Dead of Winter MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery
Released	2019-06-14
Set symbol
Set name	Modern Horizons
Set code	MH1
Number	85
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Zack Stella

Key Takeaways

It offers powerful creature control by potentially wiping opponents’ boards based on snow permanents.
Strategies, including snow synergies, boost Dead of Winter’s resource acceleration capabilities.
Its predictable cost may not align well with non-snow themed decks, limiting versatility.

Text of card

All nonsnow creatures get -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the number of snow permanents you control.

"At last, silence." —Tevesh Szat

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dead of Winter increases your stance in the game by providing control, as it has the capacity to wipe out enemy creatures. This gives definite control over your opponents, as they lose their creature cards and you maintain yours.

Resource Acceleration: By gaining a better hold over your opponents through this card, you’re technically gaining resources. Your opponents lose valuable cards while you still retain yours, laying the groundwork for a future power build-up. The more snow permanents you have, the greater the -X/-X effect, accelerating your resource advantage.

Instant Speed: Dead of Winter, despite not being an instant, has a significant impact because of its speed. You can play it whenever the conditions are right on your turn, causing sudden disruption in your opponent’s strategy. Plus, it provides an element of surprise that adds to the power of your strategic play.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Dead of Winter has a discard requirement, making it a challenging card to play when your hand is running low or you have vital cards you don’t want to lose.

Specific Mana Cost: The specific mana cost, containing two colorless and a snow symbol, might limit its use. As a result, it may not fit seamlessly into decks not designed with snow-related synergies in mind.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With three mana required for its effect, there may be alternatives within your deck that could provide more efficient creature removal or other utilities at a lower cost.

Reasons to Include Dead of Winter in Your Collection

Versatility: Dead of Winter is a highly adaptable card suitable for different types of decks, particularly those that have a high stockpile of snow permanents. As a removal spell, it provides unexpected and often overwhelming board wipes.

Combo Potential: The combo potential of Dead of Winter is remarkable. Combining it with cards that generate many snow permanents, such as Frostwalk Bastion or Marit Lage’s Slumber, can make its -X/-X effect more powerful. This opens up a plethora of strategies for stunning board clearances.

Meta-Relevance: Dead of Winter remains relevant in the current meta-game, serving as a strong answer to decks full of creatures with high toughness. Given the rising popularity of multi-color creature-based strategies, including Dead of Winter in your deck provides a strategic benefit.

How to beat

The dominant presence of Dead of Winter in MTG games hinges upon a snow-theme deck. Since Dead of Winter gives all non-snow creatures a negative bonus, one prominent technique is to construct a deck that revolves around snow creatures or uses card types immune to such debuffs.

Another robust strategy when confronting Dead of Winter is investing in cards that offer spells or abilities with exile options such as Settle the Wreckage. By exiling creatures, you bypass them being in the battlefield and having their stats reduced. Furthermore, cards with hexproof or shroud, like Asceticism, can also shield your creatures, making them resistant to enchanted or targeted spells.

Finally, countering it directly with counter spells could be the most straightforward approach. Cards like Negate or Cancel can directly prevent the activation of Dead of Winter, thus preserving your creature’s stats.

Understanding the mechanics and strategies to circumvent Dead of Winter can undoubtedly provide players an edge during gameplay. Though intimidating, Dead of Winter is not invincible with a discerning selection of cards and a thoughtfully crafted strategy.

BurnMana Recommendations

Gaining the upper hand in MTG is all about strategic finesse and being one step ahead of the competition. Dead of Winter stands out as a formidable tool for controlling the board and tilting the scales in your favor. If you thrive on building decks that command the battlefield and surprise your opponents with sweeping plays, incorporating Dead of Winter can be a game-changer. Use it to transform your snow-themed decks into a bastion of power. Keen to learn more and craft winning strategies that harness the chill of winter? Join the BurnMana community where we dive deep into crafting the ultimate deck with Dead of Winter at its core.

Cards like Dead of Winter

The Dead of Winter MTG card fits snugly into the distinct category of mass removal spells in Magic: The Gathering. It can be compared with other well-known cards like Damnation and Creeping Corrosion, to offer some perspective. Similar to Dead of Winter, Damnation wipes out all creatures on the battlefield, though it doesn’t require snow permanents for its full effect. Creeping Corrosion, covers another angle with the ability to destroy all artifacts on the battlefield.

Another parallel can be drawn to cards such as Mutilate. Mutilate is able to decrease all creatures’ toughness based on the amount of swamps you control. However, Dead of Winter calculates its power not only by snow lands but by snow permanents, allowing a bigger reach in your game strategy. It shares this trait with another MTG spell, Frozen Grip, which manipulates the strength of snow permanents.

All things considered, Dead of Winter brings superior flexibility to your MTG gameplay. Its strength is determined not only by the snow lands but by the diverse snow permanents under your control, granting impressive adaptability and control over the game which sets it apart from its counterparts.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dead of Winter MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons, 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 Dead of Winter and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dead of Winter has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2019-06-14	Dead of Winter affects only creatures that aren’t snow creatures at the time it resolves. Creatures that enter the battlefield later in the turn won’t get -X/-X.
2019-06-14	The value of X is determined only as Dead of Winter begins to resolve. It won’t change later in the turn if the number of snow permanents you control changes.