Tarfire MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeTribal Instant — Goblin

Key Takeaways

  1. Tarfire offers strategic advantages by disrupting opponents and controlling game tempo with instant speed.
  2. While versatile, it’s restricted to red mana decks and may be less efficient compared to alternatives.
  3. Inclusion in your collection adds versatility, especially in Goblin-focused or synergy-based strategies.

Text of card

Tarfire deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

"After Auntie brushed the soot from her eyes, she discovered something wonderful: the fire had turned the goat into something that smelled delicious." —A tale of Auntie Grub


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tarfire doesn’t directly offer card draw, but as it can eliminate key creatures it might disrupt your opponent’s strategy, effectively giving you an indirect advantage on the board.

Resource Acceleration: While Tarfire doesn’t provide resource acceleration in the traditional sense, its low cost fits well in strategies aiming to cast multiple spells quickly, ensuring you can maintain tempo and pressure.

Instant Speed: Tarfire’s instant speed grants you the flexibility to respond to threats on the fly without having to commit mana until it’s most strategically advantageous. This can effectively dictate the pace of the game, forcing opponents to play around it.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Tarfire does not directly compel you to discard cards, its usefulness can diminish if you’re forced to discard due to hand size limitations or dealing with opposing discard strategies that deplete your resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Tarfire’s casting cost necessitates red mana, which may not be ideal for decks that do not have a red mana base, potentially restricting its inclusion to only those decks that can reliably generate red mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Tarfire costs only two mana, when evaluated against its damage output, there are alternatives like Lightning Bolt that offer the same damage for less mana, providing more flexibility and efficiency in a similar role.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Tarfire provides a compact source of direct damage that can be slotted into numerous deck archetypes. Its dual nature as both a Goblin spell and a burn spell makes it uniquely suitable for tribal strategies while still maintaining the flexibility to be used in general red-based decks looking for efficient removal or reach.

Combo Potential: With its tribal tag, Tarfire can be an unexpected enabler in decks built around Goblin synergies or spells that benefit from having multiple types, such as those involving Tarmogoyf. It can also be a handy tool in graveyard strategies, where spells in the graveyard count towards various card thresholds or effects.

Meta-Relevance: The ability to quickly dispatch small creatures or finish off opponents grants Tarfire a stable position in certain metas. Its relevance grows in environments crowded with aggressive creatures or where the life total margins are often slim. The ease of casting and instant speed makes Tarfire a consistent pick for players looking to stay ahead of the competition.


How to beat

Tarfire is a versatile instant spell in Magic: The Gathering, offering red decks a quick and efficient way to send damage directly to creatures or players. In contrast to other removal spells, Tarfire’s due merit comes from its simplicity and the bonus of being a tribal spell, which can sometimes have further implications in decks that care about tribal synergies.

Countering Tarfire can be approached by using spells that protect a creature from being destroyed or by using counterspells to prevent it from resolving. Given its low mana cost, it is essential to have a shield ready, like Apostle’s Blessing or a straightforward Negate, when facing a deck that could be packing this Goblin spell. Additionally, smart plays and keeping mana open for interaction can undermine the effectiveness of Tarfire, turning it into a less threatening card in your opponent’s arsenal.

Ultimately, staying on your toes and preparing defenses or counters can neutralize Tarfire, reducing its impact on the game, and maintaining control over the board. By analyzing Tarfire in conjunction with MTG’s vast card pool, players can find numerous strategies to overcome it, ensuring that no single card dictates the flow of the match.


Uncovering the Power of Tarfire

When diving into the world of Goblin tribal strategies or simply seeking efficient burn options, Tarfire is a remarkable piece within MTG. Its closest counterpart might be Shock, the classic two-damage staple. Tarfire delivers the same punch, doling out two damage to any target, but it holds a tribal twist, being a Goblin spell, which can be critical in decks that care about creature types.

Cards like Tarfire

Tarfire shares the stage with other low-cost damage spells that have made a mark in MTG player’s arsenals. Lightning Bolt, for instance, is an iconic spell that offers more damage, three instead of two, for the same single red mana. Despite this, Tarfire’s Goblin spell type gives it a unique edge in tribal decks. Magma Jet is another card that presents a synergy, dealing two damage as well, but it digs deeper into the deck with its scry ability, albeit at a higher mana cost.

There’s also Flame Slash that offers even more power, providing four damage, but it’s restricted to creatures and lacks the instant speed or tribal tag that Tarfire boasts. Hence, while other spells might provide either higher damage output or additional utility, Tarfire’s uniqueness lies in its subtype, offering synergy for those running Goblin-centric builds or needing to fuel Delirium and other mechanics that hinge on card types.

Shock - Stronghold (STH)
Lightning Bolt - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Magma Jet - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Flame Slash - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tarfire MTG card by a specific set like Lorwyn and Duel Decks: Elves vs. Goblins, 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 Tarfire and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Tarfire Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2007-10-12 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Omar Rayyan.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12007-10-12LorwynLRW 1942003normalblackOmar Rayyan
22007-11-16Duel Decks: Elves vs. GoblinsDD1 562003normalblackOmar Rayyan
32014-12-05Duel Decks Anthology: Elves vs. GoblinsEVG 562015normalblackOmar Rayyan
42017-10-24Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. GoblinsDDT 552015normalblackOmar Rayyan
52019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 10782015normalblackOmar Rayyan
62020-09-26The ListPLST DDT-552015normalblackOmar Rayyan

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Tarfire has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks