direct casting cost of three mana for just three damage to an opponent and three life gain for yourself, Creeping Chill’s cost efficiency is questionable. There are other cards available in the game that can provide a greater impact or more flexible use at a similar, or even lower, mana cost, making Creeping Chill a less attractive choice for players looking to optimize their mana usage.
Reasons to Include Creeping Chill in Your Collection
Versatility: Creeping Chill offers strategic flexibility as it provides a three-pronged effect: life gain, life loss, and the potential for a surprise from the graveyard. This makes it a practical choice for deck builders looking to add a layer of adaptability to their gameplay.
Combo Potential: The self-mill or dredge mechanic in many decks synergizes exceptionally well with Creeping Chill, allowing players to exploit its graveyard trigger. This potentially turns every graveyard mill into a damage-dealing, life-gaining opportunity.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where direct damage and life swings can dictate the pace and outcome of matches, Creeping Chill holds its ground. It can fit into various meta environments, disrupting your opponent’s calculations while bolstering your own survival.
How to Beat Creeping Chill
Creeping Chill is a unique card that impacts the game from a player’s graveyard when dredged or milled, a surprising twist that can catch many off guard. This self-milling capability coupled with the life swing it provides can be a thorn in the side of opponents. To effectively counteract this card, graveyard control becomes paramount. Cards like Leyline of the Void or Rest in Peace that prevent cards from hitting the graveyard can neutralize Creeping Chill’s potential before it starts.
Tactical use of graveyard exile effects such as Scavenging Ooze or Tormod’s Crypt can also serve as a direct response, ensuring that Creeping Chill doesn’t get the chance to trigger its ability. Similarly, instant-speed removal like Surgical Extraction can extract it from the game entirely upon its first appearance in the graveyard. It’s essential to keep answers to graveyard-centric strategies on hand, creating a crucial buffer against not just Creeping Chill but an entire archetype relying on such mechanics.
Ultimately, preparedness and proactive graveyard management will keep Creeping Chill from chilling your prospects of victory. By leveraging strategic graveyard control, you maintain the upper hand against this uniquely disruptive card and assure your deck’s resilience against such unexpected threats.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Creeping Chill MTG card by a specific set like Guilds of Ravnica and Ravnica 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 Creeping Chill 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
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Creeping Chill Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-10-05 and 2024-01-12. Illustrated by Wisnu Tan.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018-10-05 | Guilds of Ravnica | GRN | 66 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Wisnu Tan | |
| 2 | 2024-01-12 | Ravnica Remastered | RVR | 453 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Wisnu Tan |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Creeping Chill has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Creeping Chill card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-10-05 | In a Two-Headed Giant game, Creeping Chill causes the opposing team to lose 6 life and you gain 3 life. |