Food ChainHow it works & interactions with other cards

Converting Life to Mana

The core mechanic of Food Chain is its activated ability. By exiling a creature you control, you add mana of any one color equal to that creature's mana value plus one. This means a creature that cost three mana to play will return four mana to your pool, allowing you to effectively 'climb' the mana curve.

Resolution and Restrictions

Because exiling the creature is part of the activation cost, the creature is removed from the battlefield immediately before the mana is added to your pool. The most important restriction is that this mana can only be spent to cast creature spells. While it can pay for additional costs like Kicker or commander tax, it cannot be used for non-creature spells or activated abilities.

Common Pitfalls

A frequent mistake is trying to use Food Chain mana for costs that occur after a spell is cast. You cannot use this mana to pay for 'ward' costs or other taxes imposed by opponents while a spell is on the stack. Additionally, remember that mana value is determined by the printed cost on the card; tokens usually have a mana value of zero, meaning they provide exactly one mana when exiled.

Strategic Timing

Since the ability is an activated ability that produces mana, it can be used at any time you have priority or while you are casting a spell. This allows you to respond to removal spells targeting your creatures by exiling them for mana instead of letting them die.

Interaction examples

Scaling the Predator

Kraven, Proud Predator

If you control Kraven, Proud Predator and another creature with a mana value of 5, Kraven's power is 5. If you use Food Chain to exile that 5-mana creature, you gain 6 mana of one color. However, once that creature is exiled, Kraven's 'Top of the Food Chain' ability will immediately update his power based on the new highest mana value among your permanents, potentially shrinking him if no other high-cost permanents remain.

Building the Engine

Garruk's Uprising

With Garruk's Uprising on the battlefield, you can use Food Chain to exile a small creature to generate enough mana to cast a creature with power 4 or greater. When that new creature enters the battlefield, Garruk's Uprising triggers, letting you draw a card. This creates a cycle where you exile old creatures to play new ones and keep your hand full.

Digging for Fuel

Sylvan Library

During your draw step, Sylvan Library allows you to see more cards to find the creatures you need. While you cannot use Food Chain mana to pay the 4 life required by Sylvan Library (as that is not a creature spell cost), the Library helps you find high-mana value creatures that you can then exile with Food Chain to cast the extra creature spells you drew.