Price$0.24 – $0.69
Buy on TCGplayerChain Reaction
Sorcery
LegalRank #698
Chain Reaction deals X damage to each creature, where X is the number of creatures on the battlefield.
Why is this card good?
Chain Reaction is one of red's premier board wipes, and in a four-player pod the math works heavily in your favor. With even 8-10 creatures across the table, you're dealing 8-10 damage to everything — wiping not just tokens and small dorks but most midrange threats too.
This is the wipe for mono-red and Rakdos/Boros decks that lack access to white's clean exile/destroy sweepers. It's especially nasty against go-wide token strategies (the more creatures, the bigger the burn) and great as a reset button in stax or control-leaning red shells.
Two caveats: it's symmetrical, so it nukes your own board — pair it with a near-empty board or indestructible/high-toughness commanders. And it does damage, not destroy, so it whiffs on indestructible creatures and big-butt threats in low-creature pods. Don't run it if your deck wants a wide board itself or if the table trends toward few, large creatures.
Reliable, cheap insurance for any red deck without better options.
Related cards
Blasphemous Act
Red board wipe dealing damage scaled to creature count, often cheaper.
Star of Extinction
Red sorcery dealing 20 damage to each creature, mass removal.
Mizzium Mortars
Red overloaded burn that wipes opponents' creatures.
Fault Line
Red X damage to all creatures with player damage option.
Bonfire of the Damned
Red miracle scaling damage to creatures and players.
Pyrohemia
Repeatable red damage to all creatures for board control.
Chandra's Ignition
Deals damage equal to power to each creature, red sweeper.
Magmaquake
Red X damage to creatures and planeswalkers, scalable wrath.
Printings (16)
Show all 16 printingsShow fewer
Played by these commanders
Rootha, Mastering the Moment100% of 1
Lord Windgrace100% of 1
Neyali, Suns' Vanguard100% of 1
Vrondiss, Rage of Ancients100% of 1
Firkraag, Cunning Instigator100% of 1
Anhelo, the Painter100% of 1
Inspirit, Flagship Vessel100% of 1
Mizzix of the Izmagnus100% of 1
Osgir, the Reconstructor100% of 1
Saheeli, Radiant Creator100% of 1