Chandra Nalaar MTG Card
2007-10-12 - Number 159
2008-11-07 - Number 34
2008-11-07 - Number 34★
2009-07-17 - Number 132
2010-07-16 - Number 127
2014-12-05 - Number 34
2020-09-26 - Number M11-127
| Card sets | Released in 7 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Planeswalker — Chandra |
| Loyalty | 6 |
Key Takeaways
- Chandra Nalaar grants card advantage and resource acceleration, crucial for maintaining competitive edge in MTG.
- Her demand for specific mana and potentially high cost can challenge deck building and timing strategies.
- Despite cons, Chandra’s versatility and meta-relevance make her a valuable asset in various MTG deck archetypes.
Text of card
+1: Chandra Nalaar deals 1 damage to target player. -X: Chandra Nalaar deals X damage to target creature. -8: Chandra Nalaar deals 10 damage to target player and each creature he or she controls.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Chandra Nalaar is a powerful planeswalker card that often allows players to gain an upper hand by drawing additional cards through her abilities. Her capacity to deal damage can also eliminate potential threats, effectively acting as a card advantage by saving the ones in your hand.
Resource Acceleration: This fiery planeswalker can also accelerate your resources. By untapping lands or adding red mana to your pool, Chandra Nalaar enables you to cast spells ahead of your normal curve or deploy multiple spells in a single turn, giving you a significant advantage over your opponent.
Instant Speed: Although Chandra Nalaar herself doesn’t operate at instant speed, she can create an opening for your instant-speed interactions. Her ability to control the board by dealing damage to creatures or players can force your opponent to act prematurely, keeping the way clear for your instant-speed spells to catch them off-guard.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Several versions of Chandra Nalaar demand that you relinquish part of your hand to unleash her fiery potential, a strategic setback when your hand size is dwindling.
Specific Mana Cost: Chandra Nalaar cards typically crave a dedicated red mana setup, restricting deck flexibility and demanding a firm commitment to red mana resources within your strategy.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that leans on the higher side, Chandra may arrive too late in the game, making it tougher to establish early dominance or respond promptly to opposing threats.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Chandra Nalaar shines in various deck builds, ranging from mono-red aggro to multi-color control decks. Her ability to deal direct damage and affect the board appeals to players looking for a flexible planeswalker.
Combo Potential: Her abilities synergize with numerous strategies that capitalize on dealing damage, such as enraging creatures or triggering prowess. Combining Chandra with other cards can lead to powerful and game-winning interactions.
Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, Chandra Nalaar consistently finds her place in the competitive scene. She can be a critical answer to creature-heavy decks and also serves as a reliable win condition against slower-paced decks, maintaining her status as a meta-relevant card.
How to beat
Chandra Nalaar is a powerful and iconic planeswalker card in the world of Magic: The Gathering. With her ability to deal damage directly to creatures or players, many find her a challenging adversary. However, she’s not unbeatable. The key to defeating a card like Chandra Nalaar lies in swift and strategic action.
One effective approach is to apply pressure early in the game by deploying fast, aggressive creatures to challenge her loyalty counters before her abilities can overwhelm you. Players can also turn to instant-speed removal spells to manage her right after she hits the battlefield, preventing any loyalty abilities from activating. Enchantment-based control cards can neutralize Chandra’s impact, providing a lasting solution across multiple turns.
Anticipating her presence is another tactic. Building your deck to include versatile answers to planeswalkers, such as direct damage spells or creatures with the ability to target planeswalkers, will increase your resilience against Chandra Nalaar. The clever use of these strategies can even the playing field and tilt the match in your favor, highlighting the depth of strategic play Magic: The Gathering offers.
Cards like Chandra Nalaar
In the realm of planeswalkers in Magic: The Gathering, Chandra Nalaar presents a fiery option with her ability to deal damage directly to creatures or players. Lined up against similar cards, Chandra, Pyromaster stands out for its capability to ping creatures and also restrict them from blocking. This unique ability not only deals damage but strategically controls the battlefield.
Chandra, Torch of Defiance, on the other hand, is a compelling alternative with its four diverse abilities that range from exiling the top card of your library for potential cast to adding two red mana to your mana pool, which is akin to an extra ramp. While Chandra Nalaar requires a substantial mana investment and focuses primarily on aggressive tactics, Torch of Defiance optimizes utility and flexibility in a game.
Another planeswalker to consider is Jaya Ballard. Similar to Chandra Nalaar in her fiery essence, Jaya offers utility support by allowing you to cast red spells from your graveyard and giving you access to a mana ability that emphasizes red spells as well. Between Chandra Nalaar and its kin, players have a suite of options to choose from, each offering unique advantages and deck-building strategies.
Cards similar to Chandra Nalaar by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Chandra Nalaar MTG card by a specific set like Lorwyn and Duel Decks: Jace vs. Chandra, 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 Chandra Nalaar and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See Magic products
Printings
The Chandra Nalaar Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2007-10-12 and 2014-12-05. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2007-10-12 | Lorwyn | LRW | 159 | 2003 | normal | black | Aleksi Briclot | |
| 2 | 2008-11-07 | Duel Decks: Jace vs. Chandra | DD2 | 34 | 2003 | normal | black | Kev Walker | |
| 3 | 2008-11-07 | Duel Decks: Jace vs. Chandra | DD2 | 34★ | 2003 | normal | black | Yoshino Himori | |
| 4 | 2009-07-17 | Magic 2010 | M10 | 132 | 2003 | normal | black | Aleksi Briclot | |
| 5 | 2010-07-16 | Magic 2011 | M11 | 127 | 2003 | normal | black | Aleksi Briclot | |
| 6 | 2014-12-05 | Duel Decks Anthology: Jace vs. Chandra | JVC | 34 | 2015 | normal | black | Kev Walker | |
| 7 | The List | PLST | M11-127 | 2003 | normal | black | Aleksi Briclot |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Chandra Nalaar has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Chandra Nalaar card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2007-10-01 | To activate the second ability, you choose a value of X equal to or less than the number of loyalty counters on Chandra Nalaar. You may choose 0. You can’t choose a negative number. |
