Halls of Mist MTG Card

Rarity	Rare
Type	Land
Abilities	Cumulative upkeep
Released	1995-06-03
Set symbol
Set name	Ice Age
Set code	ICE
Number	354
Frame	1993
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Mark Poole

Key Takeaways

Offers a strategic advantage by disrupting opponents and promoting instant-speed interactions.
Demands careful resource management due to the discard requirement and specific mana cost.
Great inclusion for control decks and metas with creature-heavy strategies.

Text of card

Cumulative Upkeep: o1 No creature can attack if it attacked during its controller's last turn.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Playing Halls of Mist can disrupt your opponent’s strategy, potentially causing them to waste their turns or resources, indirectly contributing to card advantage by obstructing their plays.

Resource Acceleration: While Halls of Mist does not directly accelerate resources in the traditional sense, it aids in resource management by slowing down the pace of the game, allowing players to build up their board and mana base over time.

Instant Speed: While this card itself isn’t at instant speed, it encourages a playstyle that favors instant-speed interactions. By complicating combat for the opponent, it allows you more freedom to reserve mana for instant speed responses rather than deploying threats prematurely.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Halls of Mist requires a strategic approach, as it can disrupt your hand. Since it asks players to skip their next untap step unless they discard a card, this requirement could significantly hamper your resources, particularly if your hand is already depleted.

Specific Mana Cost: The card comes with a mana cost that is not only color-specific but also somewhat unwieldy. It demands two blue mana plus one of any color, making it less flexible for decks that aren’t heavily invested in blue mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although the effect of potentially stalling opponents can be beneficial, the three total mana to deploy Halls of Mist is substantial. This cost is higher when considering other cards in the same mana range may provide more immediate and powerful effects on the game state.

Reasons to Include Halls of Mist in Your Collection

Versatility: Halls of Mist can function as a control element in various deck types, effectively stalling opponents and slowing down fast-paced aggressive strategies. Its role in limiting combat provides a distinct tactical advantage.

Combo Potential: In combination with cards that penalize untapped lands or benefit from land abilities, Halls of Mist can be part of powerful control combos, manipulating board states in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: With ever-shifting game environments, control decks tend to ebb and flow in popularity. In metas dominated by creature-heavy decks, Halls of Mist gains relevance by hindering opponent attacks, offering a strategic edge in such matchups.

How to beat

Halls of Mist is one of those Magic: The Gathering cards with a freezing effect, capable of slowing down the battlefield to a glacial pace. Players encounter this infamous Ice Age enchantment that prevents creatures from attacking after they’ve been used. While this might seem daunting at first, there are workarounds to this seemingly impenetrable mist.

Firstly, consider using untap mechanics or strategies that bypass the need for attacking, such as direct damage spells or abilities that cause loss of life without requiring combat. Cards that can untap your creatures or grant them vigilance will also nullify the Halls of Mist’s effect, allowing you to maintain aggressive tactics.

Moreover, decks rich in removal spells can clear the path, removing the enchantment from play. Look for cards that can directly destroy or return enchantments to their owner’s hand. Lastly, using alternative win conditions that don’t rely on creature attacks can be an effective means to secure a victory despite the icy hindrance Halls of Mist presents on the battlefield.

Cards like Halls of Mist

Halls of Mist stands out in the realm of land cards within Magic the Gathering. It shares its primary function as a mana source with other lands like Maze of Ith, which also deviates from the norm by providing a unique control element rather than producing mana. While both serve to disrupt opponents’ strategies, Halls of Mist imposes a cumulative upkeep cost that can escalate quickly, making it a double-edged sword in longer matches. Maze of Ith lacks this, offering repeated use without an ongoing cost.

Similarly, Ice Floe is another land with a disruptive ability; it prevents creatures without flying or islandwalk from untapping. Like Halls of Mist, its utility lies in control, but without any upkeep cost, allowing for consistent performance throughout the game. On the other hand, Halls of Mist can delay all attack phases, impacting the game more broadly, but at the potential cost of valuable resources.

Assessing Halls of Mist against these similar cards reveals its niche role in control-focused decks within MTG. Its ability to affect the entire battlefield can be quite powerful, but players must weigh this against the rising upkeep cost that comes with such an impactful land card.

Cards similar to Halls of Mist by color, type and mana cost

Terramorphic Expanse - MTG Card versions

Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx - MTG Card versions

Temple of the False God - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Halls of Mist MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age, 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 Halls of Mist and other MTG cards: