Chrome MoxHow it works & interactions with other cards

How Imprint Works

When Chrome Mox enters the battlefield, its Imprint ability triggers. You may choose to exile a card from your hand that is neither an artifact nor a land. If you do not exile a card, or if you exile a card that has no colors (colorless), the Mox will sit on the battlefield but will be unable to produce any mana. Note that the choice to exile happens upon resolution of the trigger, not when you cast the spell.

Producing Mana

Once a card is imprinted, you can tap Chrome Mox to add one mana of any of the exiled card's colors. If you exiled a multicolored card, such as a Gold card, you choose one of those colors each time you activate the ability. It is important to remember that Chrome Mox can never produce colorless mana ({C}), even if the imprinted card has a colorless symbol in its cost or is itself colorless.

Common Mistakes

A frequent error is attempting to exile an artifact card like Sol Ring or Skullclamp to power the Mox. Because the ability specifically requires a nonartifact, nonland card, these types are ineligible. Additionally, if the Mox is destroyed or leaves the battlefield, the imprinted card remains in exile, but the mana source is gone. You cannot 're-imprint' a card if the first one was somehow removed from exile.

When to Play It

Chrome Mox is best utilized in the very early turns to jump ahead of the mana curve. It is particularly effective in decks that can compensate for the lost card in hand through aggressive starts or powerful card-draw engines. In the late game, it can serve as a zero-mana way to trigger 'prowess' or 'artifacts entering' abilities, even if you choose not to exile a card.

Interaction examples

The Artifact Restriction

Sol Ring

If you have Chrome Mox and Sol Ring in your hand, you cannot exile Sol Ring to the Imprint trigger. Because Sol Ring is an artifact, it does not meet the 'nonartifact' requirement of Chrome Mox. If these are your only two cards, your Chrome Mox will enter and provide no mana.

Equipment and Imprint

Skullclamp

Similar to other utility artifacts, Skullclamp is an invalid choice for Imprint. If you cast Chrome Mox and your only other card is Skullclamp, the Imprint ability will trigger, but you will have no legal targets to exile. You will be left with a Chrome Mox that cannot be tapped for mana.

Standalone Mana Generation

When playing Chrome Mox alone, you must evaluate your hand for a colored spell you can afford to lose. For example, if you exile a Red creature card, Chrome Mox now functions as a Mountain that provides a mana boost on turn one. If you later find a way to return Chrome Mox to your hand and replay it, you would need to exile a new card to regain its mana-producing ability.