Chaos Moon MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment
Released	1995-06-03
Set symbol
Set name	Ice Age
Set code	ICE
Number	179
Frame	1993
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Drew Tucker

Key Takeaways

Chaos Moon can offer substantial card advantage and fluctuating red mana bonuses during upkeep.
While potent, it imposes discard conditions and requires a specific red mana investment.
It brings adaptability and combo potential, making it relevant in certain MTG metas.

Text of card

During each player's upkeep, count the number of permanents. If that number is odd, all red creatures get +1/+1 and mountains produce an additional o R when tapped for mana until end of turn. If the number is even, all red creatures get -1/-1 and mountains produce colorless mana instead of their normal mana until end of turn.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Chaos Moon can shift the balance of a game dramatically, offering fluctuating advantage each turn. Its ability can net you incremental benefits by manipulating the number of cards in hand, thus maximizing the potential for card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: The enchantment excels at creating dynamic resource acceleration. By monitoring the ebb and flow of your card count, you can control the red mana boost it provides, which can be quite substantial during your upkeep.

Instant Speed: Although Chaos Moon itself is not an instant, it alters the battlefield in ways that can instantly advantage certain flash spells or abilities, which can be activated at higher efficiency during the varying phases of yours and your opponent’s turns, thanks largely to the mana variation it incites.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Chaos Moon imposes a discard condition that could backfire, especially when your hand is already dwindling. This forced discard can lead to a disadvantageous loss of valuable cards that could be crucial for the later stages of the game.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a precise mana combination to cast, which may not seamlessly integrate into all deck types. Players running multi-colored decks might find the red mana requirement restrictive, diluting the card’s overall versatility and usefulness in diverse game situations.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value that leans on the higher side, Chaos Moon may not be the most mana-efficient option available. Considering its unique effect could be a double-edged sword, players might opt for other spells or abilities that offer more straightforward benefits for a similar or lower investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Chaos Moon is a card that can adapt to various decks and strategies, offering a dynamic boost to red decks that capitalize on the fluctuating number of permanents on the battlefield.

Combo Potential: This card is not only a powerhouse on its own; it also has great synergy with strategies that revolve around permanent count manipulation. It can drastically change the power dynamics on the table when combined with bounce or token generation effects.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that’s heavy with decks that rapidly change the number of permanents they control, Chaos Moon becomes increasingly relevant. Its ability to scale its effect based on the board state makes it a formidable tool against opponents using such strategies.

How to beat

Chaos Moon is a distinctive enchantment card in Magic: The Gathering that dynamically alters the game’s pace based on the number of cards in each player’s hand. Recognizing strategies to manage or exploit the varying mana provided by the card is crucial. Cards like Ebony Owl Netsuke punish players for having too many cards, while the potent Anvil of Bogardan forces players to maintain a full hand, mitigating the potential downside of Chaos Moon.

Conversely, running a low hand-size strategy can be effective against Chaos Moon. This can be accomplished by incorporating cards like Bottomless Pit or Necrogen Mists, which ensure both you and your opponent are constantly depleting your hand, thus limiting Chaos Moon’s impact. Consequently, including ways to empty your hand quickly, such as through aggressive creature deployment or mass land destruction with cards like Armageddon, ensures that Chaos Moon’s negative effects are more directed at your opponent.

Overall, defeating Chaos Moon involves thoughtful deck building and in-game strategy, emphasizing hand-size control, which allows you to turn the tide of battle in your favor while disrupting your opponent’s plans.

Cards like Chaos Moon

Chaos Moon stands out in the realm of enchantments in Magic: The Gathering with its dynamic effect on gameplay. It bears a resemblance to cards such as Blood Moon, a classic that also manipulates the powers of lands. While Blood Moon uniformly transforms all non-basic lands into Mountains, Chaos Moon has a variable effect that changes with the number of cards in players’ hands. Blood Moon’s impact is consistent, altering the landscape of mana from the moment it’s played.

Other cards in this category include Elkin Lair, which shares the unpredictability trait with Chaos Moon, creating a sense of chaos by forcing the discard and redraw of cards at each player’s upkeep. Conversely, Elkin Lair affects all players equally, whereas Chaos Moon’s effect scales with the number of cards held, potentially benefiting or hindering players asymmetrically. Additionally, Confusion in the Ranks is another enchantment that capitalizes on the chaotic exchange, but it specifically targets the control of artifacts, creatures, and enchantments rather than affecting land types or hand sizes.

Ultimately, while there are enchantments that provide similar unpredictable gameplay, Chaos Moon’s unique hand-size mechanism offers a distinct and fluctuating challenge that can significantly influence the flow and strategy of a Magic: The Gathering match.

Confusion in the Ranks - MTG Card versions

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

Uncontrollable Anger - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Chaos Moon MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age, 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 Moon and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Chaos Moon has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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