Channel MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 18 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Channel turns life into mana, potentially speeding up powerful plays and outpacing enemy setups.
  2. Instant speed mana from Channel enables surprise plays and complex in-game tactics during any turn.
  3. Channel demands discard and specific mana types, which can limit its utility in certain deck builds.

Text of card

Until end of turn, you may add colorless mana to your mana pool for 1 life each. These additions are played with the speed of an interrupt. Life spent this way is not considered damage.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Channel provides a unique edge by allowing you to exchange life points for mana, potentially drawing you into a powerful spell or combo much earlier in the game than expected. This can overwhelm your opponents with a sudden influx of resources while they’re still setting up their board.

Resource Acceleration: The mana gained from Channel can be a game-changer, instantly accelerating your resource pool. This can lead to casting high-cost spells way ahead of the normal mana curve, giving you a critical tempo boost against your adversaries.

Instant Speed: While Channel itself is not an instant, the resources it provides you with can be used right away, including during your opponent’s turn. This freedom opens up a host of strategic instant-speed plays that might otherwise be unavailable due to mana constraints, keeping your opponents guessing and on their toes.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Channel card stipulates that the player must discard a card, which can backfire when working with a tight hand. Losing a potential resource can lead to diminished in-game options, especially in high-stakes scenarios where every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Channel requires an exact pairing of mana types to cast, narrowing its flexibility. This specificity in mana cost means that decks not running green could find the card incompatible with their strategy, limiting its overall versatility across various builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Channel does offer a unique benefit, its mana cost, at two green mana, might be deemed steep compared to other ramp or mana-fixing options available to players. The investment into Channel could potentially be allocated to resources that provide a more immediate or impactful advantage to the state of play.


Reasons to Include Channel in Your Collection

Versatility: Channel is a powerful card that allows for instant access to a large amount of mana, giving you the flexibility to quickly deploy high-cost spells, creatures, or activate abilities that could change the tide of the game.

Combo Potential: As a classic combo enabler, Channel works with numerous cards to create potent interactions. It pairs especially well with cards that can use life as a resource or benefit from big mana plays—think Eldrazi titans or game-ending X spells.

Meta-Relevance: In formats where it’s legal, Channel can define the meta by enabling fast wins. A well-timed Channel can outpace many slower, grindier decks, securing a victory before opponents can establish their board presence or defenses.


How to beat

Channel is a potent card known for its ability to unlock vast amounts of mana, enabling game-winning moves. This green sorcery allows a player to pay 1 life for each colorless mana, potentially casting powerful spells much earlier than usual. To counteract Channel, strategic removal of key cards is essential. Hand disruption tactics such as Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek can preemptively remove Channel before it’s played.

Counterspells are also an effective measure against this card, with options like Negate or Counterspell ready to stop it from resolving. Graveyard strategies can be thwarted using cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void, preventing any potential from graveyard recursion. Moreover, maintaining pressure with a fast-paced aggressive deck can limit the window in which Channel can be effectively used, making it more of a liability for its player. Vigilance in the early game coupled with ready responses ensures your opponent’s channels of mana do not lead to an untimely defeat.

In sum, overcoming the challenge presented by Channel involves a mix of foresight, deck building decisions, and opportune play execution, confirming the rich tactical landscape of MTG.


Cards like Channel

Channel is a unique card in the pantheon of Magic: The Gathering’s mana acceleration spells. To begin with, it shares space with cards like Black Lotus for its potential to deliver an explosive amount of resources in a single turn. However, unlike the no cost payout from Black Lotus, Channel requires payment in life points equal to the mana generated. This trade-off can be both a powerful advantage and a risky maneuver.

Exploring further, we find Mana Vault, another card that provides a considerable mana boost – albeit, it’s a colorless one. While Mana Vault doesn’t demand life as a resource, it incrementally saps one’s life if not untapped. In comparison, Channel’s life payment is upfront, offering a burst of green mana at a fixed and immediate cost. Lastly, there is the renowned Elvish Spirit Guide, which can be exiled from hand for one green mana. It presents a more conservative approach by providing a smaller yet safer mana increase without the need for a life exchange.

In the realm of MTG, while each card has its pros and cons, Channel’s capacity to unlock formidable mana while trading with one’s own life points undoubtedly places it in a distinctive spot among the game’s various quick mana generation strategies.

Black Lotus - MTG Card versions
Mana Vault - MTG Card versions
Elvish Spirit Guide - MTG Card versions
Black Lotus - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Mana Vault - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Elvish Spirit Guide - Alliances (ALL)

Cards similar to Channel by color, type and mana cost

Regrowth - MTG Card versions
Superior Numbers - MTG Card versions
Summer Bloom - MTG Card versions
Rampant Growth - MTG Card versions
Elven Rite - MTG Card versions
Verdant Touch - MTG Card versions
Canopy Surge - MTG Card versions
Gaea's Blessing - MTG Card versions
Monstrous Growth - MTG Card versions
Nostalgic Dreams - MTG Card versions
Nylea's Intervention - MTG Card versions
Sylvan Scrying - MTG Card versions
Wildcall - MTG Card versions
Revive - MTG Card versions
Weird Harvest - MTG Card versions
Farseek - MTG Card versions
Nature's Lore - MTG Card versions
Living Wish - MTG Card versions
Explore - MTG Card versions
Nature's Spiral - MTG Card versions
Regrowth - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Superior Numbers - Mirage (MIR)
Summer Bloom - Double Masters 2022 (2X2)
Rampant Growth - Fallout (PIP)
Elven Rite - Stronghold (STH)
Verdant Touch - Stronghold (STH)
Canopy Surge - Invasion (INV)
Gaea's Blessing - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Monstrous Growth - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Nostalgic Dreams - Torment (TOR)
Nylea's Intervention - Theros Beyond Death Promos (PTHB)
Sylvan Scrying - Explorer Anthology 3 (EA3)
Wildcall - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Revive - Magic 2013 (M13)
Weird Harvest - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Farseek - Doctor Who (WHO)
Nature's Lore - Commander Masters (CMM)
Living Wish - Judge Gift Cards 2008 (G08)
Explore - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)
Nature's Spiral - Magic 2011 (M11)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Channel MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Channel and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Channel Magic the Gathering card was released in 16 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-08-05Limited Edition AlphaLEA 1881993normalblackRichard Thomas
21993-10-04Limited Edition BetaLEB 1891993normalblackRichard Thomas
31993-12-01Unlimited Edition2ED 1891993normalwhiteRichard Thomas
41993-12-10Collectors' EditionCED 1891993normalblackRichard Thomas
51993-12-10Intl. Collectors' EditionCEI 1891993normalblackRichard Thomas
61994-04-01Foreign Black BorderFBB 1881993normalblackRichard Thomas
71994-04-01Revised Edition3ED 1881993normalwhiteRichard Thomas
81994-06-21Summer Magic / EdgarSUM 1881993normalwhiteRichard Thomas
91995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 2361993normalwhiteRichard Thomas
101995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 2361993normalblackRichard Thomas
112009-08-28From the Vault: ExiledV09 32003normalblackRebecca Guay
122011-01-10Masters Edition IVME4 1451997normalblackRichard Thomas
132014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 2002015normalblackRebecca Guay
142017-11-17Iconic MastersIMA 1572015normalblackRebecca Guay
152021-04-23Strixhaven Mystical ArchiveSTA 1132015normalborderlessShie Nanahara
162021-04-23Strixhaven Mystical ArchiveSTA 502015normalborderlessKristina Collantes
172022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 4811997normalblackRichard Thomas
182022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 1842015normalblackRichard Thomas

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Channel has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolRestricted
HistoricbrawlBanned
CommanderBanned
HistoricBanned
LegacyBanned
OathbreakerBanned
PremodernBanned
VintageRestricted
DuelBanned
PredhBanned
GladiatorLegal
TimelessRestricted

Rules and information

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

DateText
2017-11-17 Once your life total is 0, you can't pay any more life, even if you've somehow not lost the game yet.

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