Wildfire Cerberus MTG Card


Wildfire Cerberus can clear opponents’ boards, providing a late-game advantage with its Monstrosity ability. Its high mana demands may restrict deck-building, requiring careful mana base planning. Despite the investment, it can be a valuable asset against decks that field numerous creatures.
Wildfire Cerberus - Journey into Nyx
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Dog
Abilities Monstrosity
Released2014-05-02
Set symbol
Set nameJourney into Nyx
Set codeJOU
Power 4
Toughness 3
Number116
Frame2003
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred bySlawomir Maniak

Text of card

: Monstrosity 1. (If this creature isn't monstrous, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes monstrous.) When Wildfire Cerberus becomes monstrous, it deals 2 damage to each opponent and each creature your opponents control.


Cards like Wildfire Cerberus

Wildfire Cerberus joins a unique cohort of creatures within Magic: The Gathering that excel in dealing damage to multiple targets. When comparing it to other creatures, the Cerberus slots into a niche that blends area effect with potential game-ending power. Embermaw Hellion, for instance, amplifies red damage spells and abilities, which could complement the Cerberus’s capability to scale its impact across the board. Nonetheless, the Hellion lacks the board-clear potential that the Cerberus’s monstrosity ability can bring to the table.

Another creature that shares a semblance with Wildfire Cerberus is the Flameborn Hellion, which also carries a hefty amount of power. Unlike the Cerberus, the Hellion has haste, allowing it to attack without waiting. But it doesn’t provide the same level of board interaction, as its abilities are focused solely on player damage. The Cerberus’s board-wide damage can sometimes flip the game in your favor by clearing out smaller creatures, though at a higher mana cost.

In essence, Wildfire Cerberus is a versatile pick for MTG enthusiasts who enjoy controlling the board while still posing a significant threat. Its uniqueness in dealing with crowds of smaller creatures sets it apart from many other creatures in the game.

Embermaw Hellion - MTG Card versions
Flameborn Hellion - MTG Card versions
Embermaw Hellion - MTG Card versions
Flameborn Hellion - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Wildfire Cerberus by color, type and mana cost

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Earth Elemental - MTG Card versions
Eron the Relentless - MTG Card versions
Balduvian War-Makers - MTG Card versions
Hivis of the Scale - MTG Card versions
Hulking Cyclops - MTG Card versions
Flame Spirit - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Salamander - MTG Card versions
Ma Chao, Western Warrior - MTG Card versions
Covetous Dragon - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Strike Force - MTG Card versions
Volatile Arsonist // Dire-Strain Anarchist - MTG Card versions
Tephraderm - MTG Card versions
Avarax - MTG Card versions
Bonethorn Valesk - MTG Card versions
Frost Ogre - MTG Card versions
Heartless Hidetsugu - MTG Card versions
Shard Phoenix - MTG Card versions
Soul of Magma - MTG Card versions
Hunted Dragon - MTG Card versions
Torchling - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Monstrosity ability of Wildfire Cerberus can deal damage to all opponent’s creatures, potentially wiping their board and giving you a significant card advantage during the late game phases.

Resource Acceleration: Although Wildfire Cerberus does not directly contribute to resource acceleration, its ability to clear the board of smaller creatures can help preserve your resources and pave the way for your stronger creatures to attack without resistance.

Instant Speed: While Wildfire Cerberus itself is not an instant, the flexibility of its Monstrosity ability means you can activate it at the end of your opponent’s turn, effectively using it like an instant to surprise your opponent and disrupt their strategy before your turn begins.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: With Wildfire Cerberus, there isn’t a direct discard requirement. However, utilizing its Monstrosity ability can be indirectly taxing on card advantage. To activate this, you must have the Cerberus already on the battlefield and available mana, which could prevent you from deploying other cards in your hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Wildfire Cerberus demands a strict commitment to red mana. With a casting cost consisting entirely of red and generic mana, this card may prove challenging to cast in multicolored decks that can’t reliably generate the required mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At five total mana for a creature with 4/3 stats, Wildfire Cerberus is on the higher end of the mana scale considering its base power and toughness. Although it has potential board impact with its Monstrosity ability, the additional seven mana to activate it can be seen as a hefty investment in comparison with other cards that offer immediate and possibly more cost-effective impacts on the game.


Reasons to Include Wildfire Cerberus in Your Collection

Versatility: Wildfire Cerberus serves as a flexible option for decks looking to capitalize on powerful mid-game board presence. Its ability to affect multiple creatures makes it a great defensive card against swarm strategies.

Combo Potential: With its monstrosity mechanic, this card can be a game-changer in the right deck. When it becomes monstrous, it deals damage to each opponent and each creature your opponents control, pairing well with effects that increase damage output or with cards that capitalize on opponents’ creatures being dealt damage.

Meta-Relevance: As creature-based strategies cyclically return to prominence in many metagames, having Wildfire Cerberus can provide a tactical advantage. It’s a card that can adapt to various playing fields, keeping your deck competitive as the meta shifts.


How to beat Wildfire Cerberus

Encountering the Wildfire Cerberus in MTG can be a daunting task for any player due to its board-wiping monstrosity ability that activates during a monstrous transformation. This potent ability tends to clean out multiple creatures on the board in one fell swoop, especially those pesky token creatures that can quickly overwhelm a game. One of the most effective strategies to counter the Cerberus is to utilize instant-speed removal spells before the opponent has the opportunity to make it monstrous, thereby nullifying the threat before it becomes too great.

Control decks that pack countermagic like Negate or Essence Scatter can prove invaluable by stopping the Cerberus or its monstrous ability from resolving. It is also possible to sidestep the Cerberus’ impact by operating with a deck that relies less on a wide board of creatures and more on significant individual threats that can withstand the Cerberus’ three damage. In conclusion, swift elimination, strategic counterspells, and a focus on resilience over numbers are key when maneuvering against the Wildfire Cerberus’s fiery wake.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wildfire Cerberus MTG card by a specific set like Journey into Nyx, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Wildfire Cerberus and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wildfire Cerberus has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Wildfire Cerberus card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2014-04-26 An ability that triggers when a creature becomes monstrous won't trigger if that creature isn't on the battlefield when its monstrosity ability resolves.
2014-04-26 Monstrous isn't an ability that a creature has. It's just something true about that creature. If the creature stops being a creature or loses its abilities, it will continue to be monstrous.
2014-04-26 Once a creature becomes monstrous, it can't become monstrous again. If the creature is already monstrous when the monstrosity ability resolves, nothing happens.