Iceberg Cancrix MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Snow Creature — Crab |
| Abilities | Mill |
| Released | 2019-06-14 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Modern Horizons |
| Set code | MH1 |
| Power | 0 |
| Toughness | 4 |
| Number | 54 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | normal |
| Border | black |
| Illustred by | Ravenna Tran |
Key Takeaways
- Iceberg Cancrix thrives in Pauper, disrupting opponents’ libraries while you amass a snow-covered board.
- Synergy with snow land ramp strategies allows for quick mana acceleration and multiple mill triggers.
- Instant-speed land play pairs well with Cancrix, offering a surprise mill and a tactical edge.
Text of card
Whenever another snow permanent enters the battlefield under your control, you may have target player put the top two cards of their library into their graveyard.
Its shell can withstand anything but a thaw.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Iceberg Cancrix enables you to potentially disrupt your opponent’s strategy while building up your own board presence, particularly in formats like Pauper where it shines. As each snow land enters the battlefield under your control, it mills a card from your opponent’s library, which can lead to significant card advantage over the course of a game.
Resource Acceleration: While the Iceberg Cancrix itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it synergizes well with decks built around snow lands. These decks often include ways to put multiple lands into play within a turn, which not only trigger Cancrix’s ability multiple times but also ramp up your own mana resources for a quick and powerful late-game.
Instant Speed: Though Iceberg Cancrix operates at sorcery speed, it pairs effectively with instant-speed spells that allow you to play snow lands on your opponent’s turn. This unexpected mill can disrupt their plans and provide a psychological edge, all the while you’re building your board state ready for your next turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: To get the most out of Iceberg Cancrix, you need to consistently mill cards, which can be a challenge if your deck isn’t built around this mechanic or if your milling strategies are shut down by an opponent.
Specific Mana Cost: Iceberg Cancrix requires both blue and generic mana to cast, which can hamper its inclusion in multicolor decks without reliable mana fixing.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a requirement of two mana for a 0/4 creature, Iceberg Cancrix may not be the most mana-efficient creature for your deck, especially when other creatures at the same cost could offer more immediate board presence or utility.
Reasons to Include Iceberg Cancrix in Your Collection
Versatility: Iceberg Cancrix can be a key player in decks that focus on manipulating both players’ libraries. Its ability to mill cards whenever a snow land enters the battlefield under your control can be harnessed in various strategies, from enhancing graveyard play to enabling snow-centric synergies.
Combo Potential: This crab works wonders with cards that allow you to bounce and replay your own snow lands, or ramp up your land drops. Through clever combinations, Iceberg Cancrix can mill your opponent quickly or fuel your own graveyard for recursion tactics or threshold abilities.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta that sees decks with tight mana bases or where key spells hinge on certain cards, Iceberg Cancrix can disrupt your opponent’s plans by milling those crucial pieces. Its consistent milling effect can be a great asset especially if the local or broader meta-game sees a rise in graveyard-based strategies it can counter.
How to beat
Iceberg Cancrix is a distinctive card in Magic: The Gathering, recognized for its synergy within mill decks. The card has the ability to create a significant advantage by milling cards from the opponent’s library whenever a snow permanent enters the battlefield under your control. This creates an incremental game plan that might seem hard to disrupt at first glance.
To effectively combat Iceberg Cancrix, it’s crucial to prioritize swift removal spells, which can eliminate it before the milling effect becomes overwhelming. Cards like Fatal Push or Lightning Bolt offer instant speed solutions to dispatch the Cancrix, keeping the card count in the opponent’s library safe. Additionally, utilizing graveyard shuffle effects like the Eldrazi Titans or Gaea’s Blessing can quickly neutralize the mill strategy, rendering the Cancrix’s efforts futile.
Moreover, aggressive strategies that apply pressure with fast creatures and direct damage can bypass the milling technique entirely, targeting the opponent’s life total directly before their deck becomes too depleted. By keeping these strategies in mind, players can craft their game plan to effectively counter the cold calculating threat of Iceberg Cancrix.
Cards like Iceberg Cancrix
Iceberg Cancrix is a unique creature card in Magic: The Gathering, akin to cards such as Hedron Crab for its ability to mill opponents. Both creatures share the mill mechanic, where cards from a player’s library are put into their graveyard. Where Iceberg Cancrix distinguishes itself is its focus on snow lands – whenever a snow land enters the battlefield under your control, you may have target player put two cards from their library into their graveyard.
Crabs aren’t the only mill creatures in the seas of MTG. We can draw comparisons to Ruin Crab, an efficient mill card that triggers upon any land entering the battlefield under your control, not just snow lands. Ruin Crab allows for a more consistent mill approach but mills only one card at a time. Another potential competitor in the thematic field is Merfolk Secretkeeper. While it offers a one-time mill of four cards through its Adventure ability, it doesn’t provide the repeatable mill effect that is characteristic of crab creatures.
While analyzing the abilities and synergies, Iceberg Cancrix earns a spot in decks built around snow mechanics and repeated mill strategies, establishing its place among the go-to crab cards within MTG’s vast library.
Cards similar to Iceberg Cancrix by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Iceberg Cancrix 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 Iceberg Cancrix 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Iceberg Cancrix has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
