Flame Spill MTG Card

Flame Spill can turn creature damage into direct opponent damage, offering a unique angle of attack. With instant speed, Flame Spill grants flexibility, disrupting opponent strategies at critical moments. Despite a higher casting cost, its potential for damage overflow makes it a considerable choice.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant
Released	2020-04-24
Set symbol
Set name	Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
Set code	IKO
Number	117
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Zoltan Boros

Text of card

Flame Spill deals 4 damage to target creature. Excess damage is dealt to that creature's controller instead.

Fragile, floating Skysail suddenly seemed like an appealingly safe place to live.

Cards like Flame Spill

Flame Spill is an intriguing burn spell in the universe of Magic: The Gathering. This instant compares to other burn spells like Searing Spear, which also delivers a solid three damage to any target. Flame Spill’s unique trait is the ability to deal excess damage to a player if it’s used to dispatch a creature, potentially swinging the game’s momentum.

Comparing Flame Spill to the likes of Lightning Strike and Incinerate, we notice that each spell has its niche. Lightning Strike mirrors Searing Spear’s instant speed and versatility, but lacks Flame Spill’s potential for extra damage to a player. Incinerate offers similar damage and the added benefit of hindering regeneration, though it doesn’t enable damage overflow.

Assessing these cards side-by-side, Flame Spill holds its own within the burn spell category, valued for its unique excess damage mechanic. It’s this additional potential for player damage that can turn the tides in a match, making Flame Spill a card worthy of consideration for MTG players looking to add a fiery edge to their deck.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Flame Spill is notable for its overkill damage potential. When this burn spell exceeds the amount of toughness a creature has, the remainder deals damage to that creature’s controller. This unique feature can lead to an operational card advantage, as you can effectively deal with a creature while also chipping away at your opponent’s life total, positioning you better in the long game.

Resource Acceleration: While Flame Spill doesn’t directly provide mana or tokens, the indirect acceleration comes from its potential to clear the board. By eliminating problematic blockers or threats, you open the way for your creatures to attack unimpeded, essentially accelerating your path to victory without committing additional resources to the board.

Instant Speed: The fact that Flame Spill can be cast at instant speed gives you the flexibility to remove creatures during your opponent’s turn or in response to an action. This adaptability allows for efficient use of mana and can force your opponent to play around the possibility of their creature being removed out of sequence, which can be significantly disruptive to their strategy.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Flame Spill does not directly require discarding as a cost, yet it can indirectly lead to card disadvantage if it fails to eliminate a threat completely. This is particularly noticeable when the excess damage doesn’t fully capitalize on the spell’s potential, essentially wasting cards from hand without a full return on the investment.

Specific Mana Cost: Flame Spill’s mana cost includes two generic and one red mana, which may not be a hindrance in mono-red decks but can pose a challenge in multi-colored decks needing precise mana fixing to ensure this spell can be cast on time.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, Flame Spill is priced on the higher side for direct damage spells. While its ability to deal excess damage to the target’s controller is a bonus, other spells at this cost or lower, such as Lightning Bolt or Shock, may be preferable for their lower mana requirements and immediate impact on the board state.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Flame Spill offers an adaptable solution for removal needs, fitting seamlessly into burn decks or any red strategy looking for efficient damage spells capable of taking out creatures or closing games.

Combo Potential: Flame Spill brings a unique twist to damage-dealing spells with its ability to not only target creatures but to also spill over excess damage to an opponent, making it a potent combo piece in strategies revolving around damage multipliers and creature destruction.

Meta-Relevance: Given that creature-heavy decks frequently dominate the scene, Flame Spill holds its ground as a relevant inclusion. Its capacity to deal with significant threats while potentially chipping away at an opponent’s life total keeps it useful in various matchups.

How to Beat

Flame Spill presents a unique challenge in Magic: The Gathering due to its ability to inflict excess damage to the player or planeswalker if the target creature has fewer toughness than the damage being dealt. It’s an instant-speed removal card that can cause a significant life points swing, making it an imposing obstacle to overcome.

To effectively counter Flame Spill, players should consider using creatures that have indestructible or have the ability to regenerate, as such qualities can blunt the impact of damage-based removal spells. Additionally, employing instant-speed spells that can give your creature hexproof or protection from red until end of turn can safeguard them from being targeted by Flame Spill.

Stacking the battlefield with a higher quantity of lower-cost creatures can also dilute Flame Spill’s influence, forcing your opponent to make less optimal decisions. Diversifying your threats, so one removal spell doesn’t dismantle your entire board state, is an adept strategy. Whenever facing red deck strategies incorporating Flame Spill, always assess the risks of overcommitting on the board and consider maintaining a calculated pace to outmaneuver this fiery trap.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Flame Spill MTG card by a specific set like Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, 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 Flame Spill and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Flame Spill 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 Flame Spill card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2020-04-17	Excess damage caused by a spell or ability is similar to how combat damage from a creature with trample is handled. Start with the amount of damage being dealt to the creature and determine what is “lethal.” This is the creature’s toughness minus the amount of damage that it already has marked on it, but ignoring any replacement or prevention effects that will modify this damage. Also ignore whether the creature has an ability such as indestructible that will result in it not being destroyed by this damage.
2020-04-17	If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Flame Spill tries to resolve, the spell won’t resolve. It won’t deal damage to any player.
2020-04-17	Once you’ve determined how much damage is excess, Flame Spill simultaneously deals damage to the creature and to its controller. This damage may be modified by replacement or prevention effects.