Fire Covenant MTG Card
Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
Mana cost | |
Converted mana cost | 3 |
Rarity | Uncommon |
Type | Instant |
Text of card
Fire Covenant deals X damage, divided any way you choose among any number of target creatures, where X is equal to the amount of life you pay. Effects that prevent or redirect damage cannot be used to counter this loss of life.
Cards like Fire Covenant
Fire Covenant is a unique and powerful card within Magic: The Gathering, providing players with the ability to distribute a number of damage points as they see fit across any combination of creatures. Its effect mirrors that of Toxic Deluge, which also offers the option to clear the board by paying life. Yet, Toxic Deluge affects all creatures without the precision Fire Covenant allows for specific targeting.
Another card that presents a resemblance in strategy is Blasphemous Act. This card’s cost decreases as more creatures enter the battlefield, leading to a potentially cheap board wipe. Though Blasphemous Act and Fire Covenant are similar in their destructive impact on creatures, the cost, and instant speed of Fire Covenant often give it a tactical advantage in tight situations.
When considering versatility and control in creature management, Fire Covenant stands out. Its ability to surgically remove threats while leaving allied creatures unharmed, all at instant speed, makes it a formidable choice for players who value strategic flexibility in their deck construction and during gameplay.
Cards similar to Fire Covenant by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Fire Covenant. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
# | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
---|---|---|---|---|
Four-color Midrange | Canadian Highlander for Duals - Tundra Guaranteed - Proxies Allowed |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Fire Covenant can be equivalent to drawing multiple cards, as it efficiently deals with several creatures at once. This means you won’t need to use as many cards from your hand to control the board, conserving your resources and maintaining advantage.
Resource Acceleration: While Fire Covenant itself doesn’t generate mana or tokens, it helps with preserving the mana you have by dealing with a slew of threats for potentially just one card. This leaves you with more mana at your disposal for subsequent turns, speeding up your game plan.
Instant Speed: The ability to cast Fire Covenant at instant speed offers flexibility, allowing you to respond to your opponent’s actions during their turn. This can buy you critical time, catch an opponent off-guard, and can pivotally alter the board state when most advantageous for you.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Fire Covenant is that while there’s no discard required, it demands a considerable amount of life to be paid, which can be a risky move. Managing your life total is crucial, and using Fire Covenant unwisely could leave you vulnerable to defeat.
Specific Mana Cost: Fire Covenant necessitates a very particular mana investment, requiring one black, one red, and one generic mana. This makes it inherently less flexible, as only decks sporting these colors can adopt it, potentially excluding it from a variety of strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although its ability to deal damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures can be powerful, the card’s total cost of three mana, including the life payment, is relatively high. It means you’re often trading crucial progression turns to cast it, which might not align with your game plan, especially when other sweepers or removal options are available for less.
Reasons to Include Fire Covenant in Your Collection
Versatility: Fire Covenant offers a unique blend of precision and flexibility, allowing it to be slotted into a variety of control and midrange decks. With the ability to target multiple creatures and tailor the life payment, it provides a powerful and adaptable board control tool.
Combo Potential: In decks that manipulate life totals or benefit from having a high life total, Fire Covenant serves as a key enabler. It shines in strategies that pair it with cards that offset its life payment cost or directly leverage life as a resource for a strategic advantage.
Meta-Relevance: Given the swift and varied creature-based strategies that frequently dominate gameplay, Fire Covenant remains a relevant sideboard staple or even maindeck choice. Its capability to swiftly alter the state of the board makes it a clutch component against swarm tactics and aggressive creature decks.
How to beat
Fire Covenant is a powerful tool in any MTG player’s arsenal. This instant allows you to pay life to clear the board of pesky creatures, often turning the tide of the game in your favor. Nevertheless, every card has its counters, and defeating a strategy that includes Fire Covenant involves smart play and a little foresight.
One effective method is to diversify your threats. Don’t overcommit to the board with multiple low-toughness creatures. Instead, aim for a balance of creatures with higher toughness that can survive the damage Fire Covenant might deal. Cards with indestructible or those that can regenerate also offer a neat workaround, staying on the board even after Fire Covenant resolves.
Protection spells are your friends. If you suspect your opponent is holding Fire Covenant back, keeping mana open for an instant that grants hexproof or protection to your creatures can nullify the threat. Additionally, countering it outright with a well-timed counterspell ensures that the damage never has a chance to occur. Ultimately, adaptability, patience, and precise timing are key to outmaneuvering the destructive force of Fire Covenant.
BurnMana Recommendations
Exploring the strategic depth of MTG often leads to discovering cards like Fire Covenant, pivotal in turning the tides during critical gameplay moments. If you’ve found value in understanding the pros, cons, and tactical elements of this fascinating card, we encourage you to delve deeper. Enhance your deck-building skills, outwit opponents with superior gameplay strategies, and stay ahead of the curve in the constantly evolving MTG environment. There is a wealth of knowledge and tactics awaiting to sharpen your edge. Ready for more insights and game-changing revelations? Tap into our reservoir of MTG wisdom for your next victorious play.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Fire Covenant MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age and Masters Edition, 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 Fire Covenant and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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 Fire Covenant Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1995-06-03 and 2019-12-02. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
# | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1995-06-03 | Ice Age | ICE | 289 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dan Frazier | |
2 | 2007-09-10 | Masters Edition | ME1 | 145 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Dan Frazier | |
3 | Secret Lair Drop | SLD | 271 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Rovina Cai |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Fire Covenant has restrictions
Format | Legality |
---|---|
Commander | Legal |
Legacy | Legal |
Oathbreaker | Legal |
Premodern | Legal |
Vintage | Legal |
Duel | Legal |
Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Fire Covenant card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
Date | Text |
---|---|
2007-09-16 | If X is 0, the number of targets must also be 0. |
2007-09-16 | You divide the damage as you cast the spell. You can’t redistribute the damage if any of the target creatures becomes illegal before the spell resolves. |
2007-09-16 | You must distribute at least 1 damage to each target. |