Burn the Accursed MTG Card
2021-09-24 - Number 132
2022-01-28 - Number 132
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
Key Takeaways
- It removes creatures or planeswalkers and disrupts opponent gear with card advantage capabilities.
- Instant speed allows for tactical plays, reacting to threats promptly and keeping momentum.
- Despite a hefty mana cost and specific conditions, its utility in gameplay is significant.
Text of card
Burn the Accursed deals 5 damage to target creature and 2 damage to that creature's controller. If that creature would die this turn, exile it instead.
Nothing remained but a few drifting embers and the smell of smoldering hair.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Burn the Accursed offers dual utility in both removing creatures and potentially providing card advantage. If the destroyed creature was enchanted or equipped, it grants you the benefit of eliminating an additional card from the opposing setup.
Resource Acceleration: While Burn the Accursed doesn’t directly create resources, the five damage it can deal to a creature or planeswalker can effectively accelerate your resources by setting back your opponent’s board development, preserving your stronger creatures for continued board control.
Instant Speed: As a powerful instant, Burn the Accursed provides flexible timing, permitting players to react swiftly to threats during any phase of the opponent’s turn. This responsiveness is crucial for maintaining momentum and can disrupt an opponent’s plans by removing key creatures or planeswalkers at critical moments.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Burn the Accursed requires a player to have a card to discard, presenting a potential downside when your hand is depleted. Should you find yourself in a late-game scenario with no cards to spare, this condition can hamper your ability to utilize the card fully.
Specific Mana Cost: Featuring a specific mana requirement that includes red, this card’s utility is mostly in decks that are based on or include red mana. This can restrict its integration into multi-colored decks or those that lean heavily on other mana colors.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: At five mana to cast, Burn the Accursed asks for a considerable investment of resources for its effect, especially when compared to other removal spells in the game. Players might lean towards lower-cost alternatives for efficiency.
Reasons to Include Burn the Accursed in Your Collection
Versatility: Burn the Accursed offers flexibility for players, fitting neatly into red decks that thrive on direct damage. Its ability to target both creatures and planeswalkers makes it a versatile removal option.
Combo Potential: This card has inherent synergy with spell-slinging strategies, easily slotting into decks that reward casting instant or sorcery spells. Moreover, its exile effect prevents graveyard recursion, disrupting your opponent’s plans.
Meta-Relevance: Given its power to deal with larger threats, Burn the Accursed holds its ground in a meta filled with sturdy creatures or key planeswalkers. Its role as a counteractive tool can help tilt matches in your favor.
How to beat Burn the Accursed
Burn the Accursed makes an impact in the game with its ability to deal direct damage while potentially exiling a target. Facing this spell requires a calculated approach. The key is to deploy creatures with toughness higher than 5 to withstand the initial impact. Moreover, investing in indestructible creatures or those with damage prevention shields can nullify the threat posed by Burn the Accursed. Additionally, take advantage of the instant spell’s nature and consider countermagic options or hand disruption tactics to remove it before it can be cast.
Enhancing the resilience of your deck with regeneration abilities or utilizing graveyard retrieval spells ensures that even if a creature is targeted, it can make a comeback. Keep in mind that Burn the Accursed can also target players, which makes life gain strategies and protective enchantments like Leyline of Sanctity vital to shield yourself from its burn.
Ultimately, understanding the timing and limited scope of Burn the Accursed allows savvy players to develop a board state that reduces its effectiveness, thus rendering this fiery spell far less threatening.
Cards like Burn the Accursed
Burn the Accursed is an intriguing removal option in Magic: The Gathering, sharing its space with other damage-based spells aimed at creature elimination. Flame Slash is a closer inspection candidate due to its ability to deal four damage to a creature for just one mana. What Burn the Accursed brings to the table, though, is the capacity to hit creatures with “indestructible” as well as inflicting two damage to that creature’s controller if it was a night-bound werewolf, adding a layer of strategy particularly relevant in werewolf-heavy matches.
Another comparable card is Roast, which deals five damage to a target creature without flying for two mana. Burn the Accursed offers a wider scope by not being restricted to non-flying creatures and is also capable of affecting the opposing player, extending its utility beyond the battlefield. Lastly, Lava Coil is also on the radar, dealing four damage and exiling the creature if it would die, setting it apart with the exile effect. However, Burn the Accursed’s potential for direct player damage and interaction with different creature states, like being night-bound, give it a unique edge in certain gameplay scenarios.
When taken together, these comparisons illustrate that Burn the Accursed can play a vital role in a player’s arsenal, providing versatility and additional effects beyond what some spells in its category offer. Hence, it is easy to see why players might favor Burn the Accursed for its added utility in MTG.
Cards similar to Burn the Accursed by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Burn the Accursed MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Midnight Hunt and Innistrad: Double Feature, 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 Burn the Accursed 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 Burn the Accursed Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-09-24 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by David Auden Nash.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-09-24 | Innistrad: Midnight Hunt | MID | 132 | 2015 | Normal | Black | David Auden Nash | |
| 2 | 2022-01-28 | Innistrad: Double Feature | DBL | 132 | 2015 | Normal | Black | David Auden Nash |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Burn the Accursed has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
