Lantern Flare MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeInstant
Abilities Cleave

Key Takeaways

  1. Lantern Flare offers card advantage by dealing damage and providing life gain from a single card.
  2. Its flexibility at instant speed allows strategic reactions to opponents’ moves during their turn.
  3. Converge mechanic scales effectiveness with diverse mana, aiding in advanced game maneuvers.

Text of card

Cleave (You may cast this spell for its cleave cost. If you do, remove the words in square brackets.) Lantern Flare deals X damage to target creature or planeswalker and you gain X life.
- is the number of creatures you control.]


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Lantern Flare has the potential to provide substantial card advantage in the right circumstances. Its ability to deal damage to a creature or planeswalker while also being a notable life gain tool creates a two-way benefit, all while using just a single card from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: As part of the Converge mechanic, Lantern Flare’s effectiveness can scale with the game. This can rapidly accelerate your resources by allowing you to utilize mana of any color. Thus, efficiently managing your mana base and potentially paving the way for more strategic plays in a single turn.

Instant Speed: The power of instant speed spells, such as Lantern Flare, cannot be understated. They give players the flexibility to react to an opponent’s actions during their turn which can be a game-changer. You can effectively disrupt the opponent’s strategy while still furthering your own board position, making it an essential tool for control-oriented and reactive strategies.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When playing Lantern Flare, you must discard a card to activate its coven ability. This can be a significant drawback when your hand is already depleted, and you are forced to give up an essential resource that could be critical for your game strategy. Managing your hand size becomes crucial to ensure optimal use.

Specific Mana Cost: Lantern Flare’s mana cost requires white and red, which might restrict its inclusion in decks that run a broader color palette. Multi-color decks may struggle to generate the specific mana needed at the right time, potentially causing delays or preventing the card’s play altogether.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The card’s initial investment is substantial, considering its mana value. For three mana, players may expect more impactful effects or less restrictive casting conditions. While the card can scale with the number of creatures you control, it may not be as mana-efficient in the early game when compared to other removal or burn spells available within the same mana range.


Reasons to Include Lantern Flare in Your Collection

Versatility: Lantern Flare showcases its adaptability by being a dual-purpose spell that can both control the board and serve as a lifegain mechanism. It fits seamlessly into decks that can capitalize on instants and its “convoke” capability allows for strategic mana management.

Combo Potential: The card’s convoke mechanic enables synergy with decks that have a high creature count or token strategy, as it can be cast using creatures as a resource. This allows for powerful plays where board presence is translated into direct damage and life gain.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta flush with aggressive creature-based decks, Lantern Flare is a timely answer, balancing the scales by removing threats and providing a life buffer. Its relevance hinges on its ability to disrupt early-game tempo and fortify your position in the late game.


How to beat

Lantern Flare is a dynamic force in MTG known for its converging mana ability that can overwhelm adversaries in a flash. To outmaneuver this card, it is crucial to keep a close watch on your opponent’s mana pool. Each color they can deploy could signify an impending blow from Lantern Flare. In your arsenal, countermagic such as Negate or Dovin’s Veto can intercept and nullify the threat before it unfurls its damage. Furthermore, when facing decks capitalizing on cards like Lantern Flare, incorporating life gain strategies or damage prevention tricks in your game plan can be an effective deterrent. It’s also worth noting that Lantern Flare relies on the controller having a robust creature presence to maximize its impact. Hence, maintaining control of the board and removing creatures can significantly diminish Lantern Flare’s potency. This understanding could be the key to tipping the scales in your favor when the luminous blaze of Lantern Flare seeks to conclude the match.


Cards like Lantern Flare

Lantern Flare enters the complex arena of multi-effect instants in Magic: The Gathering, mingling with the likes of Lightning Helix and Warleader’s Helix. All of these cards share the theme of dealing damage while offering a form of life gain. Lightning Helix maintains a low cost at two mana and offers direct damage and life gain without any additional conditions. Warleader’s Helix provides a greater damage and life gain effect but at a higher mana cost and without Lantern Flare’s capability to potentially scale with the number of white cards in your hand.

Another related card is Boros Charm, an instant with multiple modes. One of its modes deals damage directly to any target, similar to Lantern Flare, but lacks the life gain component, offering instead versatility with its other modes. Absorb is an interesting counterpart as well, combining life gain with the capacity to counter a spell, diverging from Lantern Flare’s offensive nature.

While examining these cards, Lantern Flare establishes its unique identity by blending scalability with a controllable life swing, inviting MTG players to strategically time their plays and maximize their hand’s white card count for optimal impact.

Lightning Helix - MTG Card versions
Warleader's Helix - MTG Card versions
Boros Charm - MTG Card versions
Absorb - MTG Card versions
Lightning Helix - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Warleader's Helix - Dragon's Maze (DGM)
Boros Charm - Gatecrash (GTC)
Absorb - Invasion (INV)

Cards similar to Lantern Flare by color, type and mana cost

Captain's Maneuver - MTG Card versions
Lightning Helix - MTG Card versions
Flamescroll Celebrant // Revel in Silence - MTG Card versions
Boros Charm - MTG Card versions
Double Cleave - MTG Card versions
Fight to the Death - MTG Card versions
Burning Oil - MTG Card versions
Shattering Blow - MTG Card versions
Aurelia's Fury - MTG Card versions
Martial Glory - MTG Card versions
Ride Down - MTG Card versions
Deflecting Palm - MTG Card versions
Justice Strike - MTG Card versions
Sacred Fire - MTG Card versions
Heartflame Duelist // Heartflame Slash - MTG Card versions
Inventory Management - MTG Card versions
Captain's Maneuver - Planechase (HOP)
Lightning Helix - Murders at Karlov Manor (MKM)
Flamescroll Celebrant // Revel in Silence - Strixhaven: School of Mages Promos (PSTX)
Boros Charm - Phyrexia: All Will Be One Commander (ONC)
Double Cleave - Ultimate Masters (UMA)
Fight to the Death - Alara Reborn (ARB)
Burning Oil - Dark Ascension (DKA)
Shattering Blow - Gatecrash (GTC)
Aurelia's Fury - The List (PLST)
Martial Glory - Double Masters 2022 (2X2)
Ride Down - Shadows over Innistrad Remastered (SIR)
Deflecting Palm - Murders at Karlov Manor Commander (MKC)
Justice Strike - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)
Sacred Fire - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)
Heartflame Duelist // Heartflame Slash - Wilds of Eldraine (WOE)
Inventory Management - Fallout (PIP)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Lantern Flare MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Innistrad: Crimson Vow, 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 Lantern Flare and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Lantern Flare Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-11-19 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Lie Setiawan.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 952532015normalblackLie Setiawan
22021-11-19Innistrad: Crimson VowVOW 232015normalblackLie Setiawan
32021-11-19Innistrad: Crimson VowVOW 3512015normalblackLie Setiawan
42022-01-28Innistrad: Double FeatureDBL 2902015normalblackLie Setiawan

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Lantern Flare has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Lantern Flare card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2021-11-19 A cleave cost is an alternative cost that's paid instead of the spell's mana cost. Casting a spell for its cleave cost doesn't change the spell's mana value.
2021-11-19 If an effect allows you to “cast a spell without paying its mana cost,” you can't cast that spell for its cleave cost.
2021-11-19 If you cast a spell for its cleave cost, that spell doesn't have any of the text in square brackets while it's on the stack.
2021-11-19 If you're paying the cleave cost, you choose the value of X.
2021-11-19 You can't cast a spell for both its cleave cost and another alternative cost. For example, if an effect gives an Alchemist's Retrieval in your graveyard a flashback cost of , you can't cast it from your graveyard for its cleave cost.

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