Yamabushi's Flame MTG Card

Yamabushi's Flame - Champions of Kamigawa

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2004-10-01
Set symbol
Set name	Champions of Kamigawa
Set code	CHK
Number	198
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Christopher Moeller

Key Takeaways

Yamabushi’s Flame offers card advantage and disrupts opponents by exiling creatures, enhancing your control over the game.
Its instant speed provides flexibility, allowing players to make decisive moves in response to the changing game state.
The card’s few drawbacks include a discard requirement and specific mana cost, which may limit its deck compatibility.

Text of card

Yamabushi's Flame deals 3 damage to target creature or player. If a creature dealt damage this way would be put into a graveyard this turn, remove it from the game instead.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ostensibly designed to neutralize threats on the board, Yamabushi’s Flame goes beyond mere removal. When aimed at your opponent’s creatures, it disrupts their board while subtly tipping the card equilibrium in your favor. Should the spell successfully exile a creature, it paves the way for a cleaner board state where your subsequent plays become more impactful.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly influencing your mana pool, the intrinsic value of eliminating a key asset of your opponent acts as an indirect form of resource acceleration. By selectively targeting mana dorks or creatures with abilities that could ramp your opponent’s resources, Yamabushi’s Flame helps in maintaining or even stalling your opponent’s resource development, giving you an edge as you deploy your strategic plays without hindrance.

Instant Speed: The beauty of Yamabushi’s Flame lies in its flexibility thanks to instant speed. This potent trait lets you stay open to a wider array of choices as the game unfolds. Whether during the thick of combat or at the climax of a pivotal turn, the ability to cast it at any given moment ensures that your strategies remain fluid and responsive to the evolving game state.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Yamabushi’s Flame demands that you discard another card when casting it. This can be quite the setback when you’re struggling to maintain a full grip, essentially forcing you to lose two cards from your hand instead of one. For players who rely on keeping their options open, this additional cost is a significant disadvantage.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost is strictly red, which allocates it solely to red or multicolor decks. Players who don’t use red mana consistently might find it challenging to integrate Yamabushi’s Flame into their strategies, effectively narrowing its versatility across various deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost requiring three colorless and one red mana, the card sits on the higher end for its effect. There are alternatives in the game that could deal damage or offer similar utility at a lower mana investment, making Yamabushi’s Flame a less attractive option for players mindful of their mana curve and looking for cost-efficiency in their card choices.

Reasons to Include Yamabushi’s Flame in Your Collection

Versatility: Yamabushi’s Flame offers a flexible removal option that can be used to target a wide range of creatures, making it a useful card in various deck builds. It’s particularly effective in formats where small to mid-sized creatures dominate the board.

Combo Potential: This instant not only deals damage, but it also exiles the target if it would die, interfering with graveyard strategies and disrupting opponent combos. This can be a key tactical advantage in games where opponents rely on recurring their creatures from the graveyard.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where creature-based strategies are prevailing, Yamabushi’s Flame has the potential to shift the balance in your favor. By exiling key creatures, it reduces the efficacy of your opponent’s tactics and provides a counter to prevailing resurrection themes.

How to beat

Yamabushi’s Flame offers a strategic edge in the realm of direct damage spells in Magic: The Gathering. This spell is known for its versatility, capable of targeting creatures or directly diminishing an opponent’s life total. Its distinct exile effect, once the creature it damages would die, ensures that particularly persistent creatures won’t make a return, setting it apart from many other damage-dealing spells.

To effectively counter Yamabushi’s Flame, one must consider spells that grant Indestructibility or use creature abilities that negate effects or prevent damage. Cards like Boros Charm provide your creatures a durable shield against such spells. Strategic planning is essential: holding back on playing key creatures until you can guarantee their protection or baiting out Yamabushi’s Flame with less critical targets can turn the tide in your favor. Keep in mind spell counters are also a reliable answer, with Negate and Counterspell leading the pack in spell interruption.

Navigating around Yamabushi’s Flame’s exile twist requires clever play to minimize its impact. When faced with the possibility of seeing your creature banished, prioritize spells and abilities that bolster your defenses or remove the threat altogether. Understanding the balance between risk and reward is crucial when playing against such powerful removals.

Cards like Yamabushi's Flame

Yamabushi’s Flame holds a unique position among the direct damage spells in Magic: The Gathering. It displays certain similarities to cards like Shock or Lightning Strike, which are staples for delivering quick damage to creatures or players. While both Shock and Lightning Strike deal damage at a lower mana cost, Yamabushi’s Flame comes with an additional benefit. This spell not only deals damage but also exiles the damaged creature if it were to die that turn, preventing any form of graveyard retrieval or further on-death triggers which are common tactical approaches in many MTG decks.

In comparison, we can look at Incinerate, which mirrors the mana cost and damage output of Yamabushi’s Flame and similarly prevents regeneration of the damaged creature. However, the distinction lies in Yamabushi’s Flame’s ability to exile creatures, which is pivotal against decks that rely on graveyard interaction. Moving further up the scale, we encounter Flame Javelin which offers a higher damage potential but at an increased mana cost and without the versatile exile effect.

While weighing the pros and cons, it’s clear that the balancing act of mana cost, damage, and additional effects like exile make Yamabushi’s Flame a card worth considering for decks that aim to control the field and manage threats effectively.

Cards similar to Yamabushi's Flame by color, type and mana cost

Merchant of the Vale // Haggle - MTG Card versions

Path of Anger's Flame - MTG Card versions

Flames of the Blood Hand - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Yamabushi's Flame MTG card by a specific set like Champions of Kamigawa, 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 Yamabushi's Flame and other MTG cards: