Fire Whip MTG Card
1997-06-09 - Number 100
2006-10-06 - Number 63
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
Text of card
Play only on a creature you control. Tap enchanted creature: Enchanted creature deals 1 damage to target creature or player. Sacrifice Fire Whip: Fire Whip deals 1 damage to target creature or player.
Cards like Fire Whip
Fire Whip is an intriguing addition to the range of enchant creature spells within Magic: The Gathering. It finds its kinship with cards like Hermetic Study and Psionic Gift, which equip creatures with the ability to tap for a single damage to any target. The distinct advantage Fire Whip offers is its flexibility, functioning not only as a tap ability enhancer but also as an instant damage spell by sacrificing it.
While comparing, we can observe that Hermetic Study and Psionic Gift grant permanency to the damage ability without the optional sacrifice for immediate effect. Conversely, Fire Whip’s dual utility allows for unexpected plays, giving players a surprise factor that can be pivotal in a match. Another card to note is Viridian Longbow, which similarly confers a tap-for-damage ability. What separates Fire Whip is its one-time sacrifice feature that can catch opponents off guard and disrupt their strategy.
In assessing the mechanics of enchant creature cards with tap abilities, Fire Whip stands out due to its instant impact, giving players a strategic edge by offering sudden damage potential alongside a continuous damage source when wielded wisely.
Cards similar to Fire Whip by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Fire Whip offers a tactical edge by giving you the option to turn any of your creatures into potential card removal tools. This can tilt the balance of a game by effectively dealing with opposing threats while maintaining presence on the board.
Resource Acceleration: Although Fire Whip itself does not directly accelerate resources, its low casting cost and versatility can free up mana for other spells and actions within your turn, keeping the pace in your favor.
Instant Speed: Fire Whip’s ability to be activated at instant speed grants you significant flexibility during gameplay. It allows you to respond to your opponent’s moves on their turn, potentially disrupting their strategies or removing key creatures before they can make an impactful play.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Casting Fire Whip involves sacrificing the enchantment, which means giving up board presence. This requirement can be detrimental, especially when you’re striving to maintain card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Fire Whip’s casting cost demands one red mana, which can restrict its integration in multi-colored decks that need to balance their mana base carefully.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of two mana, one of which is color-specific, Fire Whip may be considered overpriced compared to other one-mana red instants or abilities that deal damage without the extra cost.
Reasons to Include Fire Whip in Your Collection
Versatility: Fire Whip offers flexibility in deck-building. This enchantment can turn any creature into a threat with its tap ability to deal damage, making it a useful card for a variety of strategies, particularly those that require direct damage or the ability to remove small threats from the battlefield.
Combo Potential: This card has great synergy with creatures that have tap abilities. By enhancing the usefulness of your creatures, Fire Whip can become a key piece in intricate combinations, maximizing your board’s potential and turning even the tamest creatures into significant threats.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creatures with 1 toughness are prevalent, Fire Whip shines. It’s also a valuable asset against decks that rely on utility creatures, as it can easily disrupt your opponent’s plans while keeping your mana open for other spells and abilities.
How to beat
Fire Whip is a unique card that offers players flexible options in the game of Magic: The Gathering. It allows you to tap an enchanted creature to deal one damage to any target, which can be pivotal in controlling the board state. Yet, this card has its vulnerabilities which can be exploited. Since Fire Whip requires a creature to be in play, creature removal spells can effectively neutralize its threat. Cards like Doom Blade or Murder can dispatch the enchanted creature, subsequently sending Fire Whip to the graveyard as well.
Additionally, counter spells are instrumental in halting Fire Whip’s initial casting. Counterspell or Negate can prevent Fire Whip from ever touching the battlefield, thereby maintaining your strategic advantage. Don’t overlook enchantment removal either. Naturalize or Disenchant can get rid of Fire Whip directly, even after it’s attached to an opponent’s creature, mitigating any potential damage and preserving your own creatures or life total.
Strategically, it’s key to prioritize threats and understand when to let Fire Whip enter play or when to remove it. It might be nominal initially but can quickly become a nuisance if left unchecked, especially in a board state where pinging for one damage recurrently can spell defeat.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Fire Whip MTG card by a specific set like Weatherlight and Time Spiral Timeshifted, 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 Whip 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 Whip Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1997-06-09 and 2006-10-06. Illustrated by Jeff Miracola.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1997-06-09 | Weatherlight | WTH | 100 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Jeff Miracola | |
| 2 | 2006-10-06 | Time Spiral Timeshifted | TSB | 63 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Jeff Miracola |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Fire Whip has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Fire Whip card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | Fire Whip is put into the graveyard if you lose control of the creature since the card text says it can only enchant a creature you control. |
| 2004-10-04 | Remember that you tap the creature as part of the cost of activating Fire Whip’s granted ability. So, if you have two Fire Whips on a creature activating the first one will tap the creature, so you can’t use the second one or any other ability which requires tapping the creature until you find a way to untap it. |