Thelon's Chant MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment |
| Released | 1994-11-01 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Fallen Empires |
| Set code | FEM |
| Number | 76 |
| Frame | 1993 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Melissa A. Benson |
Text of card
During your upkeep, pay o G or bury Thelon's Chant. Whenever a player puts a swamp into play, Thelon's Chant deals 3 damage to him or her unless that player puts a -1/-1 counter on a target creature he or she controls.
Cards like Thelon's Chant
Thelon’s Chant steps into the enchantment spectrum of Magic the Gathering as an intriguing green card. It’s often paralleled with cards like Elephant Grass which also generates hurdles for attackers. Thelon’s Chant unique-taxes opponents for attacking without green creatures, adding a strategic layer to defending. Elephant Grass inhibits nonblack creatures from attacking unless their controllers pay an additional cost – similarities that echo the deterrence approach of Thelon’s Chant.
Another similar enchantment is Propaganda in the blue realm, compelling adversaries to pay mana for each creature they attack with, which aligns with Thelon’s Chant’s theme of costly invasions. Despite the color difference, the core concept of taxing opponents remains intact, though Propaganda is broader, affecting all creatures regardless of color. Then, there’s Ghostly Prison, which mirrors Propaganda’s effects within white color boundaries, confirming a widespread strategy across different MTG shades.
To pivot into nuanced gameplay, Thelon’s Chant brings more than just defensive value. It strengthens the thematic presence of green’s nature-centric and defender’s might, giving it a distinguished placement amongst enchantments that challenge opponents’ offensive strategies.
Cards similar to Thelon's Chant by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Thelon’s Chant can repeatedly thwart your opponent’s creature strategies, effectively disrupting their board presence and decreasing the overall advantage they may have worked to build up.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, Thelon’s Chant can indirectly contribute to resource acceleration by minimizing the number of threats you need to address with other spells, thus allowing you to allocate your resources elsewhere more efficiently.
Instant Speed: This enchantment operates passively once on the battlefield, providing continuous ‘at speed’ disruption every turn, without the need to allocate mana or actions, unlike typical instant spells that have a one-time effect.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Thelon’s Chant necessitates the disposal of a green card upon activation, potentially depleting your hand of valuable resources or combo pieces that are critical for game progression.
Specific Mana Cost: With a precise cost demanding both green and white mana, this card can sometimes be a challenge to cast, especially in multicolored decks that may not always have the right mana available at the crucial moment.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: At three mana, which includes one green and two of any other color, Thelon’s Chant can be a costly investment, especially considering that other cards at a similar or lower cost could provide more immediate impact or board presence.
Reasons to Include Thelon’s Chant in Your Collection
Versatility: Thelon’s Chant offers a unique toolbox for green-themed decks, allowing you to tailor your responses to opponents’ graveyard strategies, which is vital for formats rich in reanimation tactics.
Combo Potential: For enthusiasts of intricate interactions, Thelon’s Chant presents opportunities to manipulate both your own and your opponents’ graveyards, setting the stage for powerful plays when combined with cards affecting creature cards in graveyards.
Meta-Relevance: In a playing field where graveyard-centric decks flourish, Thelon’s Chant becomes a strategic sideboard option, disrupting popular engines and giving you the edge in a competitive landscape.
How to beat
Thelon’s Chant is an enchantment that can somewhat complicate the battlefield for many MTG players. Its unique ability forces players to sacrifice a creature unless they pay an additional green mana, which can disrupt multiple strategies, especially those that rely on creature swarm tactics. The initial approach to countering this card involves effective mana management to ensure that you can pay the additional cost when needed.
Another strategy to consider is utilizing spells that can remove enchantments directly from the battlefield. Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant, which can target and destroy enchantments, become essential tools in your arsenal when facing Thelon’s Chant. Additionally, countering the spell before it hits the field with cards like Counterspell or Negate ensures that Thelon’s Chant never becomes an obstacle. It’s also beneficial to focus on decks that are less creature-heavy, leveraging indirect ways of dealing damage or winning the game, making the chant’s effect less detrimental to your strategy.
Ultimately, when confronting Thelon’s Chant, the key lies in preparation and adaptation. Whether by paying the extra mana cost, using enchantment removal, or circumventing creature-based play, there are multiple pathways to overcome this particular challenge and maintain the upper hand in your matches.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Thelon's Chant MTG card by a specific set like Fallen Empires, 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 Thelon's Chant and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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
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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Thelon's Chant has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Thelon's Chant card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | Damages the player putting the land onto the battlefield, even if they are not the controller of the land after it is on the battlefield. |