Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Mulligan Timing for Frost Augur: Keep or Ship
Every MTG player loves a cheap, clever engine, and Frost Augur fits that bill with a frosty wink. This snow-themed blue 1/2 Wizard from Kaldheim enters the battlefield cheaply and offers a peek into your future with a single activation. But like any card with a peculiar mana twist, its true value rises and falls with how you handle your opening grip. The key question is not just “Can I cast Frost Augur on turn one?” but “Do I have a viable path to snow mana so I can actually use the ability and turn the top card into real value? 🧙🔥💎” This article dives into the mulligan timing and how to sculpt a start that really makes Frost Augur sing in modes from casual kitchen tables to more serious Snow-based builds.
“From the barest crack in the ice, she teases forth a swirling, living map of the Cosmos.”
What Frost Augur actually asks of you
Frost Augur’s strength lies in its ability: {S}, {T}: Look at the top card of your library. If it's a snow card, you may reveal it and put it into your hand. ({S} can be paid with one mana from a snow source.) In other words, it’s a card that rewards you for two things: snow mana sources on the battlefield and a plan to turn top-deck luck into card advantage. If your deck relies on snow mana to activate abilities or to unlock snow-based payoffs, Frost Augur can be a reliable little drill sergeant for your draw step. But without access to snow mana, the ability is effectively locked away behind a tollgate you may not want to pay early in the game. This makes mulligans a bit more nuanced than “get the cheapest body.” It’s really about ensuring you can trigger the engine on the correct turns, not just having a 1/2 flyer that looks cute on paper. 🧊⚔️
Mulligan rules of thumb for Frost Augur
- Keep when your opening hand includes a snow source and a blue source. If you can cast Frost Augur on turn 1 or 2 and activate its ability by turn 2 or 3, you unlock the card-drawing payoff that snow decks crave. Snow-covered lands or other snow-mana accelerants count heavily here. Blue mana matters because you’ll be casting Frost Augur on a blue-spell curve, and you’ll want a steady island or two to stay afloat while you search for snow cards.
- Ship when your hand is dry of snow mana or any means to generate snow mana soon. If your seven doesn’t include at least one snow source among your lands or a mana ramp that can flip snow into play, the activation cost becomes a bottleneck you’ll feel every turn. In that scenario, Frost Augur is more of a potential late-game engine rather than a reliable early play.
- Evaluate your other spells and curve. If you have three or more blue cantrips and a single land, a mulligan might still be tempting if you anticipate finding a snow source quickly via shuffle effects or a fetch that can fetch snow lands later. If your other cards demand more mana or colors, consider sending Frost Augur back to the deck for a cleaner start.
- Consider your meta’s speed and disruption. Against aggressive starts, keeping a hand with Frost Augur but no snow mana could leave you powerless for a couple of turns. In slower metas or snow-synergy decks, you can tolerate a mulligan as you eventually draw into your snow plan. The decision hinges on how often you expect to reach the snow-payoff window in the early turns.
Opening hand construction: what to look for
When you’re assembling a Frost Augur-centric plan, the first two turns decide much of the match’s tempo. Here are concrete patterns to aim for:
- Two lands with at least one snow-covered land in your plan, plus one blue source that can tap for {U} reliably.
- A back-up spell that doesn’t rely on snow mana on the very first turn, giving you something to do if you don’t draw snow sooner than expected.
- Top-of-library interactions that could help you chain more draw or filter effects, increasing the odds you hit a snow card when you finally pay the {S} tax.
To speak in practical gameplay terms: if your opening hand looks like Frost Augur, a Snow-Covered Island, and another inexpensive blue spell with a basic land to boot, you’re in a keep zone. If instead you’re staring at a couple of non-blue sources or a subpar two-land hand with nothing that can ramp into snow mana, shipping is the wiser call. The goal isn’t merely to survive the first two turns; it’s to unlock Frost Augur’s top-card discovery with the icing on the snow cake. 🧙♀️🎲
Play patterns and timing: where Frost Augur shines
In longer games, Frost Augur can become a mini-architect of your card advantage engine. Each activation has two potential payoffs: drawing a snow card or at least revealing one that could be drawn later when the snow plan fully locks in. In this sense, the card rewards you for patience and deck-building discipline. If your deck leans into snow synergy, you’ll happily reveal snow cards to hand and press your advantage with cheap cantrips and counterspells that keep your tempo in check. The real joy is the mix between tempo and control—one moment you’re peeking at your top card, the next you’re stacking your deck with cards that snowball into overwhelming board presence. ⚔️🧊
Flavor, art, and the collector’s glance
The flavor text gives Frost Augur a dreamlike, cosmopolitan vibe: “From the barest crack in the ice, she teases forth a swirling, living map of the Cosmos.” The art by Cristi Balanescu captures that icy curiosity—the kind of gaze that promises discovery even as the battlefield grows mean. The card’s snow-themed frame and the 2015-era snow frame effect are a nod to the broader Kalheim aesthetic, where frost, runes, and cosmic maps meet. The ability itself is a clever design, marrying top-deck manipulation with mana-payoff—an elegant example of how color identity and snow-mana mechanics weave into a single, approachable card. If you’re chasing nostalgia while keeping a modern edge, Frost Augur is the sort of study piece that makes your old cube feel fresh again. 🎨💎
“The cosmos isn’t a map; it’s a card you get to draw.”
Practical takeaways for mulligan decisions in any Frost Augur shell
- Prioritize snow sources in your opening hand—this is the core requirement to unlock the card’s payoff quickly.
- Balance your early turns with a non-snow spell or two, so you don’t stall if a snow-mana source arrives a turn or two late.
- In built snow decks, Frost Augur should be among the first pieces you keep, not because it’s a powerhouse on its own, but because it enables your snow-card draw chain and helps you find your critical snow cards faster.
As you plan your next Frost Augur run, a small, tactile bonus awaits you on the side: a neon phone case with a card holder—MagSafe compatible, glossy yet matte—something that keeps your cards safe as you shuffle through the cosmos of top-decks between rounds. For those who want a piece of the stalwart, snow-kissed magic life outside the game, this is a perfect match of hobby and everyday gadgetry. You can explore it here: the Neon Phone Case with Card Holder (MagSafe Compatible, Glossy/Matte) product page. 🧙🔥🎲
Price snapshot and value notes
Frost Augur sits in the realm of affordable nostalgia. Current fetch values show it around $0.08 USD for the non-foil version, with foil alternatives around $0.30. While not a marquee staple in competitive decks, it’s a charming, resourceful pick for casualsnow builds, cube drafts, and Commander strategies that enjoy cheap card draw and snow synergy. Rarity is uncommon, so expect it to appear with a bit of fanfare in Kaldheim-era decks that honor the icy, calculating wizard who loves a good top-deck surprise. The card embodies a microcosm of MTG’s design philosophy: a small cost, a clever tax, and a payoff that rewards thoughtful deck-building. ❄️
When you finally mulligan, remember: Frost Augur shines when the math tilts in your favor—snow sources online, a clear plan to cast and activate, and enough business spells to keep the engine purring. That’s where the true magic happens, and that’s how you turn a one-mana snow-touched look at the top into a game-winning draw step. 🧙♂️💎