Null Chamber MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | World Enchantment |
| Released | 1996-10-08 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Mirage |
| Set code | MIR |
| Number | 31 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Douglas Shuler |
Key Takeaways
- The card levels playing the field by mutually exiling a nonland card from each player’s hand.
- It carries the potential to alter resource acceleration and set up for other plays.
- While versatile in function, Null Chamber requires a specific deck build and four mana.
Text of card
You and target opponent each name any card except a basic land. Those cards cannot be played.
Discovered by Femeref mages, the Null Chamber is the ultimate testing ground for the uncreative.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Null Chamber offers a unique approach to card advantage. By allowing each player to choose and exile a nonland card from their hand, it can disrupt your opponent’s strategy while mitigating your own card loss, keeping the overall resources in balance.
Resource Acceleration: Although Null Chamber doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the way that mana rocks or dorks do, it can indirectly influence resource acceleration by removing key cards that would allow an opponent to ramp or combo out efficiently.
Instant Speed: While Null Chamber operates at sorcery speed, it has to be recognized for its potential to set up instant-speed plays. By preemptively disrupting an opponent’s hand, you can pave the way to safely navigate your turn or set up defenses knowing certain threats have been taken care of.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Engaging with Null Chamber often means that you must forfeit a card from hand, creating a potential setback, especially if your hand size is dwindling.
Specific Mana Cost: Deck construction can be constrained due to Null Chamber’s precise mana requirement, demanding both white and blue mana which may not seamlessly fit into every deck archetype.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a four mana investment necessary to bring Null Chamber into play, players may find the card competitively overshadowed by others with more immediate impacts or lower costs.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Null Chamber is a card that boasts flexibility across various strategies, fitting well into control decks that aim to disrupt opponent’s plans by selectively negating key cards.
Combo Potential: Its ability to potentially remove a problem card from every opponent’s hand for the duration of the game can complement strategies that exploit knowledge of opponents’ hands or that benefit from reduced threat complexity.
Meta-Relevance: In metas dominated by decks that rely heavily on specific nonland cards, Null Chamber’s preemptive intervention can shift the balance in your favor, making it a highly relevant choice for tuned playgroups.
How to beat Null Chamber
Encountering Null Chamber on the battlefield can initially seem daunting. As a unique card in Magic the Gathering, it offers players the choice to mutually forbid the use of any two cards not currently in play. This global prohibition can dramatically shape the course of the duel, potentially locking out critical components of a player’s strategy.
To effectively counteract Null Chamber, one should consider a robust sideboard strategy, incorporating cards like Disenchant, which can destroy enchantments directly, or countermagic such as Negate to prevent Null Chamber’s activation. Flexibility in your deck’s composition enables you to adapt your approach mid-game, ensuring that the limitation imposed by Null Chamber does not become insurmountable.
Moreover, maintaining a diverse array of threats in your gameplay is vital. When Null Chamber comes into play and demands decisions, having versatile options at your disposal ensures that no single prohibition overwhelms your strategy. Ensure that your deck has the resilience to pivot around roadblocks and persist through potential hinders, allowing you to outmaneuver your opponent and tilt the match in your favor.
Cards like Null Chamber
Null Chamber commands attention in the realm of player-influenced card denial within Magic: The Gathering. Distinct in its functionality, it resembles the pre-emptive tactics employed by cards like Meddling Mage. Both dictate play by preemptively banning cards, but Null Chamber offers a mutual decision process, involving both players to name undesired cards. Unlike Meddling Mage, Null Chamber doesn’t shut down cards that have already been played, allowing for a reactive playstyle.
Another parallel can be found in Nevermore, a card that also effectively removes any named card from an opponent’s arsenal without requiring mutual consent. However, each of these enchantments presents different tactical advantages. Nevermore is solid for locking out a single target without input of the opponent but doesn’t offer the same level of strategic compromise and foresight that Null Chamber demands.
In summarizing these comparisons, Null Chamber stands out by promoting a unique power dynamic in MTG, making it a particularly nuanced tool for mind games and calculated plays. Its ability to influence both players’ choices sets it apart, crafting a challenging and more balanced environment during the unfolding of the game.
Cards similar to Null Chamber by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Null Chamber MTG card by a specific set like Mirage, 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 Null Chamber 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 MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Null Chamber 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 Null Chamber card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2006-02-01 | If you somehow manage to cast this while other spells are on the stack, those spells won’t be countered. |
| 2008-10-01 | This has the supertype world. When a world permanent enters the battlefield, any world permanents that were already on the battlefield are put into their owners’ graveyards. This is a state-based action called the “world rule.” The new world permanent stays on the battlefield. If two world permanents enter the battlefield at the same time, they’re both put into their owners’ graveyards. |
| 2013-04-15 | You choose which opponent makes the choice. Null Chamber does not target that opponent. |
