Chaos WarpChaos Warp | Art by Anato Finnstark

Imagine, if you will, that you're playing a game of Commander and one of your opponents has a copy of Mechanized ProductionMechanized Production on the board alongside a ton of TreasureTreasure tokens. But you're not worried. You've got a copy of Chaos WarpChaos Warp in your hand! Before your opponent can untap and win the game, you cast the spell and target Mechanized Production.

They shuffle the Aura into their library, reveal the top card, and... it's the same copy of Mechanized ProductionMechanized Production! The table goes wild, you cover your face with your hands, and lose the game on your opponent's upkeep. As far-fetched as this may sound, it is within the realm of possibility. Chaos Warp is a particularly tricky card to evaluate, as the outcomes it produces can vary wildly.

So, let's see what this card actually does. For , we get to shuffle any permanent on the battlefield into its owners library. Then, that player reveals the top card of their library. If it's a permanent card, they get to put it directly onto the battlefield. If it's not a permanent, the card stays on top of their library.

Shockingly, this spell is in 1,220,000 Commander decks (representing nearly 30% of all eligible lists). While Chaos Warp is one of the most played cards in all of Commander, questions remain about its usefulness. In this article, I'll explain the arguments for playing this removal spell, examine the arguments against, and explain why I think this spell has overstayed its welcome in many Commander decks.

Points for Chaos Warp

Mono- decks can remove some threats from the game effectively. They can dispatch creatures and planeswalkers through direct damage with Lightning BoltLightning Bolt, wipe out entire boards of creatures with Blasphemous ActBlasphemous Act, and get rid of artifacts quite easily with VandalblastVandalblast. even gives access to on-the-stack interaction, like Untimely MalfunctionUntimely Malfunction and PyroblastPyroblast.

But, for all those strengths, these decks tend to struggle against enchantments. Other than Chaos Warp, there's really just one way for red decks to deal with enchantments: Wild Magic SurgeWild Magic Surge. This spell isn't a good option for most pilots, as it always replaces one permanent with another. It's almost useless to get rid of an opponent's Rhystic StudyRhystic Study if they're just going to flip right into a Mystic RemoraMystic Remora!

That leaves Chaos Warp as the only realistic way to deal with enchantments for these monocolored decks. While it may not be perfect, Chaos Warp claims a spot as 's only reliable way to get rid of bothersome enchantments. This fact alone has netted it a slot in many decks.

Notably, Chaos Warp also lets us get rid of any permanent that's indestructible. Whether it's Ulamog, the Ceaseless HungerUlamog, the Ceaseless Hunger or The One RingThe One Ring, this red removal spell can skirt around one of Magic's strongest protective keywords. While this won't come up in every single game, it's certainly nice to know that we can deal with most any threat that our opponents choose to throw at us.

As another little bonus, Chaos Warp lets us avoid putting our opponents' permanents into the graveyard. It's common for players to run at least a few pieces of recursion in their decks these days, so it may be beneficial to keep cards out of the 'yard when possible. For example, shuffling away a Gray Merchant of AsphodelGray Merchant of Asphodel is a much better option than killing it, since most black decks can bring it back from the grave easily.

If we're ever in dire straits, we can even target our own permanents with Chaos Warp in hopes of flipping something better from the top of our deck. This isn't a good play, but it's still worth noting.

Points Against Chaos Warp

The scenario I described in this article's introduction, where an opponent flips into the very same card that we just removed, is highly improbable. But for decks that do choose to run Chaos Warp, there is a high likelihood of providing an opponent with a significant payout after removing their best permanent. Many Commander decks run somewhere in the vicinity of 30 creatures and 37 lands, plus a few extra artifacts and enchantments.

If we remove one permanent with Chaos Warp, that gives an opponent a pretty good shot at revealing a permanent from the top of their deck after shuffling. If they reveal a threat that's on par with the card we got rid of (or of an even higher caliber), we've just wasted and a perfectly good card from our hand.

That's too much of a risk, especially when more efficient removal exists if we branch out from using just .

Speaking of, most decks that use in Commander also use other colors. Let's see what each of those other colors can do that eliminates the need for Chaos Warp.

Boros ()

White provides incredibly efficient removal for all card types, and can often send cards into exile to prevent their future reuse. Instead of Chaos Warp, pilots might look towards Wear // TearWear // Tear for more efficient, multi-threat removal at the same mana cost.

For players looking to play removal that can affect any permanent on the field, there's always Excise the ImperfectExcise the Imperfect and Generous GiftGenerous Gift. There really is no shortage of better removal spells for Boros players to use.

Izzet ()

decks may not be able to deal with on-board threats effectively, tending to simply bounce problematic permanents back to their owners' hands. Chaos Warp doesn't deal with threats perfectly either, but at least lets us get rid of annoying creatures for less mana! Using UnsummonUnsummon or Into the Flood MawInto the Flood Maw, we can temporarily relieve the pressure an opponent is putting on us, buying us time to deal with the threat in a more permanent fashion.

also provides us with access to CounterspellCounterspell, which can handle anything our opponents try to cast (as long as we've got mana open at the right moment). While it's difficult to compare the efficacy of on-board removal to the efficacy of countermagic, the fact that Izzet decks have easy access to both makes expensive removal spells like Chaos Warp a lot less appealing.

Rakdos ()

For a while, I would have said that Chaos Warp merits some play in Rakdos decks. provided very few ways to deal with enchantments, making this color combination an okay landing spot for today's subject. But we've recently seen the printing of Withering TormentWithering Torment and Shredder's TechniqueShredder's Technique. These cards all deal with opposing threats permanently, and do so with much less downside than Chaos Warp.

Plus, happens to be among the best colors in Commander for removing creatures. Efficient, low-downside removal spells like Infernal GraspInfernal Grasp are everywhere, so Chaos Warp isn't a strong choice for creature removal either.

Gruul ()

provides fantastic enchantment removal, like Haywire MiteHaywire Mite and Nature's ClaimNature's Claim, removing the need for Chaos Warp in Gruul decks. These spells are more cost-effective than Warp, and don't have the chance to provide our opponent with massive upside.

even lets us play Beast WithinBeast Within, which does a better job dealing with opposing threats than Chaos Warp. I'd rather always give an opponent a 3/3 Beast token than sometimes give them a super powerful permanent from their library.

Conclusion

So, all told, is Chaos Warp good enough for Commander decks? The answer is more complicated than it appears at first glace.

If you're playing a mono- list, Chaos Warp is worth a slot. For these decks, it's the only way to deal with some card types. It might be less efficient than spells that other colors have access to, but monocolored deck pilots are used to taking what they can get.

Having just one of any given effect in a deck's 99 makes us very unlikely to draw it at the right moment. But, when paired with rummage effects like Tormenting VoiceTormenting Voice and (unreliable) tutors like GambleGamble, we've got a decent chance to have this card in hand when we need it most. Chaos Warp is viable for monocolored players at even the highest levels of play, like in Bracket 5 (cEDH) MagdaMagda lists.

But, mono- decks aren't that common. The vast majority of Commander decks that include in their color identity have access to other colors' removal, meaning there's no reason to pay to get rid of a problematic permanent. Plus, with how many powerful Magic cards are out there these days, there's always a chance that you'll just be replacing one threat with another.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments, and let me know what you think about this spell. There's a good chance that you've got a copy of this card laying around somewhere, so I'm eager to hear all of your opinions.