Chaos Warp is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
The owner of target permanent shuffles it into their library, then reveals the top card of their library. If it's a permanent card, they put it onto the battlefield.
Complete guide
Chaos Warp is a red staple known for its high-stakes unpredictability and its unique ability to handle almost any threat. By forcing a permanent into its owner's library, it provides red players with a rare way to deal with enchantments or massive creatures. Whether it saves the day or brings out something even worse, this card always leaves a lasting impact on the game state.
What It Does
Chaos Warp targets a single permanent on the battlefield. Its owner shuffles that permanent into their library and then reveals the top card of that library. If the revealed card is a permanent—meaning an artifact, creature, enchantment, land, or planeswalker—it is put directly onto the battlefield. If it is an instant or sorcery, it simply stays on top of the library.
How It Resolves Step by Step
First, you choose a target permanent. When the spell resolves, the owner shuffles that specific permanent into their library. Even if the permanent is a token, the library is still shuffled. Next, the owner reveals the top card. If it is a permanent card, the player puts it onto the battlefield under their control. If it cannot enter (like an Aura with no legal targets) or if it is not a permanent, the card remains on top of the library, and the process ends.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error occurs when the target permanent leaves the battlefield before Chaos Warp resolves. If the target becomes illegal, the entire spell fails; no one shuffles and no card is revealed. Additionally, players often forget that the 'owner' of a token is the player who originally put it into play. If you shuffle a token, you still perform the full shuffle and reveal process even though the token itself ceases to exist once it hits the library.
When to Play It
Chaos Warp is best used when your opponent controls a game-ending threat that red struggles to remove, such as a large enchantment or a creature with indestructible. It is also a viable 'hail mary' play on your own permanents that are about to be exiled or destroyed, giving you a chance to flip into something better from your own deck.
Interaction examples
Deflecting SwatIf you cast Chaos Warp targeting an opponent's creature, they can respond with Deflecting Swat to change the target to one of your best permanents. If they do, when Chaos Warp resolves, you will be the one shuffling your permanent away and hoping for a lucky reveal.
Big ScoreIf you have a Treasure token created by Big Score, you can target it with Chaos Warp. The token is shuffled into your library (and then vanishes), you shuffle the deck, and then you reveal the top card. If you reveal a permanent, it enters the battlefield, potentially turning a single-use mana token into a powerful creature or land.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Chaos Warp
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If the revealed card is not a permanent card, it remains on top of that library.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
The owner of a token is the player under whose control the token was put onto the battlefield. If a token is shuffled into a player's library this way, that player shuffles before revealing the top card of that library.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If the revealed card is a permanent card but can't enter (perhaps because it's an Aura with nothing to enchant), it remains on top of that library.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If the permanent is an illegal target by the time Chaos Warp tries to resolve, it won't resolve and none of its effects will occur. No library will be shuffled and no card will be revealed.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
A permanent card is a card with one or more of the following card types: artifact, creature, enchantment, land, or planeswalker.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Chaos Warp
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.