Chaos Maw MTG Card

Hour of Devastation (HOU)
2017-07-14 - Number 87

Chaos Maw - Hour of Devastation Promos (PHOU)

Hour of Devastation Promos (PHOU)
2017-07-15 - Number 87s

Chaos Maw - Arena New Player Experience Extras (XANA)

Arena New Player Experience Extras (XANA)
2018-07-14 - Number 36

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	7
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Hellion
Power	6
Toughness	6

Key Takeaways

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Text of card

When Chaos Maw enters the battlefield, it deals 3 damage to each other creature.

The food chain doesn't end at sandwurms.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Chaos Maw, when entering the battlefield, deals 3 damage to each other creature which can lead to a potential sweep of the opponent’s board, often resulting in a two-for-one or better scenario for the controlling player. This can help tilt the game in your favor by diminishing your opponent’s resources while maintaining your own.

Resource Acceleration: Although Chaos Maw itself does not directly accelerate resources, clearing the board of smaller creatures can pave the way for your more substantial threats to attack without obstacle. Additionally, it can indirectly benefit ramp strategies by resetting the board, giving you more time to deploy your bigger mana-generating spells or creatures.

Instant Speed: While Chaos Maw is a creature that operates at sorcery speed, its impact can be thought of as similar to an instant due to the immediate and sometimes surprising effect it has when it lands on the battlefield. Depending on the state of the game, it can feel like an instant-speed board wipe, especially if you curved into it by ramping up your mana resources ahead of time.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Chaos Maw doesn’t explicitly require discarding cards, its high mana cost and board impact often necessitate strategic hand management, potentially forcing you to discard valuable cards for other plays to ensure you can cast it at an opportune time.

Specific Mana Cost: Chaos Maw demands a substantial red mana commitment, which may not be compatible with multicolored decks that struggle to produce enough red mana consistently or prefer a more flexible mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of seven mana, including three red, Chaos Maw is an investment that comes into play relatively late in the game. There are other creatures or spells in MTG that may be more mana-efficient and can still create a significant board presence or impact earlier in the duel.

Reasons to Include Chaos Maw in Your Collection

Versatility: Chaos Maw is a powerful inclusion in various deck types due to its ability to clear the board of smaller creatures. With its 6/6 frame, it can serve as both a formidable threat and a reset button in creature-heavy matchups.

Combo Potential: It’s a fantastic card for decks that capitalize on dealing damage to creatures. You can pair it with cards that benefit from or enable ETB (enter the battlefield) triggers, and those that reap rewards from creatures dying.

Meta-Relevance: As an impactful three damage sweep to all other creatures, Chaos Maw can be pivotal in metas cluttered with creature-based aggro decks. It can shift the tide of the game, granting you an undeniable advantage.

How to Beat

Chaos Maw is a formidable creature that can dominate the board in Magic: The Gathering. With its ability to deal damage to all other creatures when it enters the battlefield, it can be tough to maintain a strong board presence. Essential strategies could involve using indestructible creatures that are not affected by Chaos Maw’s ability or employing counterspells to prevent it from hitting the field in the first place.

Additionally, instant-speed removal spells that can be used in response to Chaos Maw’s cast, such as Path to Exile or Fatal Push, are efficient ways to mitigate its impact. Furthermore, leveraging graveyard recursion mechanics can help recover from the sweeping damage and maintain momentum even after Chaos Maw resolves. Carefully navigating around this powerful creature’s entry onto the battlefield is key. Always keep in mind the necessity to maintain available resources to counteract its devastating effect.

Keeping up card advantage and holding onto key removal spells are crucial elements in outpacing the threat posed by Chaos Maw. With the right preparation and response strategy, you can safeguard your army from its wrath and continue to lead with strength on the battlefield.

Cards like Chaos Maw

Chaos Maw stands out as a potent creature card in Magic: The Gathering, bringing a wave of destruction to the battlefield. It rivals cards like Inferno Titan, which similarly delivers immediate impact by dishing out damage upon entering the battlefield or when attacking. However, Chaos Maw’s ability affects all other creatures, not just up to three targets, and this indiscriminate damage can dramatically alter the board state. Inferno Titan offers more control over the damage distributed and adds additional red mana for a repeated effect.

Comparably, in the realm of board wipes, we have Slagstorm, which can deal damage to each creature or each player, granting versatility in approach. This permits a more strategic application compared to the sweeping effect of Chaos Maw. Nonetheless, Slagstorm lacks the substantial body that Chaos Maw provides after its apocalyptic entrance.

In essence, while there are several creatures and spells that can alter the course of a game with their damage-dealing abilities, Chaos Maw’s unique combination of a significant creature presence and an all-encompassing damage ability makes it a formidable card to consider for players seeking to clear the board while establishing a strong threat.

Cards similar to Chaos Maw by color, type and mana cost

Yidaro, Wandering Monster - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Chaos Maw MTG card by a specific set like Hour of Devastation and Hour of Devastation Promos, 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 Chaos Maw and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Chaos Maw Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2017-07-14 and 2018-07-14. Illustrated by Steve Argyle.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2017-07-14	Hour of Devastation	HOU	87	2015	Normal	Black	Steve Argyle
2	2017-07-15	Hour of Devastation Promos	PHOU	87s	2015	Normal	Black	Steve Argyle
3	2018-07-14	Arena New Player Experience Extras	XANA	36	2015	Normal	Black	Steve Argyle