Burning Wish MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Fosters flexible gameplay with access to sideboard cards, allowing strategic responses to opponents’ actions.
  2. Can enable powerful combos by fetching the right sorcery card, thus significantly influencing the game.
  3. Stays relevant in shifting metas, adapts strategies without main deck alterations for versatile play.

Text of card

Choose a sorcery card you own from outside the game, reveal that card, and put it into your hand. Remove Burning Wish from the game.

She wished for a weapon, but not for the skill to wield it.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Burning Wish, the ability to choose a card from outside the game adds a layer of flexibility and power, allowing you to tailor your response to the current in-game situation. Whether you need a sweeper to clear the board or a specific answer to a troublesome permanent, Burning Wish gives you access to an array of options to outmaneuver your opponent and keep your hand resourceful.

Resource Acceleration: Although Burning Wish itself doesn’t directly ramp up your mana, it can fetch powerful acceleration cards from your sideboard. This flexibility to access whatever resource you need makes it a valuable addition to any deck focused on quickly deploying threats or pulling off game-winning combos.

Instant Speed: As a sorcery, Burning Wish can’t be cast at instant speed, but it has synergy with cards that allow you to cast sorceries as though they had flash. It then significantly expands your strategic choices, letting you wait for the perfect moment to access your sideboard and shift the tides of battle decisively in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Burning Wish grants you access to silver-bullet solutions from your sideboard, it mandates that you pitch another card from your hand. This trade-off can sometimes backfire, especially in tight game scenarios where each card in hand is crucial for your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Burning Wish comes with a particular mana cost that limits its flexibility. Requiring red mana means it may not seamlessly fit into decks outside of those that can easily generate red resources, potentially restricting its universal application.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a conversion cost of two generic and one red mana, Burning Wish may appear less appealing when compared to other tutor cards. Its mana investment is significant, especially since the card fetched goes straight to your hand and can’t be played immediately without additional mana sources becoming a consideration for strategic deck building.


Reasons to Include Burning Wish in Your Collection

Versatility: Burning Wish provides a unique flexibility in gameplay, allowing you to access cards from outside the game, which means you can tailor your strategy on the fly based on your opponent’s moves.

Combo Potential: By fetching the perfect sorcery card from your sideboard, Burning Wish can enable game-winning combinations or find that crucial piece to solve complex board states.

Meta-Relevance: As the meta shifts, this card consistently remains relevant, giving players the ability to adapt their sideboard and therefore their in-game strategies without altering their main deck.


How to beat

Burning Wish is a distinctive card that grants players the ability to exert influence over their game by fetching non-creature cards from outside the game. This capability is not just powerful but also versatile, allowing the player to adapt to a wide range of situations. The challenge, then, is in countering this flexibility and foresight.

To successfully navigate against a Burning Wish strategy, it’s essential to disrupt your opponent’s game plan. Running efficient counterspells can be an effective measure, as it allows you to prevent the Burning Wish from resolving in the first place. Another approach is to apply pressure and reduce their opportunities to use their wish effectively. Speed and aggression can force opponents to use their resources defensively rather than setting up their ideal plays.

Additionally, cards that restrict access to cards outside the game, such as Ashiok, Dream Render, put a damper on Burning Wish’s effectiveness. By understanding the nature of your opponent’s strategy and preparing answers in your deck, you can turn the tide of the game and potentially render Burning Wish a less threatening presence on the board.


Cards like Burning Wish

Burning Wish commands attention in the realm of wish cards within Magic: The Gathering. This powerful sorcery allows players to pull a card from outside the game—a feature reminiscent of masterpieces such as Cunning Wish. However, while Cunning Wish can retrieve only instant cards, Burning Wish offers a broader selection by targeting any sorcery card. This difference can be pivotal in the right deck, tailored to harness the spell’s full potential.

Another comparable card is Glittering Wish, which shares the intriguing capability to fetch a multicolored card from outside the game. While it lacks Burning Wish’s direct focus on sorceries, the inclusion of multicolored cards broadens the array of strategic options, though it’s limited by the colors. Furthermore, Glittering Wish operates under a lower cost, which can be essential for certain gameplay strategies.

Ultimately, evaluating the utility of wish cards like Burning Wish hinges on your deck’s design and the tactical flexibility you desire during gameplay. Each wish card provides unique benefits and restrictions, catering to various playstyles and formats. Burning Wish, with its wider-reaching grasp of sorceries, remains a formidable choice for players crafting complex and responsive gaming strategies.

Cunning Wish - MTG Card versions
Glittering Wish - MTG Card versions
Cunning Wish - Judgment (JUD)
Glittering Wish - Future Sight (FUT)

Cards similar to Burning Wish by color, type and mana cost

Scent of Cinder - MTG Card versions
Spitting Earth - MTG Card versions
Volcanic Hammer - MTG Card versions
Fanning the Flames - MTG Card versions
Strategy, Schmategy - MTG Card versions
Disorder - MTG Card versions
Warrior's Oath - MTG Card versions
Tribal Flames - MTG Card versions
Breath of Darigaaz - MTG Card versions
Incendiary Flow - MTG Card versions
Embereth Shieldbreaker // Battle Display - MTG Card versions
Nahiri's Lithoforming - MTG Card versions
Mizzium Mortars - MTG Card versions
Pyroclasm - MTG Card versions
Mana Seism - MTG Card versions
Yamabushi's Storm - MTG Card versions
Face to Face - MTG Card versions
Goblin Sleigh Ride - MTG Card versions
Molten Disaster - MTG Card versions
Hurly-Burly - MTG Card versions
Scent of Cinder - Media Inserts (PMEI)
Spitting Earth - Duel Decks: Knights vs. Dragons (DDG)
Volcanic Hammer - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Fanning the Flames - Stronghold (STH)
Strategy, Schmategy - Unglued (UGL)
Disorder - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Warrior's Oath - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Tribal Flames - Modern Masters (MMA)
Breath of Darigaaz - Commander 2015 (C15)
Incendiary Flow - Friday Night Magic 2017 (F17)
Embereth Shieldbreaker // Battle Display - Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate (CLB)
Nahiri's Lithoforming - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Mizzium Mortars - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Pyroclasm - Duel Decks: Sorin vs. Tibalt (DDK)
Mana Seism - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Yamabushi's Storm - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Face to Face - Unhinged (UNH)
Goblin Sleigh Ride - Happy Holidays (HHO)
Molten Disaster - Future Sight (FUT)
Hurly-Burly - Lorwyn (LRW)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Burning Wish MTG card by a specific set like Judgment and Magic Online Promos, 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 Burning Wish and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Burning Wish Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2002-05-27 and 2016-08-26. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-05-27JudgmentJUD 831997normalblackScott M. Fischer
22002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 435422003normalblackAriel Olivetti
32003-08-07World Championship Decks 2003WC03 pk832003normalgoldScott M. Fischer
42009-01-01Judge Gift Cards 2009G09 52003normalblackAriel Olivetti
52014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 1522015normalblackScott M. Fischer
62016-08-26Conspiracy: Take the CrownCN2 1522015normalblackScott M. Fischer

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Burning Wish has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2004-10-04 Can’t acquire the Ante cards. They are considered still “in the game” as are cards in the library and the graveyard.
2007-09-16 Can’t acquire cards that are phased out.
2009-10-01 In a sanctioned event, a card that’s “outside the game” is one that’s in your sideboard. In an unsanctioned event, you may choose any card from your collection.
2009-10-01 You can’t acquire exiled cards because those cards are still in one of the game’s zones.

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