Free-Range Chicken MTG Card

Unglued (UGL)
1998-08-11 - Number 58

Unsanctioned (UND)
2020-02-29 - Number 63

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Bird
Power	3
Toughness	3
Un-set :-)	This card is part of an Un-set

Key Takeaways

Free-Range Chicken offers card advantage and instant speed, enhancing strategic flexibility during play.
The card’s mana cost and discard requirements necessitate careful deck-building and resource management.
In the right conditions, Free-Range Chicken’s adaptability and combo potential make it a valuable inclusion.

Text of card

o1o G: Roll two six-sided dice. If both die rolls are the same, Free-Range Chicken gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the number rolled on each die. Otherwise, if the total rolled is equal to any other total you have rolled this turn for Free-Range Chicken, sacrifice it. (For example, if you roll two 3s, Free-Range Chicken gets +3/+3. If you roll a total of 6 for Free-Range Chicken later in that turn, sacrifice it.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Free-Range Chicken card can unexpectedly provide you with an edge by allowing you to cycle through your deck. With each roll of a six-sided die determining the number of cards drawn, this quirky mechanic may yield a substantial card advantage, bolstering your hand and helping you outpace your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: When luck is on your side, Free-Range Chicken can lay multiple Egg tokens. These tokens are clutch for ramping up your resources, which will enable you to deploy larger threats or strategies at a faster rate than your adversary.

Instant Speed: This feathered fowl operates at instant speed, granting you the flexibility to activate its ability on your opponent’s turn. This timing ensures that you can react to your opponent’s moves while bolstering your board state or hand size, making it a versatile and cunning inclusion in your deck.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One limiting factor for the Free-Range Chicken card is the need to discard a card, particularly for activating certain abilities. This might cause a setback when you’re trying to maintain card advantage or if your hand is already depleting. It’s a trade-off that requires strategic planning to ensure it doesn’t backfire, leaving you at a disadvantage in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: The card’s specific mana cost imposes a restriction on deck-building flexibility. Since it requires green mana, its applicability narrows down to green-themed decks or those with a good mana fixing to accommodate multi-colored play strategies. This cost can potentially limit the card’s compatibility with various deck types that don’t align with a green mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the overall utility and efficiency, the card’s higher mana cost is a notable con. In a game where tempo can dictate the winner, having to allocate a significant amount of mana to summon Free-Range Chicken might be less appealing when more cost-effective creatures are available. It’s important to weigh the cost against the potential benefits it brings to the battlefield and whether it aligns with your deck’s strategy.

Reasons to Include Free-Range Chicken in Your Collection

Versatility: Free-Range Chicken can adapt to various board states and synergize with a number of strategies, making it a flexible addition to your MTG arsenal. Its ability to increase its power based on dice rolls adds an element of surprise and variability that can be beneficial in the right setup.

Combo Potential: This card has inherent combo possibilities, especially in decks that manipulate probabilities or benefit from changing power levels. The random nature of its power increase can work in tandem with other cards that thrive on such mechanics, leading to unexpected and potentially game-winning interactions.

Meta-Relevance: While not a staple in every meta, Free-Range Chicken can shine in environments where unpredictability and adaptive strategies are valued. In casual playgroups or specific formats where its unique power-boosting ability can be maximized, it could prove to be a sleeper hit.

How to beat

The Free-Range Chicken card stands out in MTG as an unconventional and humorous creature card. Its whimsy lies in its rolling ability, rewarding or daunting players with uncertainty. To effectively beat it, you should focus on control tactics that limit its random nature. Employing removal spells such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile can deal with the Chicken before it has the opportunity to disrupt your strategy. Utilizing consistent and less RNG-dependent creatures can also outpace the unpredictable outcomes of the Chicken’s die-rolling.

Another sound approach is to rely on creature abilities that aren’t reliant on combat to minimize the Chicken’s potential impact. Cards like Priest of Forgotten Gods or Plaguecrafter enforce non-combat ways to handle opposing creatures, circumventing the Free-Range Chicken’s varying combat results. Ultimately, ruling the poultry chaos means preparing for the unexpected and making strategic plays that ensure your game plan progresses smoothly, regardless of the whims of any rolling fowl.

By considering these strategies, players can maintain control over the game, and prevent the Free-Range Chicken from becoming too much of a wild card in the match. Thus acknowledging its unique ability but ensuring it doesn’t dictate the flow of the game.

Cards like Free-Range Chicken

Free-Range Chicken represents a quirky and entertaining aspect in MTG’s array of creature cards. It brings to mind cards such as Norin the Wary, which, like our feathery friend, has a whimsical trigger-based ability that affects the field in unexpected ways. Norin’s elusive nature is a contrast to Free-Range Chicken’s unpredictability, as the chicken’s power hinges on the outcome of flipping a coin — a maneuver steeped in chance rather than strategic retreats.

Analogous in its randomness is Goblin Test Pilot. This goblin also thrives on the thrill of chance, dealing damage to any creature or player selected at random. Unpredictable yet distinctly different, as the Test Pilot’s impact is direct and requires no additional resource, unlike the chicken’s coin-based buffing system. And then we have Frenetic Efreet, with its coin flips that could result in protection or doom, offering a riskier but more defensive option compared to the potential for growth found with Free-Range Chicken.

Ultimately, Free-Range Chicken adds a layer of fun and uncertainty that stands its ground in MTG. It’s not just the coin flips; it’s the potential for exponential growth and the joyful tension it adds to the game, setting it apart from its counterparts.

Cards similar to Free-Range Chicken by color, type and mana cost

Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth - MTG Card versions

Monkey Monkey Monkey - MTG Card versions

Matsu-Tribe Birdstalker - MTG Card versions

Order of the Sacred Bell - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Free-Range Chicken MTG card by a specific set like Unglued and Unsanctioned, 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 Free-Range Chicken and other MTG cards: