Ignite the Future MTG Card
2019-08-23 - Number 27
2021-07-23 - Number 129
2022-06-10 - Number 797
2022-12-02 - Number 555
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Flashback |
Text of card
Exile the top three cards of your library. Until the end of your next turn, you may play those cards. If this spell was cast from a graveyard, you may play cards this way without paying their mana costs. Flashback (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
Cards like Ignite the Future
Ignite the Future is a unique spell that offers a fresh take on card advantage strategies in Magic: The Gathering. It shares some common ground with cards like Light Up the Stage, as both allow players a peek at additional cards and the opportunity to play them within a set period. When dissecting Ignite the Future, you find a deeper layer of flexibility – it permits castings from exile as long as the spell was cast during your turn, and when flashed back, this effect becomes permanent for the cards exiled.
Comparatively, Act on Impulse offers a similar look at the top three cards of your library. Still, it doesn’t afford the same persistent potential as Ignite the Future provides with its flashback ability. Meanwhile, Expropriate is another foretell competitor, creating a substantial impact on the game by offering choices that can dramatically alter the outcome. Yet, Expropriate’s higher mana cost and differing game-altering capabilities mean it aligns with a distinct style of play.
Ultimately, Ignite the Future occupies a special role by bolstering both card quantity and quality – a trait that shines in the later stages of the game, where maximizing every move is crucial for success.
Cards similar to Ignite the Future by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Ignite the Future unlocks potential by allowing you to peek at the top three cards of your deck and play them until your next turn, ensuring you’re never short on options. This potent ability can be a game-changer as it helps you cycle through your deck to access a breadth of new strategies and responses, giving you the upper hand in both tempo and strategy.
Resource Acceleration: The card’s Flashback ability is where Ignite the Future truly shines. By granting you a second chance to cast the revealed cards for free, it can pivotally accelerate your resources without spending mana. This key trait is invaluable for outpacing opponents by unleashing spells or fielding creatures without tapping into your precious mana reserve.
Instant Speed: While Ignite the Future plays at sorcery speed, the flexibility it provides synergizes well with instant speed spells in your deck. By expanding your available actions without compromising on mana, it allows for clever plays and interaction with the stack, making it an essential tactical asset in any deck that values adaptability and surprise.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Casting Ignite the Future requires you to let go of another card if you’re leveraging its flashback ability. This element can hinder your game if you’re already grasping for cards in critical moments.
Specific Mana Cost: Its casting cost demands both generic and red mana, restricting its inclusion to decks that can produce red mana consistently. Players running multicolored or colorless decks might find it difficult to fit Ignite the Future into their mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a standard casting cost of four mana, and an escalated flashback cost, Ignite the Future stands out as a pricier option in terms of mana investment. This cost may delay urgent plays or deter players from including it in low-curve strategies.
Reasons to Include Ignite the Future in Your Collection
Versatility: Ignite the Future offers incredible flexibility as it allows players to look at the top three cards of their library and play them without paying their mana costs on certain conditions. This adaptability makes it a handy card across various decks that aim to outpace and outmaneuver opponents.
Combo Potential: With its inherent ability to play cards for free, Ignite the Future unlocks numerous combo possibilities. It seamlessly integrates with decks that capitalize on casting numerous spells in a turn or that have elements to manipulate the top of the library, ensuring the casting of high-impact spells.
Meta-Relevance: In a game environment that leans towards slower, more strategic play, this card’s capability of providing card advantage can significantly shift the tide in your favor. Having access to additional options each turn is a substantial edge in any match, aligning well with strategies geared toward late-game dominance.
How to Beat Ignite the Future
Ignite the Future is a red sorcery that reveals cards from the top of a player’s library and allows them to play those cards for a limited time. To counter this card effectively, control decks could focus on countering key spells with cards like Negate or utilizing hand disruption tactics, such as Thoughtseize to remove Ignite the Future before it’s cast. Timing is crucial; you’ll want to disrupt the card before your opponent gains a substantial advantage in card selection and plays.
Another strategy involves pressuring the red deck user early on, not giving them the leisure to cast Ignite the Future smoothly, or diverge from their aggressive plan. Decks that can maintain a swift clock and disrupt the opponent’s mana base through land destruction or taxing effects, such as Ghost Quarter or Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, can also be an impediment to casting high-impact cards like Ignite the Future.
Lastly, graveyard hate cards, such as Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void, can indirectly weaken the potency of Ignite the Future by stifling an opponent’s ability to replay cards from the graveyard if the card is later flashed back. Consider your individual playstyle and deck composition when preparing for this type of matchup for an edge in your game.
BurnMana Recommendations
Deciphering the suite of tactics in MTG can be akin to unlocking a treasure chest — challenging but exceptionally rewarding. With Ignite the Future, you hold a key to vast potential and strategic depth. Maximizing this card’s capability means weaving it into your gameplay with finesse—balancing its high mana cost with the payoff of card advantage and the exhilaration of resource acceleration. It’s essential to understand the nuanced interaction with your deck to truly capitalize on its benefits. Keen to delve deeper into fine-tuning your arsenal with Ignite the Future and mastering its dynamism? Venture with us into the realms of strategic deck building and champion-level gameplay.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ignite the Future MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2019 and Forgotten Realms Commander, 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 Ignite the Future and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Ignite the Future Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2019-08-23 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Alex Konstad.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2019-08-23 | Commander 2019 | C19 | 27 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alex Konstad | |
| 2 | 2021-07-23 | Forgotten Realms Commander | AFC | 129 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alex Konstad | |
| 3 | 2022-06-10 | Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate | CLB | 797 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alex Konstad | |
| 4 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 555 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alex Konstad |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ignite the Future has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ignite the Future card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2019-08-23 | If a spell has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. |
| 2019-08-23 | If you cast Ignite the Future from a zone other than a graveyard, you must pay the mana cost or an alternative cost for each spell cast this way. If you cast Ignite the Future from a graveyard, you may choose to cast each spell for its mana cost, an alternative cost, or without paying its mana cost. |
| 2019-08-23 | If you cast a card “without paying its mana cost,” you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs and not pay that cost. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, such as that of Momentous Fall, you must pay those to cast the card. |
| 2019-08-23 | If you don't play some or all of the exiled cards, those cards remain in exile. |
| 2019-08-23 | Ignite the Future doesn't change when you can play the exiled cards. For example, if you exile a sorcery card, you can cast it only during your main phase when the stack is empty. If you exile a land card, you can play it only during your main phase and only if you have an available land play remaining. |
| 2021-03-19 | A spell cast using flashback will always be exiled afterward, whether it resolves, is countered, or leaves the stack in some other way. |
| 2021-03-19 | If a card with flashback is put into your graveyard during your turn, you can cast it if it's legal to do so before any other player can take any actions. |
| 2021-03-19 | To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost (such as a flashback cost) you're paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was. |
| 2021-03-19 | You can cast a spell using flashback even if it was somehow put into your graveyard without having been cast. |
| 2021-03-19 | You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions, including those based on the card's type. For instance, you can cast a sorcery using flashback only when you could normally cast a sorcery. |
| 2021-03-19 | “Flashback -ost]” means “You may cast this card from your graveyard by paying -ost] rather than paying its mana cost” and “If the flashback cost was paid, exile this card instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack.” |