Burnout MTG Card

Alliances (ALL)
1996-06-10 - Number 68

Masters Edition II (ME2)
2008-09-22 - Number 121

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant

Key Takeaways

Burnout grants dual advantages by countering instants and giving a card draw during your next upkeep.
Instant speed flexibility allows you to strategically disrupt your opponent’s turn and protect your game plan.
The power and versatility of Burnout can significantly improve red decks facing blue control strategies in MTG.

Text of card

Counter target interrupt spell if it is blue. Draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.

"GOTCHA!" —Jaya Ballard, Task Mage

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Burnout not only counters target instant spell, but also lets you draw a card at the beginning of the next turn’s upkeep. This duel effect provides a swing in card advantage, often disrupting your opponent’s plans while refilling your hand for future moves.

Resource Acceleration: Although Burnout itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, the ability to stop an opponent’s instant can indirectly save the mana you’d otherwise spend responding to threats. This saved mana is then available to further your board state in your next turn, which is critical in fast-paced games.

Instant Speed: The power of Burnout lies in its instant speed, allowing you to act during your opponent’s turn. This flexibility keeps your opponent guessing, maintaining a layer of defense that can disrupt their strategy without sacrificing your turn to do so.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: A downside to Burnout is the requirement to discard a card, potentially setting you back by reducing your hand. This can be especially problematic if you have a hand full of key cards you’d prefer to keep.

Specific Mana Cost: Burnout demands a specific mana combination, with red mana being essential to cast it. This requirement means it’s not flexible for all deck types and is primarily locked into red-centered decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Weighing in at a considerable two red mana and one of any color, the card can be demanding on mana resources, especially in the early game. Other options might provide similar effects or better utility without such a stringent mana requirement.

Reasons to Include Burnout in Your Collection

Versatility: Burnout is a solid choice for red decks that seek to maintain momentum against blue control strategies. Its ability to counter blue spells while offering card advantage makes it a multifaceted tool for various game scenarios.

Combo Potential: In combination with cards that care about instants and sorceries in the graveyard, Burnout can be more than just a reactive spell. It can also contribute to strategies revolving around spell recursion or casting volume.

Meta-Relevance: With the ever-present threat of blue-based control decks in many formats, Burnout acquires importance as a sideboard card that can shift the tide of a game. Its presence can deter opponents from settling into a comfortable control rhythm, keeping your strategies safe and your tempo accelerated.

How to beat

Burnout is a unique card from Magic The Gathering that can disrupt spell-heavy strategies with its ability to counter an instant spell. Players often leverage this card to gain an edge in tempo and protect their own spells in the process. To effectively counter this challenge, the best strategy is to anticipate the potential deployment of Burnout and hold back casting key instant spells when your opponent has mana available to cast it.

Additionally, playing around the card involves baiting its use with less important spells or waiting until your opponent’s mana is tapped out. Another robust counterplay is to employ creatures and sorceries that can operate under the radar of Burnout. This diversification ensures that you maintain a threat on the board without exposing your instant spells to immediate risk. Lastly, using instant spells with alternate casting costs or flashback can also outmaneuver Burnout, negating its advantages and keeping your strategic plays intact.

While Burnout can be a powerful tool in the right deck, its limitations become evident when faced with a varied and cautious approach, allowing well-prepared players to mitigate its impact on the game.

Cards like Burnout

Burnout, enriching the roster of counter spells in MTG, carries a unique duality. It parallels Red Elemental Blast by targeting blue spells, yet Burnout’s edge lies in its ability to curtail cards from the graveyard, a subtle yet strategic difference. Red Elemental Blast acts promptly to nullify blue spells or permanents, but lacks the foresight of affecting the graveyard.

Pyroblast, another closely related spell, often draws comparisons with Burnout. Pyroblast offers versatility, ready to disrupt any blue spell or permanent at the ready, prioritizing immediate impact over strategic graveyard interaction. Despite their similarities, the card drawn upon Burnout’s resolution offers a distinct advantage, weaving card advantage into its design, unlike Pyroblast.

When considering the dynamics of control and counterplay, Burnout weaves a fabric of strategy that blends immediate action with future game state manipulation. Such intricacies place Burnout in a special category within the MTG arsenal, gifting its wielder both an immediate countermeasure and a longer-term game plan.

Cards similar to Burnout by color, type and mana cost

Smash to Smithereens - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Burnout MTG card by a specific set like Alliances and Masters Edition II, 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 Burnout and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Burnout Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1996-06-10 and 2008-09-22. Illustrated by Mike Raabe.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1996-06-10	Alliances	ALL		68	1993	Normal	Black	Mike Raabe
2	2008-09-22	Masters Edition II	ME2		121	1997	Normal	Black	Mike Raabe

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Burnout has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2008-10-01	You may target any instant spell with Burnout. If it’s blue at the time Burnout resolves, that spell will be countered and you’ll draw a card at the beginning of the next turn’s upkeep. If it’s not blue at the time Burnout resolves, that spell won’t be countered, but you’ll still draw a card at the beginning of the next turn’s upkeep.