Chandra, Flame's Catalyst MTG Card
2020-07-03 - Number 332
2019-12-02 - Number 1420
2019-12-02 - Number 1420★
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Legendary Planeswalker — Chandra |
| Loyalty | 5 |
Key Takeaways
- Gain card advantage and damage opponents simultaneously with Chandra’s +1 loyalty ability.
- Her second +1 ability accelerates resources, changing the game’s pace to your favor.
- Chandra’s -3 ability leverages graveyard spells for unexpected tactical plays.
Text of card
+1: Chandra, Flame's Catalyst deals 3 damage to each opponent. −2: You may cast target red instant or sorcery card from your graveyard. If that spell would be put into your graveyard this turn, exile it instead. −8: Discard your hand, then draw seven cards. Until end of turn, you may cast spells from your hand without paying their mana costs.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Chandra, Flame’s Catalyst presents a unique opportunity for players by allowing them to gain cards through its +1 loyalty ability. By dealing damage to your opponent or their planeswalker and drawing a card if an opponent was dealt damage this turn, you not only disrupt your adversary’s strategy but also give yourself a leg up in the card count.
Resource Acceleration: This planeswalker’s second +1 ability serves as a significant resource accelerator. Adding two red mana to your mana pool can propel your strategy forward, letting you cast additional spells or activate abilities sooner than you otherwise could, potentially changing the pace of the duel in your favor.
Instant Speed: While Chandra, Flame’s Catalyst itself is not an instant, her -3 ability allows you to cast certain instant and sorcery cards with total mana cost three or less from your graveyard. This not only gives you a way to leverage your graveyard as an extended hand but also synergizes well with instant-speed spells, providing opportunities for unpredictable plays and tactical advantage.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Chandra, Flame’s Catalyst necessitates the discarding of a card for certain abilities, potentially leaving your hand at a deficit just when you might need more options.
Specific Mana Cost: The planeswalker demands a precise mana alignment with triple red in its cost, potentially straining mana bases not tailored to heavy red utilization.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a loyalty cost that’s on the upper tier, Chandra, Flame’s Catalyst competes with other high-impact planeswalkers and spells, which may offer more immediate board influence or value.
Reasons to Include Chandra, Flame’s Catalyst in Your Collection
Versatility: Chandra, Flame’s Catalyst brings a broad range of abilities to red decks, offering direct damage, creature summoning, and a powerful ultimate to swing games. This planeswalker is a great fit for players who enjoy flexibility and varied strategies.
Combo Potential: With the ability to deal damage, create elementals, and add loyalty counters through other cards that synergize with planeswalkers, Chandra, Flame’s Catalyst is an essential cog in many combo engines, allowing for intricate and devastating plays.
Meta-Relevance: As the meta shifts, a planeswalker like Chandra, Flame’s Catalyst can maintain relevancy due to her ability to adapt and confront a wide array of threats, making her a staple in decks that want to stay competitive over time.
How to beat
Chandra, Flame’s Catalyst is a formidable planeswalker card in Magic: The Gathering, offering versatile utility and damage potential to red decks. To overcome this challenge, denying the necessary mana to cast it should be a priority. Cards that disrupt your opponent’s mana base such as Blood Moon or land destruction spells can be highly effective. Additionally, direct damage spells or creature attacks aimed at planeswalkers can eliminate Chandra before she accumulates significant loyalty counters.
Consider too, if Chandra has already made her presence on the board, using instant-speed removal like Hero’s Downfall or Bedevil can swiftly handle her presence before her abilities wreak havoc. Nullifying her impact with counterspells like Negate or Dovin’s Veto when she’s cast, effectively prevents any advantage she may offer. Finally, leverage enchantments such as The Immortal Sun, which suppresses all planeswalker abilities, ensuring Chandra’s capabilities are neutralized. By adopting a strategic approach that involves resource denial, targeted removal, or planeswalker suppression, players can effectively navigate the threat posed by Chandra, Flame’s Catalyst.
Ultimately, key to triumph over such a powerful card is a mix of preparedness and quick response, ensuring that your opponent’s strategies, involving Chandra, turn to ash.
Cards like Chandra, Flame's Catalyst
Chandra, Flame’s Catalyst is an intriguing planeswalker card that offers a variety of abilities, somewhat akin to Chandra, Pyromaster from previous sets. Both share the capacity to deal direct damage to creatures or players and provide card advantage, yet Flame’s Catalyst boasts a unique ultimate ability that can turn the tide of the game with its massive damage-potential. Unlike Pyromaster, Flame’s Catalyst’s ultimate sets up a devastating burst that can end games, especially when player defenses are down.
Other similar cards within the MTG universe include Chandra, Torch of Defiance, which also emphasizes versatile damage output and card advantage. However, Torch of Defiance presents a slightly different utility by adding mana to your pool, which can be critical for casting high-cost spells quickly. Besides, it has the inherent benefit of being part of competitive play due to its four separate abilities, offering even more flexibility than Flame’s Catalyst.
Considering these options, Chandra, Flame’s Catalyst shines in decks tuned for a powerful finish. It brings formidable abilities to the battlefield that can synergize with strategies focusing on overwhelming opponents with direct damage and advancing board control.
Cards similar to Chandra, Flame's Catalyst by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Chandra, Flame's Catalyst MTG card by a specific set like Secret Lair Drop and Secret Lair Drop, 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 Chandra, Flame's Catalyst 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
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Printings
The Chandra, Flame's Catalyst Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-12-02 and 2020-07-03. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Secret Lair Drop | SLD | 1420 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Uta Natsume | ||
| 2 | Secret Lair Drop | SLD | 1420★ | 2015 | Normal | Black | Uta Natsume | ||
| 3 | 2020-07-03 | Core Set 2021 | M21 | 332 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Grzegorz Rutkowski |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Chandra, Flame's Catalyst has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Chandra, Flame's Catalyst card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2020-06-23 | Chandra's last ability doesn't change when you may cast those spells. For example, you can't cast a sorcery spell from your hand during combat. |
| 2020-06-23 | If a spell has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. |
| 2020-06-23 | If you cast a spell “without paying its mana cost,” you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, those must be paid to cast the spell. |
| 2020-06-23 | If you have no cards in hand while Chandra's last ability is resolving, you still draw seven cards and may cast spells from your hand without paying their mana costs this turn. |
| 2020-06-23 | If you wish to cast the target card, you must cast it while Chandra's second ability is resolving. You can't cast it later in the turn. |
| 2020-06-23 | In a Two-Headed Giant game, Chandra's first ability causes the opposing team to lose 6 life. |
| 2020-06-23 | You must pay the costs for the spell you wish to cast with Chandra's second ability. If that spell has any alternative costs, you may pay those. |
