Cinderclasm MTG Card

Cinderclasm’s instant speed allows for reactive plays, altering battlefield dynamics in your favor. Its ability to scale with kicker cost adds adaptable control over creature threats. Strategic inclusion in decks can leverage its board-clearing capabilities against swarm strategies.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant
Abilities	Kicker
Released	2020-09-25
Set symbol
Set name	Zendikar Rising
Set code	ZNR
Number	136
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Campbell White

Text of card

Kicker (You may pay an additional as you cast this spell.) Cinderclasm deals 1 damage to each creature. If it was kicked, it deals 2 damage to each creature instead.

Every inferno begins with a spark.

Cards like Cinderclasm

Cinderclasm finds its place in the pantheon of sweepers in Magic: The Gathering. Its kin includes cards like Pyroclasm and Volcanic Fallout, which are both revered for their board-clearing capabilities. What sets Cinderclasm apart is its flexibility—players can kick it for an additional mana to increase its damage output. In contrast, Pyroclasm always deals two damage to each creature, while Volcanic Fallout deals two as well but cannot be altered. However, Fallout has the advantage of being uncounterable and also hits each player, expanding its range of influence.

Anger of the Gods is another comparable card, which deals three damage to each creature and, if a creature dealt damage this way would die, it exiles it instead. The exile clause is a major boon in games where recursion is prevalent. While Cinderclasm’s damage can be modified, this potential isn’t enough to overshadow Anger of the Gods’ definitive way of dealing with regenerative threats.

Exploring these options, it’s clear that Cinderclasm brings a strategic dimension to the swift elimination of creatures, catering to players looking for a mix of surprise and control in their damage spells.

Cards similar to Cinderclasm by color, type and mana cost

Smash to Smithereens - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cinderclasm can potentially wipe out multiple low-toughness creatures with one card, tipping the scale in your favor. This not only disrupts your opponent’s board presence but keeps your hand healthy to combat further threats.

Resource Acceleration: While Cinderclasm itself doesn’t directly increase your mana resources, clearing the board of mana dorks and other utility creatures can effectively slow down your opponent’s resource acceleration, granting you a strategic tempo advantage.

Instant Speed: The versatility of being an instant means Cinderclasm can be cast in response to enemy actions during their turn, which is perfect for thwarting surprise attacks or combat tricks that could otherwise leave you at a disadvantage.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Cinderclasm does not require a card discard to be played, so players can keep their hand intact while using it.

Specific Mana Cost: With its entirely red mana cost, Cinderclasm fits primarily into red or multicolored decks, potentially limiting its inclusion in other deck types where red mana isn’t prevalent.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Cinderclasm’s base cost is relatively low, its kicker cost increases its total mana requirement for an amplified effect. This can be less efficient compared to other sweepers or direct damage spells when balancing cost against impact.

Reasons to Include Cinderclasm in Your Collection

Versatility: Cinderclasm shines in its flexibility, capable of being cast for its kicker cost to adjust to the board state. This red instant can be a strategic inclusion in decks that need to control the battlefield against swift aggro strategies.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to deal damage to each creature can be exploited in decks that thrive on damage-based triggers. Whether it’s to enrage your own creatures or to wipe clean a board filled with your opponent’s tokens, Cinderclasm can be a key piece in a fiery combo chain.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment teeming with creatures and token strategies, Cinderclasm offers an answer that could turn the tide of a match. Its role in your sideboard becomes even more critical when facing decks that go wide with numerous low-toughness creatures, maintaining relevance in varying meta scenarios.

How to beat

Cinderclasm is a card that can turn the tides in Magic: The Gathering by wiping out multiple creatures at once with its flexible casting cost and ability to be used at instant speed. The key lies in its Kicker cost, which if paid, triggers its damage across the board. To outplay Cinderclasm, the strategy should involve playing creatures with toughness greater than two, making them immune to its sweep when kicked. Additionally, employing instant speed spells that can bolster your creatures’ toughness in response to Cinderclasm can save them from the fiery demise the card intends.

Understanding the strategic timing of your opponent is also crucial. If they are playing red and have untapped mana with enough to cast Cinderclasm, especially with kicker, it may be wise to hold off on deploying additional creatures to the battlefield until the threat of the board wipe has passed. This preventative approach ensures that you won’t over-commit your resources and fall victim to this destructive spell.

Ultimately, adaptable play and keen observation of the mana your opponent has available will guide your defenses against Cinderclasm, allowing your forces to survive and thrive in the heated battles of Magic: The Gathering.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cinderclasm MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar Rising, 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 Cinderclasm and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cinderclasm has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Commander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2020-09-25	An ability that triggers when a player casts a kicked spell resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger, but after targets have been chosen for that spell. It resolves even if that spell is countered.
2020-09-25	If you copy a kicked spell, the copy is also kicked. If a card or token enters the battlefield as a copy of a permanent that’s already on the battlefield, the new permanent isn’t kicked, even if the original was.
2020-09-25	If you put a permanent with a kicker ability onto the battlefield without casting it, you can’t kick it.
2020-09-25	Kicker represents an optional additional cost that you may choose to pay as you cast the spell. A spell cast with that additional cost paid is “kicked.”
2020-09-25	Some instant or sorcery spells require alternative or additional targets if they’re kicked. You ignore these targeting requirements if those spells aren’t kicked, and you can’t kick those spells unless you can choose the appropriate targets. On the other hand, you can kick a permanent spell even if you won’t be able to choose targets for an enters-the-battlefield ability of that permanent once the spell resolves.
2020-09-25	To determine a spell’s total cost, start with the mana cost (or an alternative cost if another card’s effect allows you to pay one instead), add any cost increases (such as kicker), 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.
2020-09-25	You can’t pay a kicker cost more than once.