Fervent Paincaster MTG Card
2017-07-14 - Number 91
2020-08-13 - Number 153
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Wizard |
| Abilities | Exert |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Key Takeaways
- Fervent Paincaster can tap to deal damage, offering card advantage by impacting the board without additional cards.
- Its ability to target players directly at instant speed makes it a versatile option in many game situations.
- However, it requires graveyard resources and has a specific mana cost, which may limit its utility.
Text of card
: Fervent Paincaster deals 1 damage to target player. , Exert Fervent Paincaster: It deals 1 damage to target creature. (An exerted creature won't untap during your next untap step.)
"Everyone here is a honed fighter. We'll respond the only way we know how."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Fervent Paincaster can be tapped to deal damage to a target creature, maintaining pressure and potentially thinning the opponent’s board without spending additional cards.
Resource Acceleration: With its exert ability, Fervent Paincaster can target players directly, acting as a steady resource to accelerate the player towards a win condition by steadily decreasing the opponent’s life total.
Instant Speed: Although not an instant itself, the ability to use Fervent Paincaster’s tap or exert abilities at instant speed gives you the flexibility to disrupt the opponent’s strategy during their turn and helps to keep up the momentum in your favor.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Fervent Paincaster demands you to exile a card from your graveyard as part of its activated ability, which can be problematic if your strategy depends on graveyard synergy or if your graveyard is empty.
Specific Mana Cost: This creature requires a specific red mana in its casting cost, potentially restricting its inclusion to red or multicolored decks and limiting its versatility across various MTG play styles.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a three mana value (two generic and one red) for a 3/1 creature, its ability might not justify the cost when compared to other cards in the same mana range offering higher toughness or more impactful abilities.
Reasons to Include Fervent Paincaster in Your Collection
Versatility: Fervent Paincaster offers flexible options for players. It can serve as both an aggressive creature to apply early pressure or a pinger to deliver direct damage, making it adaptable to various deck archetypes and playstyles.
Combo Potential: With the ability to untap and deal damage, this card syncs well with strategies that involve untap synergies or want to exploit the activated ability multiple times in a turn. It can work seamlessly with cards that multiply or redirect damage, amplifying its impact on the game.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta filled with creature-heavy decks, Fervent Paincaster can be a nuisance for opponents by picking off smaller creatures. Its presence is a constant threat on the board, which can distract opponents from executing their strategies effectively and maintain board control.
How to beat
Fervent Paincaster is an intriguing MTG card that demands attention due to its potential to ping creatures or players. What makes it a unique threat is its ability to exert and deal damage, enabling it to disrupt opponent strategies. However, this ability can be mitigated. Employing quick removal spells can effectively manage the Paincaster before it becomes a consistent nuisance. Removal options like Fatal Push or Shock can dispose of it cheaply and swiftly.
Moreover, shrewd use of blockers can serve as a line of defense against Fervent Paincaster. A creature with high toughness can withstand its damage and prevent the ability from targeting more valuable creatures or your life total. It’s also beneficial to disrupt your opponent’s rhythm because an exerted Fervent Paincaster won’t untap during the next untap step, presenting an opportunity to advance your board position with less fear of retaliation.
Given these strategies, ensuring the Fervent Paincaster doesn’t dominate the battlefield is about timing and the measured use of resources. By carefully considering when to deploy removal or when to set up defensive measures, players can effectively neutralize the threat posed by this pesky pyromancer.
Cards like Fervent Paincaster
Fervent Paincaster offers a unique blend of utility and aggression for players in Magic: The Gathering. It shares similarities with cards like Prodigal Pyromancer, which also provides the ability to ping a target for one damage. However, Fervent Paincaster differs by allowing the option to exert and hit creatures without summoning sickness, affording a more strategic use of its tapping ability during combat phases.
Stalking Stones is another idiosyncratic card that connects with Fervent Paincaster when it comes to applying pressure on opponents. Though it doesn’t tap for damage, the ability to become a creature provides a latent offensive threat. In the grand scheme of things, both cater to players who enjoy versatile plays with their permanents. Firebrand Archer is an additional parallel, rewarding players for casting noncreature spells with direct damage to opponents, much like Fervent Paincaster’s incessant harassment.
Assessing the landscape of these similar MTG cards, it’s evident that Fervent Paincaster has carved its niche. It caters to fiery gameplay packed with tactical decisions, and although it may not be as cost-effective in certain situations as its counterparts, its versatility in dealing damage and controlling board states is undeniably valuable.
Cards similar to Fervent Paincaster by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Fervent Paincaster MTG card by a specific set like Hour of Devastation and Amonkhet Remastered, 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 Fervent Paincaster and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Fervent Paincaster Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-07-14 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Matt Stewart.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-07-14 | Hour of Devastation | HOU | 91 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Matt Stewart | |
| 2 | 2020-08-13 | Amonkhet Remastered | AKR | 153 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Matt Stewart |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Fervent Paincaster has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Fervent Paincaster card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-04-18 | If an exerted creature is already untapped during your next untap step (most likely because it had vigilance or an effect untapped it), exert’s effect preventing it from untapping expires without having done anything. |
| 2017-04-18 | If you gain control of another player’s creature until end of turn and exert it, it will untap during that player’s untap step. |
| 2017-04-18 | You can’t exert a creature unless an effect allows you to do so. Similar effects that “tap and freeze” a creature (such as that of Decision Paralysis) don’t exert that creature. |
| 2017-07-14 | Some cards in the Hour of Devastation set let you exert a creature as a cost to activate one of its abilities. You can exert it to pay that cost even if you’ve already exerted it earlier in the turn. Exerting it multiple times will keep it tapped only during your next untap step. |
