Thermal Flux 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
Choose one — • Target nonsnow permanent becomes snow until end of turn. • Target snow permanent isn't snow until end of turn. Draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.
Complete guide
Thermal Flux is a versatile blue utility spell that manipulates the snow supertype of any permanent on the battlefield. Whether you need to enable snow-matters synergies or disable an opponent's icy advantage, this instant provides the flexibility you need while ensuring your hand stays full.
Chilling or Thawing
When you cast Thermal Flux, you choose one of two modes: making a nonsnow permanent snow, or stripping the snow supertype from a snow permanent. This change lasts until the end of the current turn. Crucially, as per official rulings, adding or removing the snow supertype does not change any other characteristics of the card; its name, types, and abilities remain exactly as they were.
Resolution and the Delayed Draw
The spell resolves in two distinct stages. First, the permanent's supertype is updated immediately upon the spell leaving the stack. Second, the spell creates a delayed triggered ability that waits for the next turn's upkeep. This means if you cast Thermal Flux on your opponent's turn, you will draw the card at the beginning of your own next upkeep.
Timing and Counterplay
Thermal Flux is an instant, allowing you to react to combat or end-of-turn effects. However, because the card draw is a delayed trigger, you do not get the card immediately upon resolution. If the spell is countered before it resolves, the entire effect is lost, and you will not draw a card later.
Interaction examples
You target your own basic Island with Thermal Flux, choosing the first mode. The Island becomes a 'Snow Island' until end of turn. This allows you to tap it for snow mana to pay for costs that specifically require mana from a snow source. At the start of the next turn's upkeep, you draw a card.
CounterspellYou cast Thermal Flux targeting a creature. In response, your opponent casts Counterspell targeting Thermal Flux. Because Counterspell resolves first, Thermal Flux is moved to the graveyard without resolving. The creature does not change its snow status, and the delayed trigger to draw a card is never created.
An Offer You Can't RefuseYou cast Thermal Flux to remove the snow supertype from an opponent's blocker. Your opponent responds with An Offer You Can't Refuse. Thermal Flux is countered, meaning no supertype change occurs and no card is drawn. However, you do create two Treasure tokens as a result of the counterspell's secondary effect.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Thermal Flux
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Thermal Flux adds or removes the supertype snow from a permanent. Adding or removing a supertype doesn’t affect any other types, supertypes, or subtypes that permanent has.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Jorn, God of Winter // Kaldring, the Rimestaff + Thermal Flux + Strionic Resonator
- 1Cast Thermal Flux by paying
, causing Strionic Resonator to become a snow permanent until end of turn. - 2Move to your combat phase, and declare Jorn as an attacker, triggering its ability.
- 3Holding priority, activate all mana producing snow permanents you control by tapping them, adding at least
. - 4Activate Strionic Resonator by paying
and tapping it, copying Jorn's triggered ability. - 5Resolve the copy of Jorn's ability, untapping all snow permanents you control.
- 6Repeat from step 3.
Jorn, God of Winter // Kaldring, the Rimestaff + Thermal Flux + Lithoform Engine
- 1Cast Thermal Flux by paying , causing Lithoform Engine to become a snow permanent until end of turn.
- 2Move to your combat phase, and declare Jorn as an attacker, triggering its ability.
- 3Holding priority, activate all mana producing snow permanents you control by tapping them, adding at least .
- 4Activate Lithoform Engine's first ability by paying and tapping it, copying Jorn's triggered ability.
- 5Resolve the copy of Jorn's ability, untapping all snow permanents you control.
- 6Repeat from step 3.
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + Rime Tender + Thermal Flux + To Arms!
- 1Cast Thermal Flux for targeting Kiki-Jiki, making it a snow permanent.
- 2Tap Kiki-Jiki to make a token copy of Rime Tender with haste.
- 3Tap the Rime Tender token to untap Kiki-Jiki.
- 4Repeat for infinite ETB and tapped creature tokens with haste.
- 5Cast To Arms! for
to untap your infinite tapped creature tokens. - 6Move to combat and attack for lethal damage.
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + Rime Tender + Thermal Flux
- 1Cast Thermal Flux for targeting Kiki-Jiki, making it a snow permanent.
- 2Tap Kiki-Jiki to make a token copy of Rime Tender with haste.
- 3Tap the Rime Tender token to untap Kiki-Jiki.
- 4Repeat for infinite ETB and tapped creature tokens with haste.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Thermal Flux
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.