Ion Storm MTG Card

Fifth Dawn (5DN)
2004-06-04 - Number 68

Double Masters (2XM)
2020-08-07 - Number 132

Ion Storm - March of the Machine Commander (MOC)

March of the Machine Commander (MOC)
2023-04-21 - Number 286

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment

Key Takeaways

Allows direct damage using charge counters, providing card advantage and strategic battlefield manipulation.
Demands careful deck construction due to specific mana cost and discard requirement for activation.
High combo potential and meta-relevance make it a versatile pick for counter-focused MTG decks.

Text of card

, Remove a +1/+1 counter or a charge counter from a permanent you control: Ion Storm deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

When enough artifacts lie too long in the same place, their magical radiation weakens reality, opening rifts of unpredictable destructive power.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With the ability to remove charge counters and deal damage directly to any target, Ion Storm can manipulate the battlefield while keeping your hand replenished with the right synergies.

Resource Acceleration: By leveraging artifacts with charge counters, Ion Storm exponentially increases the potential for resource acceleration, capitalizing on the proliferation of counters to achieve a commanding position.

Instant Speed: While Ion Storm is an enchantment, it operates at instant speed in terms of its activation, allowing for surprise interactions and strategic plays during critical phases of the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Ion Storm necessitates discarding a card to activate its ability, putting players with fewer cards at hand at a strategic disadvantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Featuring both red and generic mana in its cost, this card demands a dedicated color commitment that could be restrictive in multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its higher energy investment relative to its potential damage output, players may find there are more cost-effective damage-dealing alternatives available.

Reasons to Include Ion Storm in Your Collection

Versatility: Ion Storm is a spell that can be adapted to a variety of strategies. It can manage counters not just on creatures, but on any permanent, granting you flexibility in controlling the board and making the most out of your own counter-based mechanics.

Combo Potential: This card has significant combo potential in decks that manipulate counters. With the right setup, Ion Storm turns your charge counters, +1/+1 counters, and other counter types into direct damage, potentially deciding the outcome of the game.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that heavily favors counter interactions or features numerous planeswalkers, Ion Storm can become an indispensable tool. Its ability to target anything with counters ensures its relevance in dealing with various threats that may arise within changing game environments.

How to Beat Ion Storm

Ion Storm is one of those intriguing red enchantments in MTG capable of turning charged artifacts or creatures into a source of direct damage. With every counter being a potential point of damage, the card can be quite a threat. Especially in formats like EDH where proliferation effects and charge counters run rampant, Ion Storm can rapidly become a centerpiece in a damage-dealing strategy.

To successfully navigate around Ion Storm, focus on counteracting its mechanics. First, manage the number of counters on the battlefield by minimizing the artifacts and creatures that utilize them. Efficient artifact removal spells such as Disenchant or Nature’s Claim can dismantle an opponent’s setup. Furthermore, introducing hexproof or shroud effects can protect your own permanents from becoming targets of the Ion Storm’s ability. Also, countering Ion Storm upon casting or utilizing card effects that restrict enchantment activations can be key defenses, with cards like Counterspell or Linvala, Keeper of Silence being among the various ways to stop it in its tracks.

Ultimately, staying one step ahead of the game and controlling the board state makes Ion Storm manageable. Counter measures and protective spells are your best allies against this charged engine of destruction.

Cards like Ion Storm

Ion Storm is an intriguing enchantment in the Magic: The Gathering realm, sharing similarities with cards that manipulate +1/+1 counters. An excellent comparison can be made to Power Conduit, which also manipulates these counters, but rather than dealing damage, it turns them into charge counters for further usage. Ion Storm distinguishes itself with its direct damage ability, providing a strategic advantage in removing key creatures or closing out games.

Moving over to cards like Culling Dais, here we witness another variant that interacts with counters, yet its focus lies in sacrificing creatures to accumulate charge counters, ultimately drawing cards. Unlike Ion Storm, Culling Dais plays a longer-term strategy, focusing on card advantage instead of immediate impact. Contrastingly, Ion Storm is more aggressive, aiming to translate those built-up counters into direct damage, offering a different angle of utility.

To sum up, while there are various cards in Magic: The Gathering that deal with counters, Ion Storm holds a unique position. It cleverly converts investments in creature growth into potential player removal or creature control, making it a distinct and potentially game-altering card in its own right.

Cards similar to Ion Storm by color, type and mana cost

Curse of Hospitality - MTG Card versions

Anax, Hardened in the Forge - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ion Storm MTG card by a specific set like Fifth Dawn and Double Masters, 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 Ion Storm and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ion Storm Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2004-06-04 and 2023-04-21. Illustrated by Michael Sutfin.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2004-06-04	Fifth Dawn	5DN	68	2003	Normal	Black	Michael Sutfin
2	2020-08-07	Double Masters	2XM	132	2015	Normal	Black	Michael Sutfin
3	2023-04-21	March of the Machine Commander	MOC	286	2015	Normal	Black	Michael Sutfin