Coldsnap
From MTG Salvation Wiki
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| Symbol | 
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| Design Team | Bill Rose (lead) Mark Rosewater Aaron Forsythe Devin Low | |
| Development Team | Randy Buehler (lead) Mike Turian Devin Low Zvi Mowshowitz | |
| Release Date | July 21, 2006 | |
| Mechanics | Cantrips, Cumulative upkeep, Snow, Pitch cards, collectible commons | |
| Keywords/ Ability words | Ripple, Recover | |
| Size | 155 (60 Common 55 Uncommon 40 Rare) | |
| Expansion Code | CSP | |
| Development Codename | Splat | |
| Sets in Ice Age block | ||
| Ice Age | Alliances | Coldsnap |
| Magic: The Gathering Chronology | ||
| Dissension | Coldsnap | Time Spiral |
Coldsnap is the fortieth Magic expansion and was released in July 2006 as the third expansion of the Ice Age block, replacing the Homelands expansion as a member of the block. The prerelease events for this set were held on September 23-24, 2006.[1]
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[edit] Set details
Coldsnap is the first expansion released that does not fit the modern block schedule, creating some confusion. It is legal in both the Standard and Extended formats based on its release date, not on its association with the Ice Age block.
When Coldsnap was initially announced, the Wizards of the Coast webpage jokingly claimed that the set was a "lost design file" only recently found.
Coldsnap changed the 'snow-covered' supertype to 'snow' and expanded its use to nonland permanents. Because most sealed tournaments would use only Coldsnap cards due to the rarity of Ice Age and Alliances booster packs, as a means of making frequently recurring commons more valuable, several common cards (the "kindle" and "surging" cycles) were printed that rewarded players for using multiple copies in their decks, making them more collectible.
[edit] Cycles
Coldsnap has twelve cycles:
- Allied-color cumulative upkeep spells: Each of these uncommon spells has a cumulative upkeep cost that can be paid with either that spell's color or the next allied color clockwise around the color pie — Jötun Owl Keeper, Krovikan Whispers, Balduvian Fallen, Earthen Goo, and Arctic Nishoba.
- Unique cumulative upkeep spells: Each of these rare permanents have a unique cumulative upkeep cost and effect based off their age counters — Hibernation's End, Karpulsan Minotaur, Minion of Leshrac, Vexing Sphinx, Cover of Winter.
- Allied-color snow tap lands: Each of these uncommon nonbasic snow lands comes into play tapped and can produce two allied colors of mana — Boreal Shelf, Frost Marsh, Tresserhorn Sinks, Highland Weald, and Arctic Flats.
- Enemy-color hosers: Each of these uncommon spells hampers both of their enemy colors at a low mana cost — Luminesce, Flashfreeze, Deathmark, Cryoclasm, and Karplusan Strider. This cycle was reprinted in 10th Edition.
- Kindle spells: Each of these common instant or sorcery spells becomes more powerful the more spells there are with the same name in all graveyards — Kjeldoran War Cry, Rune Snag, Feast of Flesh, Rite of Flame, and Sound the Call. This cycle is named after the card Kindle from Tempest.
- Martyrs: Each of these common Human creatures has an activated ability that requires you to pay a mana cost, reveal X cards of its color from your hand, and sacrifice it for an effect based on the number of cards revealed — Martyr of Sands, Martyr of Frost, Martyr of Bones, Martyr of Ashes, and Martyr of Spores.
- Rimewind wizards vertical cycle: Each of these blue Human Wizard creatures, one at each level of rarity, has an activated ability that can be used only if you control four or more snow permanents — Rimewind Taskmage; Rimewind Cryomancer; and Heidar, Rimewind Master.
- Snow-covered lands: Each of these basic lands has the snow supertype — Snow-Covered Plains, Snow-Covered Island, Snow-Covered Swamp, Snow-Covered Mountain, and Snow-Covered Forest. They were reprinted from Ice Age.
- Super pitch cards: Each of these rare spells may be played by removing two cards in your hand of its color from the game instead of playing its mana cost — Sunscour, Commandeer, Soul Spike, Fury of the Horde, and Allosaurus Rider. Allosaurus Rider was the set's prerelease card.
- Surging spells: Each of these common spells has the ripple ability: Surging Sentinels, Surging Æther, Surging Dementia, Surging Flame, and Surging Might.
- Tricolor creatures: Each of these rare creatures requires three colors of mana to cost: Diamond Faerie; Zur the Enchanter; Garza Zol, Plague Queen; Sek'Kuar, Deathkeeper; and Tamanoa.
- Uncommon gold spells: Each of these uncommon multicolor spells requires two mana of allied colors to cast: Vanish into Memory, Blizzard Specter, Deepfire Elemental, Wilderness Elemental, and Juniper Order Ranger.
[edit] Mirrored pair
Coldsnap has one mirrored pair:
- Crusaders: These uncommon 2/1 Knight creatures, one white and one black, each have protection from the other's color, "{C}: [This] gains flying until end of turn", and "{C}{C}: [This] gets +1/+0 until end of turn" — White Shield Crusader and Stromgald Crusader. These cards are an homage to the "pump knights" from Fallen Empires and Ice Age.
[edit] Theme decks
Like other theme decks, Coldsnap theme decks used cards available in its block. This created reprints of Ice Age and Alliances cards. These reprints are different from the originals as they have rarity symbols and collector numbers. The preconstructed theme decks are:
| Theme deck name | |||||
| White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | |
| Aurochs Stampede | ■ | ■ | |||
| Beyond The Grave | ■ | ■ | ■ | ||
| Kjeldoran Cunning | □ | ■ | |||
| Snowscape | ■ | ■ | |||
[edit] Notable cards
- Dark Depths — A token card was made to represent Marit Lage that this land produced.
- Ohran Viper - The initial chase rare of the set.
- Panglacial Wurm — The first creature that can be played directly from the library.
- Haakon, Stromgald Scourge - The first creature that can't be cast from your hand.
- Vanish into Memory - The third card to be designed through the Wizards of the Coast's "You Make the Card" promotion through their website, MTG.com
[edit] Reprinted cards
The following cards have been reprinted from previous sets and included in Coldsnap.
- Frozen Solid — was last seen in Scourge, possibly reprinted due to the card name or card flavor fitting the set.
- Snow-covered lands cycle — were last seen in Ice Age.
[edit] Functional reprints
Coldsnap has two functional reprints:
- Krovikan Scoundrel is a functional reprint of Dakmor Scorpion from Portal Second Age, Skeletal Snake from Portal and Wei Infantry from Portal Three Kingdoms, save for creature types.
- Ronom Unicorn is a functional reprint of Kami of Ancient Law from Champions of Kamigawa, save for creature type.
[edit] References
- ↑ "Coldsnap Fact Sheet", by "Magic Arcana", DailyMTG.com, Tuesday, February 21, 2006
[edit] External links
- Official Coldsnap Information Product Page — Magic: The Gathering
- "Coldsnap Q&A", by Randy Buehler, MTG.com, Wednesday, October 26, 2005.
- "Coldsnap Fact Sheet", by "Magic Arcana", DailyMTG.com, Tuesday, February 21, 2006
