Backdraft Hellkite MTG Card
2019-08-23 - Number 23
2022-07-08 - Number 103
2022-07-08 - Number 449
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Dragon |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Text of card
Flying Whenever Backdraft Hellkite attacks, each instant and sorcery card in your graveyard gains flashback until end of turn. The flashback cost is equal to its mana cost.
Memories burn with the brightest flames.
Cards like Backdraft Hellkite
The Backdraft Hellkite offers a unique twist to the flying dragon archetype in Magic: The Gathering. This card stands out by granting instants and sorceries in your graveyard the powerful flashback ability for a turn. Pyreheart Wolf, for instance, also enhances combat tricks, but doesn’t impact spells from the graveyard. On the wingbeats of dragons, we can compare the Backdraft Hellkite to Lathliss, Dragon Queen, who is all about creating dragon tokens instead of utilizing the graveyard.
Mirroring the graveyard manipulation theme, Charmbreaker Devils provide some similarity. Both the Devils and Hellkite allow for the casting of instants and sorceries from the past turns, albeit the devils bring the spells back to hand and offer an unreliable return as it’s at random. The Hellkite’s certainty in accessing multiple spells during one combat phase carves its niche in strategic decks.
Lastly, Spelltwine is a sorcery that mirrors a bit of Hellkite’s intent by exhuming spells from any graveyard, but it’s a one-time event and lacks the recurring benefit and the aerial threat that the Hellkite provides. Each card’s value varies based on deck strategy, but Backdraft Hellkite’s ability to repeatedly leverage your graveyard makes it a formidable choice in many MTG decks.
Cards similar to Backdraft Hellkite by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Backdraft Hellkite offers a significant advantage by potentially allowing you to cast multiple spells from your graveyard. This flying dragon not only presents a threat in the air but also turns your graveyard into an arsenal of options to outmaneuver your opponent. Each attack phase becomes an opportunity to revisit powerful sorceries and instants, supporting your strategy for dominating the game.
Resource Acceleration: The card’s ability to grant your instant and sorcery spells flash until end of turn is a form of resource acceleration, as it effectively increases the utility of your mana. You can strategically play instant and sorcery spells from your graveyard during your turn, unlocking powerful combos and reducing the need for mana investment in future turns.
Instant Speed: By bestowing flash on other spells in your repertoire, Backdraft Hellkite gives you the agility to operate at instant speed, keeping your opponents guessing and off-balance. You can adapt to the ever-changing battlefield with reactive play, responding to threats immediately or maximizing the surprise element inherent in any instants lurking in your graveyard.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Backdraft Hellkite doesn’t impose a discard requirement itself, it fits into strategies that might force you to discard, which can be a liability when your hand is already stretched thin or essential cards are at risk.
Specific Mana Cost: This dragon demands a specific color combination of red and blue mana, confining it to decks that can reliably produce both, potentially excluding the card from a broader variety of strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Five mana—a combination of three generic and two red—can be quite steep, particularly given the aggressive curves of many decks in the current meta. Other creatures or spells come into play faster and may offer competitive advantages sooner in the game.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Backdraft Hellkite offers a diverse array of strategic options for Commander format enthusiasts and casual players alike. The ability to grant spells in your graveyard flashback can be seamlessly integrated into multiple deck archetypes, particularly ones geared towards maximizing spellcasting.
Combo Potential: This dragon is a powerful enabler for combo-oriented decks. Its flying presence on the battlefield, combined with the flashback ability, helps to unlock a treasure trove of spell-based synergies, amplifying the impact of your graveyard as a resource.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment where games can often be drawn out, Backdraft Hellkite ensures that your late-game is strong by offering a consistent way to recast impactful spells. Its relevance is maintained in various metas, providing utility and pressure as the board state evolves.
How to beat
Confronting a Backdraft Hellkite can be a true test for even seasoned MTG players. This formidable 4/4 flying creature from the Commander 2019 set takes flight with an ability that can substantially tilt the game in your favor, giving your instant and sorcery spells in your graveyard Flashback until end of turn. However, like all creatures, it has its vulnerabilities.
One of the most direct methods to neutralize this threat is through removal spells. Cast sorceries like Murder or Hero’s Downfall when the Hellkite is tapped out, or, if you prefer, instants like Path to Exile or Rapid Hybridization can take care of it with ease. Board wipes are also an effective solution—cards like Wrath of God or Damnation reset the board, removing the Hellkite along with any other threats on the battlefield.
Counterspells are your preemptive strike to prevent the Hellkite from ever entering the battlefield. Save your counters like Cancel or Mana Leak for key creatures such as this. Additionally, enchantments that restrict creature abilities, such as Imprisoned in the Moon, can render the Hellkite’s advantage inert. Understanding the right timing and keeping key spells in reserve can secure your defense against this fiery dragon.
BurnMana Recommendations
Understanding the mechanics and strategic implications of cards like Backdraft Hellkite is essential for any MTG player who wants to stay competitive. With its ability to breathe new life into your graveyard’s instants and sorceries, this dragon can redefine the late game and offer fresh ways to outplay opponents. It’s a fine addition to any collection, especially for those who enjoy flexibility and intricate combos in their gameplay. Mastering such cards can be the difference between victory and defeat. Curious to discover more strategies and expert tips? Dive deeper with us and enhance your MTG prowess.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Backdraft Hellkite MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2019 and Double Masters 2022, 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 Backdraft Hellkite and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Backdraft Hellkite Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-08-23 and 2022-07-08. Illustrated by Rudy Siswanto.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2019-08-23 | Commander 2019 | C19 | 23 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Rudy Siswanto | |
| 2 | 2022-07-08 | Double Masters 2022 | 2X2 | 103 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Rudy Siswanto | |
| 3 | 2022-07-08 | Double Masters 2022 | 2X2 | 449 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Rudy Siswanto |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Backdraft Hellkite has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Backdraft Hellkite card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2019-08-23 | Once Backdraft Hellkite has attacked, its ability will resolve and grant the appropriate cards flashback even if Backdraft Hellkite leaves the battlefield before the ability resolves or after it resolves but before you cast the spells. |
| 2019-08-23 | Only instant and sorcery cards in your graveyard when Backdraft Hellkite’s triggered ability resolves will gain flashback. Instant and sorcery cards that are put into your graveyard later in the turn won’t gain flashback. |
| 2021-03-19 | A spell cast using flashback will always be exiled afterward, whether it resolves, is countered, or leaves the stack in some other way. |
| 2021-03-19 | If a card has multiple instances of flashback, you may choose any of its flashback costs to pay. |
| 2021-03-19 | If a card with flashback is put into your graveyard during your turn, you can cast it if it’s legal to do so before any other player can take any actions. |
| 2021-03-19 | If a card with no mana cost gains flashback, it has no flashback cost. It can’t be cast this way. |
| 2021-03-19 | If a split card gains flashback, you pay only the cost of the half you’re casting. |
| 2021-03-19 | If you cast a spell with flashback, you can’t pay any alternative costs such as overload costs. You can pay additional costs such as kicker costs. If the spell has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those to cast the spell with flashback. |
| 2021-03-19 | If you cast an instant or sorcery with in its mana cost this way, you still choose the value of X as part of casting the spell and pay that cost. |
| 2021-03-19 | To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost (such as a flashback cost) you’re paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was. |
| 2021-03-19 | You can cast a spell using flashback even if it was somehow put into your graveyard without having been cast. |
| 2021-03-19 | You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions, including those based on the card’s type. For instance, you can cast a sorcery using flashback only when you could normally cast a sorcery. |
| 2021-03-19 | “Flashback -ost]” means “You may cast this card from your graveyard by paying -ost] rather than paying its mana cost” and “If the flashback cost was paid, exile this card instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack.” |