Break the Ice MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Overload |
| Released | 2021-06-18 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Modern Horizons 2 |
| Set code | MH2 |
| Number | 77 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Nicholas Gregory |
Key Takeaways
- Break the Ice can create card advantage by depleting opponents’ mana via multiple land removal.
- Its instant speed lets players disrupt strategies decisively, gaining an upper hand in duels.
- While powerful, it requires careful deck construction to accommodate its specific mana needs.
Text of card
Destroy target land that is snow or could produce . Overload (You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change "target" in its text to "each.")
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When you cast Break the Ice, it can potentially remove multiple lands from the battlefield. This deprives opponents of crucial mana sources and can lead to card advantage if they’re forced to discard due to having too many cards in hand at the end of their turn.
Resource Acceleration: By dismantling an opponent’s mana base, you indirectly accelerate your own resources. This is because your opponent could potentially miss out on key plays, giving you the time to build your board and leverage your mana effectively.
Instant Speed: The ability to play Break the Ice at instant speed offers great flexibility, allowing you to react to your opponent’s actions or end-of-turn decisions. This timing can disrupt their strategy and further cement your lead in the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Activating Break the Ice requires players to discard a card, which can deplete hand resources, particularly when you’re searching for answers or need to maintain card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a clear snow mana, necessitating a specific deck build tailored around the snow mechanic, which can be restrictive and not always synergistic with your deck’s broader strategy.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its somewhat steep mana requirement, Break the Ice might not always provide the tempo advantage needed, especially when compared to other lower-cost removal options available in the game.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Break the Ice is a flexible card that can be a good fit in multiple deck archetypes, particularly those looking to manage opposing manabases. It can remove problematic snow lands, which is handy in formats where those are prevalent.
Combo Potential: This card can be part of a land destruction strategy, paving the way to lock opponents out of crucial mana sources. Its synergies with other land disruption mechanics can create formidable combos.
Meta-Relevance: Break the Ice shines in environments where snow lands are dominant, offering targeted removal that can tilt the game in your favor. With an uptick in snow land play, having this card on hand could provide a key strategic advantage.
How to beat
Break the Ice is a potent tool in Magic: The Gathering designed to disrupt opponents’ resources, specifically targeting snow lands. This card presents a unique challenge in MTG gameplay as it can remove critical mana sources and slow down an opponent’s game plan significantly. To counter this card effectively, a robust strategy is to minimize reliance on snow lands, thus rendering the spell less impactful. Diversifying the land base to include various non-snow lands can mitigate the potential damage caused by Break the Ice.
Another effective method is to employ instant-speed land search spells that can replace the targeted land almost immediately. This can help maintain the necessary mana to execute your strategy without a significant setback. Additionally, running countermeasures like counterspells or using land protection spells can also be a solid defense. These reactive plays can prevent Break the Ice from resolving or protect your invaluable land from being destroyed.
Ultimately, the key to overcoming Break the Ice lies in anticipation and preparation. By crafting a deck that either downplays the importance of snow lands or implements protective measures, you can ensure that this disruptive card doesn’t break your momentum or lock you out of the game.
Cards like Break the Ice
Break the Ice is an intriguing removal option in the realm of MTG’s vast collection of spells. Its most notable counterpart is arguably Sinkhole, which similarly destroys land. Both cards share the ability to disrupt an opponent’s mana base, but Break the Ice also has the perk of costing less mana to cast. Its added advantage comes into play when targeting snow lands, since it can be overloaded to affect each one an opponent controls.
Comparatively, we have Molten Rain, which is another land destruction card, but with a twist—dealing two damage to that land’s controller. Although more expensive than Break the Ice, the extra impact on an opponent’s life total can’t be overlooked. Then Crystalize enters the fray, also designed to make lands crumble. Though it carries a similar overload functionality, Crystalize’s niche lies in transforming lands into insignificant creatures, rather than outright destroying them.
Considering all aspects, Break the Ice reveals its strength in more mana-efficient strategies, while offering formidable play against snow land-heavy decks. For players facing a frosty board, Break the Ice might just be the strategic thawing agent they need.
Cards similar to Break the Ice by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Break the Ice MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons 2, 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 Break the Ice and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Break the Ice has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Break the Ice card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-06-18 | A land “is snow” if it has the snow supertype. |
| 2021-06-18 | Break the Ice cares about what kind of mana could be produced by abilities of a land, even if that ability couldn't currently be activated. For example, a land with “: Add ” is still a legal target even if it is currently tapped. |
