Chancellor of the Dross MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 7 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Phyrexian Vampire |
| Abilities | Flying,Lifelink |
| Released | 2011-05-13 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | New Phyrexia |
| Set code | NPH |
| Power | 6 |
| Toughness | 6 |
| Number | 54 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Stephan Martiniere |
Key Takeaways
- Initiates a life total discrepancy early in the game, offering a strategic upper hand.
- Demands a specific mana base and careful deck construction to maximize its potential.
- Tool for lifegain strategies; its early game presence can be pivotal in black-centric decks.
Text of card
You may reveal this card from your opening hand. If you do, at the beginning of the first upkeep, each opponent loses 3 life, then you gain life equal to the life lost this way. Flying, lifelink
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Playing Chancellor of the Dross gives you an immediate edge by potentially inflicting life loss on the opponent while you gain life, setting a significant disparity in life totals. This difference can be thought of as virtual card advantage, putting you closer to winning without the need to draw extra cards.
Resource Acceleration: While Chancellor of the Dross itself doesn’t directly provide mana acceleration, starting with it in your opening hand enables a play from turn one without spending mana. This accelerates your resource usage by effectively being a free spell under the right circumstances, thus giving you a head start in the race for board and life total dominance.
Instant Speed: Although this vampire card does not operate at instant speed in the traditional sense, its ability to affect the game as early as the first upkeep before a single land has been played by either player imbues it with a sense of unexpected immediacy. This preemptive strike can disrupt your opponent’s strategy from the very beginning of the match, similar to the surprise factor often associated with instant speed spells.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One aspect to consider before including Chancellor of the Dross in your deck is its synergy with being discarded. While there is no direct discard requirement to play Chancellor of the Dross, its value might be diminished without synergistic mechanics that capitalize on discarding cards.
Specific Mana Cost: Costing three black mana, Chancellor of the Dross can be challenging to cast on curve, especially in decks with a diverse color palette. Ensuring the right mana base to play this card without delay can be tricky.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a seven-mana total cost, Chancellor of the Dross requires significant resources to cast from hand, effectively narrowing the window of opportunity to impact the game when compared to other life-swapping or draining spells.
Reasons to Include Chancellor of the Dross in Your Collection
Versatility: Chancellor of the Dross provides a unique edge as it can be useful right from the beginning of the game, with its ability to influence life totals before the first turn. This card fits well not only in lifegain-themed decks but also serves as an early game tactic in various black-based control or midrange decks.
Combo Potential: The card synergizes with strategies that capitalize on life total changes, such as with the Sanguine Bond and Exquisite Blood combo. Activating its ability from the opening hand or leveraging its lifelink in combat can set off a chain of advantageous interactions for a player.
Meta-Relevance: In metas where aggressive strategies are prevalent, starting with an increased life total can provide a critical buffer. Furthermore, its presence in graveyard-focused decks can add recurring value, making Chancellor of the Dross an adaptable choice for shifting competitive environments.
How to beat Chancellor of the Dross
Chancellor of the Dross presents a unique early game advantage in Magic: The Gathering by potentially providing a three-point life swing before the first turn. However, conquering this vampire card is not out of reach. A well-timed piece of removal, like Path to Exile or Fatal Push, can efficiently handle the Chancellor post-summon. Life gain strategies can also offset the early life loss, with cards such as Beacon of Immortality or Sphinx’s Revelation providing a significant cushion.
Combat-based decks might incorporate creatures with lifelink to balance the life totals as the game progresses. Moreover, graveyard hate cards such as Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void can preemptively counteract Chancellor’s opening ability and negate the life difference from the start. In essence, while Chancellor of the Dross undoubtedly requires attention, a deck equipped with precise answers and life stabilization tactics can readily navigate and outlast the challenges this card introduces.
Addressing threats promptly and maintaining composure is key. By using these strategies, players can turn the tides, neutralizing the impact of Chancellor of the Dross and gaining the upper hand in the duel.
Cards like Chancellor of the Dross
Chancellor of the Dross brings a unique early game advantage to black-aligned decks in Magic: The Gathering. It shares some common ground with Sorin Markov, another card that sets a player’s life total to a specific number. What makes Chancellor of the Dross stand out is its opening hand ability, allowing you to gain life points and drain your opponent before a single land has been played. Additionally, with its flying and lifelink abilities, it continues to impact the game once on the battlefield.
Exsanguinate is another card that traders might compare to Chancellor of the Dross due to its potential to cause a significant life swing. While Exsanguinate requires an investment of mana to be effective, Chancellor of the Dross can offensively realign life totals early on without mana costs. Then there’s Vona, Butcher of Magan, which also combines lifelink with damage dealing, but it lacks the surprise factor of Chancellor’s opening hand play and is constrained by a vigilant activation.
Chancellor of the Dross not only sets an impressive precedent with its initial hand ability, but also aligns with the ever-important strategy of life manipulation in MTG, making it a noteworthy choice for players leveraging black’s strengths in their deck construction.
Cards similar to Chancellor of the Dross by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Chancellor of the Dross MTG card by a specific set like New Phyrexia, 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 Chancellor of the Dross 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 Chancellor of the Dross has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Chancellor of the Dross card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-03-19 | A player’s “opening hand” is the hand of cards the player has after all players have taken mulligans. If players have any cards in hand that allow actions to be taken with them from a player’s opening hand, the starting player takes all such actions first in any order, followed by each other player in turn order. Then the first turn begins. |
