Icequake MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Disrupting mana with Icequake can give players a tactical edge by setting opponents back.
  2. Icequake’s specific mana cost and casting conditions influence deck building and strategy.
  3. Its utility against special lands makes Icequake a situational power play in your deck.

Text of card

Destroy target land. If that land is a snow-covered land, Icequake deals 1 damage to the land's controller.

"When the earth shakes, and their animals are swallowed up by the ground, perhaps they will think twice before attacking again." —Lim-Dûl, the Necromancer


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Icequake provides the opportunity to destroy an opponent’s land, effectively disrupting their mana base and potentially causing them to lose a critical resource, thus setting them back while you maintain your board state.

Resource Acceleration: While it doesn’t provide direct resource acceleration for the player who casts it, Icequake can hinder an opponent’s resource progression, giving the caster a relative acceleration in terms of available mana resources and board presence.

Instant Speed: Although Icequake is a sorcery, the strategic timing of its casting can be just as impactful as an instant. By playing this card at a key moment, such as just after an opponent has tapped out, you can severely set back their plans without worrying about immediate retaliation.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Icequake can disrupt your opponent by destroying a specific land type, it does not impose a discard condition on your opponent. However, it does prompt considerations about what you might have to discard from your own hand due to its specific mana cost and your need to manage resources effectively.

Specific Mana Cost: One of the limitations of Icequake is its specific mana cost, requiring one black mana and two of any color. This can result in potential mana matching issues, especially in multicolored decks that may not always have the necessary black mana when needed.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of three mana, including one black, Icequake’s land destruction comes at a sizeable investment. For such an essential effect, players might ponder if their mana could be better allocated towards advancing their own board presence rather than setting the opponent back.


Reasons to Include Icequake in Your Collection

Versatility: Icequake’s ability to destroy a land, specifically targeted at nonbasic or snow lands, makes it adaptable for both offensive and defensive strategies. It can be a valuable asset in disrupting your opponent’s mana base or removing pesky utility lands.

Combo Potential: This card can play a pivotal role in land destruction decks, amplifying the effect of other land control cards. By establishing a lock on the opponent’s resources, it can create opportunities for follow-up plays that lead your deck to victory.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where special lands often play a key role, Icequake can significantly tilt the scales in your favor. As land-based strategies can be prevalent, holding an answer to terrain-altering cards gives your deck an edge over the competition.


How to beat

Icequake, a classic from the cold lands of MTG’s history, carries the disruptive ability to destroy lands and throw a wrench in an opponent’s mana base. Dealing with this type of card requires a strategic defense and the knowledge to outmaneuver its chilling effect.

To effectively counteract Icequake, it’s essential to diversify your land types or utilize cards that can regenerate or recur lands from the graveyard to your hand or battlefield. Additionally, spells that protect lands from being targeted or grant indestructibility for the turn offer a shield against such targeted destruction. The game plan should include a rapid development of your own board to outpace the potential mana disruption Icequake brings.

In essence, resilience and recovery are key. By efficiently managing your resources and protecting your lands or rebounding from any destruction Icequake causes, you can neutralize its impact and keep your game plan on track, maintaining the upper hand in the realm of resource denial.


Cards like Icequake

Exploring the depths of destructive land spells in Magic: The Gathering, Icequake stands as a solid example. Its ability to destroy a land and cause a loss of life echoes the function of cards like Rain of Tears. Both spells serve to disrupt opponents’ mana bases, but Icequake’s additional life loss edge offers a slight advantage over the more widely known Rain of Tears.

When comparing to the more recent land destruction options, we stumble upon cards like Molten Rain. While Icequake deals with any land and chips away at life, Molten Rain targets non-basic lands and delivers direct damage instead. The choice between these spells often hinges on the nature of the land in the opponent’s deck and player preferences regarding damage versus life loss.

Reflecting on these alternatives, Icequake occupies a niche spot in MTG as a go-to card for players who appreciate the double whammy of land destruction accompanied by life reduction, a subtle difference that can sometimes tip the scales in a close-run game.

Rain of Tears - MTG Card versions
Molten Rain - MTG Card versions
Rain of Tears - Portal (POR)
Molten Rain - Mirrodin (MRD)

Cards similar to Icequake by color, type and mana cost

Darkpact - MTG Card versions
Demonic Attorney - MTG Card versions
Jovial Evil - MTG Card versions
Inquisition - MTG Card versions
Infernal Contract - MTG Card versions
Touch of Death - MTG Card versions
Call from the Grave - MTG Card versions
Wicked Pact - MTG Card versions
Nature's Ruin - MTG Card versions
Buried Alive - MTG Card versions
Choking Sands - MTG Card versions
Brush with Death - MTG Card versions
Perish - MTG Card versions
Stupor - MTG Card versions
Coercion - MTG Card versions
Hand of Death - MTG Card versions
Grim Tutor - MTG Card versions
Forced March - MTG Card versions
Midnight Ritual - MTG Card versions
Soul Burn - MTG Card versions
Darkpact - Revised Edition (3ED)
Demonic Attorney - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Jovial Evil - Legends (LEG)
Inquisition - The Dark (DRK)
Infernal Contract - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Touch of Death - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Call from the Grave - Astral Cards (PAST)
Wicked Pact - Starter 1999 (S99)
Nature's Ruin - Portal (POR)
Buried Alive - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
Choking Sands - World Championship Decks 1997 (WC97)
Brush with Death - Stronghold (STH)
Perish - The List (PLST)
Stupor - Arena League 2000 (PAL00)
Coercion - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Hand of Death - Starter 2000 (S00)
Grim Tutor - Core Set 2021 Promos (PM21)
Forced March - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Midnight Ritual - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Soul Burn - Invasion (INV)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Icequake 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 Icequake and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Icequake Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1995-06-03 and 2008-09-22. Illustrated by Richard Kane Ferguson.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11995-06-03Ice AgeICE 1341993normalblackRichard Kane Ferguson
22008-09-22Masters Edition IIME2 941997normalblackRichard Kane Ferguson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Icequake has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2006-10-15 Checks only on resolution to see if the land has the supertype snow; it’s not part of the targeting condition.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks