Heat Ray MTG Card

Heat Ray offers precise damage control, optimizing resource use and disrupting opponent’s board. Its instant nature provides strategic depth, allowing for reactive and surprising plays. Despite its power, Heat Ray’s effectiveness can be limited by specific mana constraints.

Urza's Saga (USG)
1998-10-12 - Number 199

Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
1999-11-12 - Number 32

Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
2010-04-23 - Number 150

Magic 2015 (M15)
2014-07-18 - Number 148

Iconic Masters (IMA)
2017-11-17 - Number 133

Card sets	Released in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant

Text of card

Heat Ray deals X damage to target creature.

It's not known whether the Thran built the device to forge their wonders or to defend them.

Cards like Heat Ray

Heat Ray stands out in Magic: The Gathering for its ability to deal direct damage based on the amount of mana a player can invest. Comparable cards such as Fireball also provide players the flexibility to divide damage across multiple targets. However, Fireball requires at least one additional mana for each target beyond the first, making Heat Ray a more mana-efficient choice for single-target removal.

Another card in this ballpark is Disintegrate, which also allows for variable damage but with the added benefit of exiling the creature if it’s destroyed. Heat Ray, while lacking this exiling feature, is not restricted by a “sorcery-only” casting time, providing players with more tactical opportunities.

Collectively, these similarities and differences contribute to Heat Ray’s appeal as a versatile tool in MTG. It’s the combination of its straightforward mechanic and the potential for unlimited damage output that ensures Heat Ray a spot in the decks of players who value the ability to react and adapt during the heat of battle.

Cards similar to Heat Ray by color, type and mana cost

March of Reckless Joy - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Heat Ray’s scalability allows you to precisely control the amount of damage dealt, aiding in eliminating troublesome creatures and thus potentially disrupting your opponent’s strategy, without overcommitment of resources.

Resource Acceleration: Though not a direct accelerator, the efficient use of mana in correspondence with Heat Ray’s X cost can be akin to resource acceleration; it ensures that any amount of available mana can be translated into immediate board impact.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of Heat Ray being an instant enables reactive play. You can optimally utilize mana during an opponent’s turn to remove threats preemptively or in combat, maintaining the element of surprise and strategic depth.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Though Heat Ray does not require a discard, it’s essential to consider hand resources when playing direct damage spells. Balancing the need to hold cards for future threats versus deploying immediate damage can impact your game strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Heat Ray’s reliance on red mana might not fit seamlessly into multicolored decks that can’t consistently produce the necessary red mana, potentially making it a dead draw in certain game states.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Heat Ray provides targeted damage that scales with your available mana, its base cost is on the higher side compared to other removal spells in MTG. This can be a setback in fast-paced games where efficiency is key.

Reasons to Include Heat Ray in Your Collection

Versatility: Heat Ray offers flexible removal that scales with your available mana. This means it can be slotted into a variety of red-based decks, giving you the option to eliminate both early threats and late-game titans.

Combo Potential: In combination-centric decks, Heat Ray synergizes with effects that increase the amount of mana you can produce or duplicate spells, potentially clearing the way for a winning play or taking out multiple threats in a single turn.

Meta-Relevance: Given the ever-changing deck compositions in competitive play, Heat Ray maintains relevance by providing a direct answer to creatures, a constant in almost every MTG deck. In a meta with creature-heavy strategies, having an instant removal like Heat Ray could prove to be indispensable.

How to beat

Heat Ray finds its strength in Magic: The Gathering as a versatile removal tool. With an ability to deal X damage to a creature for X amount of red mana and one generic mana, it scales to the size of the threat it aims to eliminate. This point-for-point damage allocation allows for meticulous control over the battlefield, potentially clearing away formidable creatures that stand in your way.

However, no card is without its weaknesses, and in the case of Heat Ray, those weaknesses are twofold: it targets only creatures and its power is capped by your available mana. To outplay Heat Ray, consider utilizing cards with instant-speed hexproof granting abilities to protect your creatures at critical moments. Additionally, since Heat Ray is only effective during your opponent’s turn, instant-speed counterspells can also be a reliable choice to negate its effect and maintain board control.

Strategically managing your mana and resources is essential. Anticipating when your opponent might have enough mana to cast Heat Ray and preparing a response can give you the upper hand. By understanding its limitations, you can formulate a plan to ensure your key creatures survive the heat and push your strategy forward unscathed.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Heat Ray MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga and Battle Royale Box Set, 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 Heat Ray and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Heat Ray Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 1998-10-12 and 2017-11-17. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1998-10-12	Urza's Saga	USG	199	1997	Normal	Black	Brian Snõddy
2	1999-11-12	Battle Royale Box Set	BRB	32	1997	Normal	White	Brian Snõddy
3	2010-04-23	Rise of the Eldrazi	ROE	150	2003	Normal	Black	Austin Hsu
4	2014-07-18	Magic 2015	M15	148	2015	Normal	Black	Austin Hsu
5	2017-11-17	Iconic Masters	IMA	133	2015	Normal	Black	Austin Hsu

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Heat Ray has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Penny	Legal