Chill of the Grave MTG Card

Chill of the Grave - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)

Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)
2021-11-19 - Number 51

Chill of the Grave - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)

Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)
2022-01-28 - Number 318

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant

Key Takeaways

Can significantly alter tempo by bouncing creatures and delaying opponent’s plans, especially at instant speed.
Ideal for decks that leverage tapping and untapping mechanics, enhancing its strategic value and versatility.
Against aggressive decks, it serves as a crucial card to control the board and maintain defensive stability.

Text of card

This spell costs less to cast if you control a Zombie. Tap target creature. It doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step. Draw a card.

Frozen is frozen, whether it's with cold, terror, or both.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Enables you to return a creature to its owner’s hand, potentially negating your opponent’s plays and potentially leaving them with one less card on the board. This can disrupt their strategy and give you the upper hand during the game.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing mana or tokens, by stalling your opponent’s threat, it can effectively buy you time to build up your resources and execute your game plan without immediate pressure.

Instant Speed: Given its instant speed, Chill of the Grave provides the flexibility to respond to an opponent’s actions or threats at a crucial moment, making it a versatile tool in ensuring you maintain control of the game tempo.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Demanding that you discard another card to cast Chill of the Grave can be a trade-off, particularly when your hand is already depleted of important cards. This requirement forces players to weigh the immediate board impact against potential future disadvantages.

Specific Mana Cost: Chill of the Grave requires a precise mana set-up to cast, which is one blue and one black mana. This could be a stumbling block in decks that are not finely tuned to produce these two colors consistently, potentially causing delays or casting issues.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While freezing a creature can be tactically significant, dedicating two mana to this card might be costly compared to other options available. Players must consider if the effect justifies the slot in their deck when there might be more flexible or less expensive spells that fit better in a game plan.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Chill of the Grave is adaptable, easily slipping into decks that aim to control the tempo and delay opponents’ plans. With its ability to tap a creature, it can be crucial in swinging the momentum in your favor.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes with decks focused on tapping and untapping creatures or with those that capitalize on frozen states, such as a deck built around the mechanic “frostbite”. Its potential to set up crippling combos should not be underestimated.

Meta-Relevance: Considering a fast-paced meta where aggressive creatures dominate, Chill of the Grave can be a tactical asset. It can effectively stall formidable attackers, giving you the upper hand in maintaining board control and leading to strategic victories against swift offensive decks.

How to beat

Chill of the Grave brings a distinct tactical edge to control decks in the MTG universe, with its ability to tap an opponent’s creature and prevent it from untapping during the next untap step. This can be a thorn in the side for strategies that rely heavily on certain creatures’ actions each turn. Defending against Chill of the Grave involves maintaining a diverse battlefield presence, having multiple creatures at your disposal to mitigate the impact of one being temporarily out of commission.

Utilizing instant-speed spells that can be cast during the opponent’s turn to untap your creature or spells that provide hexproof can render Chill of the Grave ineffective. Another approach is to focus on cards with the vigilance ability, which allows them to avoid being tapped when attacking, thus negating the cardi’s holding power. Moreover, having cards on hand that can counter spells or abilities can directly negate the Chill of the Grave, preserving your battlefield as planned.

Ultimately, Chill of the Grave is a card that requires strategic planning to overcome. Incorporating a blend of versatility, protection, and counterplay in your deck can ensure that its icy grip doesn’t freeze your path to victory.

Cards like Chill of the Grave

Chill of the Grave is part of an intriguing group of ice-themed Magic: The Gathering control cards. It bears similarity to cards like Frost Breath, which also taps creatures and prevents them from untapping during the next untap step. Yet, Chill of the Grave has the unique kicker cost that, when paid, returns the creature to its owner’s hand, a nuance not found in Frost Breath’s straightforward tap effect.

Another card that resonates with this theme is Chilling Grasp. Like Chill of the Grave, Chilling Grasp prevents tapped creatures from untapping, but it impacts two creatures at a time. However, Chill of the Grave’s ability to potentially clear the opponent’s creature from the battlefield with its kicker option gives it a slight edge in terms of versatility.

Considering these aspects, Chill of the Grave stands out within its niche, combining the utility of tapping an opponent’s creature with the kicker feature that provides an additional bounce effect, offering strategic advantages in gameplay that can disrupt your opponent’s board presence.

Cards similar to Chill of the Grave by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Chill of the Grave MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Crimson Vow and Innistrad: Double Feature, 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 Chill of the Grave and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Chill of the Grave Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-11-19 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Olivier Bernard.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2021-11-19	Innistrad: Crimson Vow	VOW		51	2015	Normal	Black	Olivier Bernard
2	2022-01-28	Innistrad: Double Feature	DBL		318	2015	Normal	Black	Olivier Bernard

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Chill of the Grave has restrictions

Format	Legality
Standard	Legal
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Future	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2021-11-19	Chill of the Grave costs less to cast if you control any Zombies at all. It doesn't cost less for each Zombie you control. If you control more than one Zombie, the spell still costs less to cast.