Glacial Chasm MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
RarityUncommon
TypeLand
Abilities Cumulative upkeep

Key Takeaways

  1. Glacial Chasm offers unique strategic depth, preventing damage to you and revolutionizing how you approach game defense.
  2. While providing immunity from attacks, it requires a cumulative upkeep cost, challenging players to balance resource management.
  3. It’s a quintessential card for decks that focus on life total preservation and delaying strategies, crucial in late-game scenarios.

Text of card

Cumulative Upkeep: 2 life When Glacial Chasm comes into play, sacrifice a land. You cannot attack. All damage dealt to you is reduced to 0.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Glacial Chasm MTG gives you an edge by restricting all damage dealt to you. This ability of the card gives you ample time, provides breathing room and allows you to search for better opportunities or power cards that can turn the table in your favor during the game.

Resource Acceleration: This land card isn’t just for protection. It also serves as a mana source. Despite its cumulative upkeep cost, the Chasm accelerates your game progress by helping you protect valuable life points which can be considered as a resource trade-off in many decks.

Instant Speed: While Glacial Chasm isn’t technically an instant, its impact can change the pace of the game instantly. Its cumulative upkeep cost might seem hefty, but good planning will let you maintain this card and effectively set up a defensive strategy akin to casting an instant. The activated ability of Glacial Chasm to prevent all damage can potentially change the course of the game in a moment.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Glacial Chasm enforces a unique discard stipulation. Upon entering the battlefield, you’re forced to sacrifice a land. This requirement can leave you in a tight spot, especially if your resources are already stretched thin.

Specific Mana Cost: This frosty Fortress requires no mana to play, but don’t let that deceive you. It has a cumulative upkeep cost, which means it becomes more challenging to sustain on the battlefield with each passing turn. While it’s free to play, its continuous demand for life points might freeze your game strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite its initial zero mana cost, Glacial Chasm’s cumulative upkeep quickly snowballs. This burden might be too high when compared to other land cards that don’t demand such a high price for protection. Resist the allure of its awesome raw power unless you can manage its steep ongoing costs.


Reasons to Include Glacial Chasm in Your Collection

Versatility: Glacial Chasm is a land that has wide use in many types of decks, particularly strategies focused on defense and long game wins. Its unique ability to prevent all damage to you buys crucial turns, especially within Commander and other multiplayer formats.

Combo Potential: With cards that interact with lands such as Crucible of Worlds or Life from the Loam, you can create an impeccable defense mechanism. The cumulative upkeep cost can be circumvented, transforming Glacial Chasm into a recurring shield.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where high-damage, aggressive decks are prevalent, Glacial Chasm could prove invaluable. Its presence in your deck can disrupt the plans of many fast-paced, aggression oriented strategies, providing you with a powerful tool for game control.


How to Beat

Overcoming Glacial Chasm in MTG can be quite a challenge. This enchanting land card takes your opponent’s life total to zero at a slow, grinding pace while their defenses stand insurmountably high. One strategy is to step up your land destruction game. Removing Glacial Chasm from the battleground is the simplest and most straightforward method to bypass its effects.

Also consider using effects that bypass the battlefield entirely. Cards with abilities to directly reduce your opponent’s life or cards that can force the opponent to draw from an empty library are potent alternatives. The key is anticipating Glacial Chasm and having a game plan in place.

Another way to consider is going for a strategy that employs unblockable creatures or those with the shadow ability, making them ‘invisible’ to Glacial Chasm’s protection. Wise deck-building and a strong understanding of your cards will put you a step closer to victory.

Remember, foresight and flexibility can be your biggest assets in the magical game of MTG. Be prepared, outplay the Glacial Chasm, and seize your win!


Conclusion

In the ever-evolving universe of Magic the Gathering, harnessing the power of iconic cards like Glacial Chasm can distinguish the novices from the masters. It’s a journey that melds strategy with creativity, and every card you add to your arsenal can potentially turn the tides in your favor. As you refine your decks and broaden your understanding of MTG’s vast mechanics, remember that every match provides a new opportunity for growth and glory. We encourage you to continue exploring, expand your collection, and push the boundaries of your MTG expertise. Dive deeper with us, discover intricate strategies, and let’s walk the path to victory together.


Cards like Glacial Chasm

Glacial Chasm has a unique spot within land cards of Magic: The Gathering. The Chasm’s effect is similar to Constant Mists, which also prevents all damage that would be dealt to you. However, Glacial Chasm has a limiting downside, which is the requirement to sacrifice a land as well as losing life during your upkeep.

The maze of Ith shares functionality with our centerpiece – Glacial Chasm, offering the feature of preventing all damage that would be dealt by a targeted attacking creature, yet it does not have any life or land sacrifices that come with Glacial Chasm.

Another worthy mention is the moment’s peace. Like Glacial Chasm, it provides damage prevention, more specifically from combat. But it doesn’t require any sacrifices and includes flashbacks, contributing to the pace of gameplay. Unlike Chasm’s cumulative upkeep cost, Moment’s Peace is less resource-demanding.

When we evaluate the similarities and differences, Glacial Chasm holds its own among its competitors. The ability to prevent damage, albeit with the cost of some sacrifices and life, can strategize gameplay, proving its worth in the MTG universe.

Constant Mists - MTG Card versions
Maze of Ith - MTG Card versions
Moment's Peace - MTG Card versions
Constant Mists - Stronghold (STH)
Maze of Ith - The Dark (DRK)
Moment's Peace - Odyssey (ODY)

Cards similar to Glacial Chasm by color, type and mana cost

Urza's Tower - MTG Card versions
Ice Floe - MTG Card versions
Ghost Town - MTG Card versions
City of Brass - MTG Card versions
Bloodstained Mire - MTG Card versions
Zoetic Cavern - MTG Card versions
Grixis Panorama - MTG Card versions
Rupture Spire - MTG Card versions
Terramorphic Expanse - MTG Card versions
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx - MTG Card versions
Wasteland - MTG Card versions
Eldrazi Temple - MTG Card versions
Tectonic Edge - MTG Card versions
Maze of Ith - MTG Card versions
Homeward Path - MTG Card versions
Field of Ruin - MTG Card versions
Forge of Heroes - MTG Card versions
Ancient Tomb - MTG Card versions
Temple of the False God - MTG Card versions
Sanctum of Eternity - MTG Card versions
Urza's Tower - Commander Masters (CMM)
Ice Floe - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Ghost Town - Tempest (TMP)
City of Brass - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Bloodstained Mire - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
Zoetic Cavern - Future Sight (FUT)
Grixis Panorama - Commander 2013 (C13)
Rupture Spire - Magic Online Theme Decks (TD0)
Terramorphic Expanse - March of the Machine Commander (MOC)
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx - Theros (THS)
Wasteland - Zendikar Rising Expeditions (ZNE)
Eldrazi Temple - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Tectonic Edge - Friday Night Magic 2012 (F12)
Maze of Ith - Eternal Masters (EMA)
Homeward Path - Tales of Middle-earth Commander (LTC)
Field of Ruin - The List (PLST)
Forge of Heroes - Commander 2018 (C18)
Ancient Tomb - Tales of Middle-earth Commander (LTC)
Temple of the False God - Commander 2019 (C19)
Sanctum of Eternity - Commander 2019 (C19)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Glacial Chasm MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age and Masters Edition II, 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 Glacial Chasm and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Glacial Chasm Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1995-06-03 and 2012-08-31. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11995-06-03Ice AgeICE 3531993normalblackLiz Danforth
22008-09-22Masters Edition IIME2 2291997normalblackLiz Danforth
32012-08-31From the Vault: RealmsV12 72003normalblackMike Bierek

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Glacial Chasm has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Glacial Chasm card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2008-08-01 When Glacial Chasm’s enters-the-battlefield ability resolves, if you don’t control any other lands, you must sacrifice Glacial Chasm itself.

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