Sarkhan's Dragonfire MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Released | 2018-07-13 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Core Set 2019 |
| Set code | M19 |
| Number | 298 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | normal |
| Border | black |
| Illustred by | Daarken |
Key Takeaways
- The card’s search ability sifts through the deck to handpick key components, enhancing your game plan.
- Instant casting option offers reactive play, adding depth to in-game strategies and surprises for opponents.
- Despite its mana constraints and discard cost, its strategic flexibility makes it valuable in various decks.
Text of card
Sarkhan's Dragonfire deals 3 damage to any target. Look at the top five cards of your library. You may reveal a red card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
"I am most myself when I am least human."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When casting Sarkhan’s Dragonfire, rifling through your deck for key cards becomes simpler thanks to its search ability, effectively streamlining your strategy toward victory.
Resource Acceleration: As a unique hallmark of red’s explosive playstyle, this spell reflects resource acceleration by unlocking access to additional mana sources. This pivotal aspect amplifies the potentials of what you can cast each turn, shaping the pace of the match.
Instant Speed: The remarkable capability of this card to be cast at instant speed unlocks tactical flexibility for the player. Subtly lying in wait, you can strategically unleash its power at the most opportune moment, disrupting your adversary’s flow or providing a critical response when the tides of battle hang in the balance.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Sarkhan’s Dragonfire demands you discard a card to activate its full potential. This can be a costly price, especially when your hand is lacking options or you’re in need of each card to execute your strategy effectively.
Specific Mana Cost: The spell requires a precise combination of mana, including both generic and red mana, which might not always align with the fluidity of your mana base. This can lead to situations where casting it on time is more challenging than with more flexible cost cards.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that could be considered steep for its effect, it competes with other spells in the same cost bracket. Players must weigh its impact against other splashy plays in the four-mana slot, some of which may offer a more immediate or versatile advantage on the battlefield.
Reasons to Include Sarkhan’s Dragonfire in Your Collection
Versatility: Sarkhan’s Dragonfire is not just a damage-dealing spell. Its capability to act as both removal and a way to sift through your library to snag a key planeswalker makes it a dynamic card that’s useful in a variety of situations. Its flexibility allows it to blend into different types of red or multicolored decks, enhancing their firepower and utility.
Combo Potential: For decks that revolve around Sarkhan planeswalkers or dragons, this card has immense combo potential. Triggering the search ability can significantly advance your game state by retrieving a powerful Sarkhan planeswalker card, leading to game-changing plays. Additionally, it triggers synergy effects in dragon-focused decks.
Meta-Relevance: Given its power to remove creatures and planeswalkers, Sarkhan’s Dragonfire remains relevant in metas with creature-heavy or planeswalker-oriented decks. It offers a strategic advantage, potentially clearing the way for your creatures or setting the stage for a crucial planeswalker’s entrance.
How to beat
Sarkhan’s Dragonfire is a powerful card within the MTG universe, known for its versatility in both removing threats and as a catalyst for direct damage to opponents. Comparable to other removal spells, its key advantage lies in the capacity to search your library for a bright planeswalker card to add to your hand. However, formidable it may seem, conquering this card can be achieved through strategic planning.
Strategies like employing instant speed counter spells, such as Negate, can effectively neutralize Sarkhan’s Dragonfire before its effects come into play. Targeted discard strategies using Thoughtseize or Duress are also efficient in preemptively dealing with potent threats like Sarkhan’s Dragonfire by forcing it out of your opponent’s hand. Embracing enchantments that restrict the casting of noncreature spells, like Damping Sphere, can also crimp the utility of such high impact cards. Lastly, since Sarkhan’s Dragonfire searches for a planeswalker, using Ashiok’s Erasure to exile it diminishes the chance for your opponent to leverage its searching capability.
Ultimately, while Sarkhan’s Dragonfire stands as a commanding presence on the battlefield, a well-thought-out defense focused on hindrance and spell disruption can ensure a robust counter-strategy. This steers the game towards your favor and mitigates the impact of this formidable MTG card.
Cards like Sarkhan's Dragonfire
Sarkhan’s Dragonfire is an impactful spell in the world of Magic: The Gathering that offers both removal and card advantage. It bears resemblance to Flames of the Raze-Boar, which also provides the capability to deal damage to multiple targets. However, Sarkhan’s Dragonfire offers more control over target selection with its potential to directly damage any target, not just creatures with flying like the Raze-Boar demands.
Another similar spell is Jaya’s Immolating Inferno. This legendary sorcery also enables players to distribute damage across various targets. Although both spells are somewhat similar in effect, Sarkhan’s Dragonfire has the added advantage of not being restricted to the legendary requirement that Jaya’s spell requires, allowing for greater versatility in deck building.
To round off the comparison, we consider Chandra’s Outburst, which shares the theme of dealing damage and card selection. While Chandra’s Outburst allows you to search for a Chandra planeswalker card in addition to dealing damage, Sarkhan’s Dragonfire’s looting effect is more open-ended, permitting a look at the top cards of your library and choosing any of them, not just a particular planeswalker. This offers a distinct strategic edge in flexibility and resource management.
Cards similar to Sarkhan's Dragonfire by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Sarkhan's Dragonfire MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2019, 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 Sarkhan's Dragonfire and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See Magic products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Sarkhan's Dragonfire 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 Sarkhan's Dragonfire card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-07-13 | If the chosen target is an illegal target when Sarkhan’s Dragonfire tries to resolve, the spell doesn’t resolve. You won’t look at the top five cards of your library. |
