Early Frost MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
| Released | 2004-06-04 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Fifth Dawn |
| Set code | 5DN |
| Number | 29 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Ben Thompson |
Text of card
Tap up to three target lands.
Under its mists, the earth sleeps.
Cards like Early Frost
Early Frost brings a unique touch to the Blue control suite in Magic: The Gathering. It shares similarities with other mana disruption spells such as Exhaustion, which also targets an opponent’s resources. The difference lies in Early Frost’s ability to specifically target and tap up to three lands. This is more selective compared to Exhaustion, which affects all the opponent’s creatures and lands but doesn’t affect lands that come into play afterwards.
Delving further into this category, we encounter Sleep, a card that taps all creatures an opponent controls. While this impacts the board more broadly, Early Frost excels in its lower mana cost and instant speed, allowing for a more strategic and timely play. Then there’s Frost Breath, which, similar to Early Frost, can impact the tempo by tapping opponents’ assets but is limited to only two creatures and lacks the versatility of targeting lands.
When comparing these cards, Early Frost stands out for its potential to disrupt an opponent’s strategy at a critical moment. Its preciseness and instant speed make it a strategic asset in Blue decks that focus on control and tempo.
Cards similar to Early Frost by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Early Frost, by setting back your opponent’s mana development, indirectly translates to a substantial card advantage. This blue spell tactically disrupts your opponent’s strategy, giving you a leg up in the match and potentially causing them to lose tempo.
Resource Acceleration: Early Frost can hinder your opponent’s resources, specifically by targeting lands used for crucial plays. With strategic casting, this can create a significant and sometimes insurmountable gap between your resources and your opponent’s, working as a subtle form of acceleration for your game plan.
Instant Speed: Its instant-speed nature allows for a reactive playstyle, making Early Frost a versatile component in your arsenal. You can cast it at the most opportune moment, such as in response to an opponent tapping out for a key spell, setting them back and preserving your control of the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Early Frost is that it requires the player to discard a card in addition to its casting cost. This can put the player at a disadvantage, especially when playing with a hand that doesn’t have expendable cards, thereby negatively impacting the player’s resource management.
Specific Mana Cost: Early Frost demands a specific mana configuration that includes blue mana for casting. This requirement can restrict its incorporation to decks that are tailored to generate blue mana efficiently, potentially limiting the card’s versatility in multicolour or colourless decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that may be considered steep for the effect it provides, Early Frost could be seen as a costly investment. Players might find other options more appealing when considering the card’s impact in comparison to alternative spells that freeze opponent’s lands or resources for a lower cost, thus offering a more competitive edge.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Early Frost serves as a flexible tool in Blue-based control decks, allowing players to disrupt the opponent’s mana base at a critical moment. Regardless of the deck archetype you are facing, the ability to slow down your opponent can be crucial.
Combo Potential: This card has a natural synergy with strategies that benefit from opponents being tapped out, such as playing a big spell during your turn without the risk of it being countered, or enabling a combo setup while the opponent’s resources are constrained.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta filled with decks striving for a fast setup, Early Frost can effectively delay plays, giving you the upper hand, and is particularly useful against ramp strategies that seek to accelerate their mana development early on.
How to beat
Early Frost, a blue instant card in the Magic: The Gathering universe, is known for its ability to tap up to three target lands. This can be an unexpected play that disrupts the opponent’s mana base crucially, especially during their upkeep phase before they draw. Such a strategy can hinder your opponent from casting key spells on their next turn, thereby slowing down their game plan.
To effectively counteract Early Frost, consider employing instant-speed mana abilities or spells that can untap your lands. Cards like Teferi, Time Raveler can also give you an edge, as they allow you to cast spells as though they had flash, thus bypassing the need for the mana in your own turn. Additionally, having lands that don’t tap for mana or cards that allow for alternative casting costs can mitigate the disruption caused by Early Frost.
Flexibility in your mana resources and the ability to adjust your strategy on the fly is key when playing against such control tactics. With the right counters and a resilient deck build, you can make Early Frost less of a threat and maintain the tempo of your game, ensuring your plans aren’t put on ice.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Early Frost MTG card by a specific set like Fifth Dawn, 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 Early Frost 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Early Frost has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |