Chaos Wand MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeArtifact

Key Takeaways

  1. Chaos Wand may create card advantage by utilizing opponents’ libraries and spells during matches.
  2. It can accelerate resource usage despite a mana cost for activation, offering strategic flexibility.
  3. Instant-speed activation allows surprise tactics, though it requires careful mana management.

Text of card

, : Target opponent exiles cards from the top of their library until they exile an instant or sorcery card. You may cast that card without paying its mana cost. Then put the exiled cards that weren't cast this way on the bottom of that library in a random order.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Chaos Wand lets you dig into your opponent’s library and potentially cast their spells. This can lead to a significant card advantage as you utilize their resources while preserving your own spells.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing mana, using Chaos Wand can circumvent mana costs of high-value spells on top of your opponents’ libraries, effectively accelerating your resource utilization without tapping into your mana pool.

Instant Speed: The activation of Chaos Wand can be done at instant speed, providing flexibility and surprise factor. You can wait until the end of your opponent’s turn to use it, thereby keeping your options open and responding tactically to the game’s progression.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike some powerful artifacts, Chaos Wand requires a player to discard cards under certain circumstances, leading to potential card disadvantage, especially when you’re striving to maintain options in hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Playing Chaos Wand demands a specific investment of three generic mana to cast and four to activate, making it somewhat rigid in turns where mana flexibility could be decisive.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Chaos Wand’s activation can be a game-changer, its steep four-mana activation cost is significant. Particularly when considering alternatives that might allow for a more efficient use of mana or provide more consistent board impact.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Chaos Wand is a unique artifact that can seamlessly slot into any deck with its universal mana activation cost. Its ability to cast spells from your opponents’ decks adds an element of surprise and adaptability.

Combo Potential: This card thrives in environments where spell synergies are key. It has the power to turn every activation into an opportunity, possibly leading to unexpected and game-changing combos.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the diverse formats of MTG, Chaos Wand holds a place in metas where opponents’ spellbooks are loaded with impactful instants and sorceries, making it a valuable tool to turn the tides of battle.


How to beat

Chaos Wand stands out as an intriguing artifact in Magic: The Gathering, offering players a method to cast spells from opponents’ decks, potentially shifting the tides of a game. Understanding how to circumvent Chaos Wand’s chaotic effects during a match is crucial. To neutralize Chaos Wand, consider running cards that grant you control over your own deck such as Grafdigger’s Cage, which prevents cards in graveyards and libraries from being cast. Another strategy is to deploy targeted removal spells on Chaos Wand itself, such as Abrade, ensuring the artifact never gets the chance to activate.

Counterspells also play a pivotal role, allowing you to negate the spell cast through Chaos Wand without directly interacting with the artifact. Instant-speed answers such as Disenchant or Naturalize provide flexibility in handling the artifact threat on your terms. Playing proactive and keeping mana available for instant-speed responses will keep the unpredictability of Chaos Wand in check and maintain the pace of the game in your favor.

By incorporating these defensive measures into your deck, the advantage Chaos Wand seeks to offer its wielder can be substantially dampened, if not entirely removed, helping you to preserve your strategy and secure victory in your matches.


BurnMana Recommendations

For those intrigued by the potential of Chaos Wand to disrupt the battlefield, consider the broader implications it has on your strategy. It requires not just mana investment, but an appetite for variability and an acceptance of high-stakes gameplay. As you weigh the pros and cons, the versatility and the combo potential it offers can make it a game-changer in the right deck. Interested in finding out how Chaos Wand can twist the odds in your favor? Delve deeper with us as we explore strategies and decks that can harness the unpredictability of this artifact to its utmost potential, transforming an ordinary match into an extraordinary victory.


Cards like Chaos Wand

Chaos Wand is a unique artifact in the MTG universe that resonates with players who love unpredictability and excitement. Its closest kin might be seen in artifacts like Isochron Scepter, which also allows you to cast spells without paying their mana costs. Unlike the Scepter, Chaos Wand doesn’t require imprinting and gives you the thrill of casting from your opponent’s deck, broadening the potential range of effects at your disposal.

When examining other artifacts, Aetherflux Reservoir comes to mind, albeit serving a different purpose. The Reservoir rewards you for playing numerous spells, allowing you to gain life and, eventually, zap an opponent with a single, massive shot of damage. Though not rooted in the randomness of Chaos Wand, it does share the potential for massive game swings.

Ultimately, Chaos Wand holds a unique position in MTG. It’s an artifact that invites chaos into every match, turning games on their heads with its capability to exploit your adversary’s own arsenal against them. For those who play to stir the pot and relish the unexpected, Chaos Wand is a solid inclusion in any deck that values versatility and the element of surprise.

Isochron Scepter - MTG Card versions
Aetherflux Reservoir - MTG Card versions
Isochron Scepter - Mirrodin (MRD)
Aetherflux Reservoir - Kaladesh Promos (PKLD)

Cards similar to Chaos Wand by color, type and mana cost

Celestial Prism - MTG Card versions
Ebony Horse - MTG Card versions
Runed Arch - MTG Card versions
Bösium Strip - MTG Card versions
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Jalum Tome - MTG Card versions
Static Orb - MTG Card versions
Patchwork Gnomes - MTG Card versions
The Stasis Coffin - MTG Card versions
Captain's Hook - MTG Card versions
Wall of Spears - MTG Card versions
Spellweaver Helix - MTG Card versions
Scale of Chiss-Goria - MTG Card versions
Lightning Coils - MTG Card versions
Vedalken Shackles - MTG Card versions
Loxodon Warhammer - MTG Card versions
Sword of Feast and Famine - MTG Card versions
Training Drone - MTG Card versions
Pristine Talisman - MTG Card versions
Celestial Prism - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Ebony Horse - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Runed Arch - Ice Age (ICE)
Bösium Strip - Weatherlight (WTH)
Clay Pigeon - Unglued (UGL)
Ashnod's Altar - The Brothers' War Retro Artifacts (BRR)
Jalum Tome - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Static Orb - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Patchwork Gnomes - Odyssey (ODY)
The Stasis Coffin - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Captain's Hook - Rivals of Ixalan Promos (PRIX)
Wall of Spears - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Spellweaver Helix - Mirrodin (MRD)
Scale of Chiss-Goria - Mirrodin (MRD)
Lightning Coils - Mirrodin (MRD)
Vedalken Shackles - Kaladesh Inventions (MPS)
Loxodon Warhammer - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Sword of Feast and Famine - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Training Drone - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Pristine Talisman - New Phyrexia Promos (PNPH)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Chaos Wand MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2019 and Core Set 2019 Promos, 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 Chaos Wand and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Chaos Wand Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2018-07-13 and 2022-06-10. Illustrated by Kari Christensen.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-07-13Core Set 2019M19 2282015normalblackKari Christensen
22018-07-13Core Set 2019 PromosPM19 228s2015normalblackKari Christensen
32021-07-23Forgotten Realms CommanderAFC 2012015normalblackKari Christensen
42022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 8552015normalblackKari Christensen

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Chaos Wand has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2018-07-13 If the exiled card has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.
2018-07-13 If the opponent exiles their entire library without exiling an instant or sorcery card, that player stops exiling cards, and the exiled cards are put into their library in a random order.
2018-07-13 If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, such as that of Tormenting Voice, those must be paid to cast the card.
2018-07-13 If you don't cast the exiled instant or sorcery card, it's put on the bottom of that library with the other cards.
2018-07-13 If you wish to cast the exiled card, you must cast it while Chaos Wand's ability is resolving. You can't cast it later in the turn. A spell cast this way may be cast at a time you normally wouldn't be able to cast a spell of that type, but other restrictions (such as “Cast this spell only during combat”) are enforced.
2018-07-13 The opponent stops exiling cards as soon as they exile any instant or sorcery card. You don't choose which card type to look for.

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