Storm Fleet Arsonist MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Orc Pirate |
| Abilities | Raid |
| Released | 2017-09-29 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Ixalan |
| Set code | XLN |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 4 |
| Number | 162 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Jason A. Engle |
Key Takeaways
- Arsonist’s raid can cause resource loss for opponents, giving players a subtle card advantage.
- High mana cost may restrict usage, demanding a significant resource commitment for its ability.
- Its potential to force permanent sacrifices makes it a valuable disruptor in MTG decks.
Text of card
Raid — When Storm Fleet Arsonist enters the battlefield, if you attacked with a creature this turn, target opponent sacrifices a permanent.
"Go ahead, build another. I'll burn that down as well."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Storm Fleet Arsonist’s raid ability can force your opponent to sacrifice a permanent, potentially stripping them of critical resources and providing you with an indirect form of card advantage.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly contributing to resource acceleration, playing Storm Fleet Arsonist can disrupt your opponent’s mana base, slowing them down and allowing you to outpace them in deploying threats or answers on the board.
Instant Speed: Although the Storm Fleet Arsonist operates at sorcery speed, its raid mechanic rewards you for playing aggressively with your other creatures and can be timed to follow swift attacks, ensuring that the arsonist’s entry into the battlefield is as impactful as possible.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Storm Fleet Arsonist demands that an opponent discards a nonland card when it enters the battlefield if it was kicked. This means you must have the additional mana to kick it and force the discard, which isn’t always possible.
Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that includes four colorless and one red, it requires a commitment to red mana sources and may not fit smoothly into multicolored decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Five mana total is a significant investment, especially considering it’s for a creature with an ability that won’t always impact the board immediately. Other creatures or spells with lower costs may be more impactful or offer more versatility.
Reasons to Include Storm Fleet Arsonist in Your Collection
Versatility: As a 4/4 creature, Storm Fleet Arsonist can serve as a formidable presence on the battlefield. Suitable for pirate-themed decks or any red-heavy build looking for a solid top-end threat, its ability to destroy an opponent’s nonland permanent upon raid activation adds a layer of utility that can disrupt your opponent’s game plan.
Combo Potential: The raid ability of Storm Fleet Arsonist can be leveraged in combination with cards that facilitate attack phases or grant additional combat steps. This creates opportunities to trigger its destructive entry effect multiple times in a game, paving the way for potential board dominance.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where opponents often rely on important nonland permanents to execute their strategies, Storm Fleet Arsonist can be a key game-changer. By compelling your opponent to sacrifice a valuable permanent, it can shift the board state to your advantage, particularly if timed correctly after a successful attack.
How to beat
Storm Fleet Arsonist presents a challenge upon its arrival on the battlefield with its raid ability, which can force opponents to sacrifice a permanent. This effect, reminiscent of cards like Ravenous Chupacabra for creature removal, is conditional yet can be strategically disruptive. Facing this, one can opt for early counterspells or instant-speed removal to prevent its trigger and maintain a stable board presence.
Direct damage spells such as Lightning Strike can manage the Arsonist before its raid ability takes effect, acting much like a control valve against potential threats. The emphasis here is on anticipation and timing, keeping mana open to react accordingly. It’s also worth considering defensive tactics, setting up expendable tokens with cards like Raise the Alarm, assuring you have less valuable permanents to sacrifice if necessary.
Ultimately, while the Storm Fleet Arsonist can swing the state of the game, its impact is not insurmountable. Adaptability and proactive measures can nullify its effects, much like navigating through a carefully plotted game of chess. By keeping these tactics up your sleeve, you’ll be ready to counter this fiery foe whenever it enters the fray.
Cards like Storm Fleet Arsonist
Storm Fleet Arsonist occupies a unique space in the world of pirate-themed cards in Magic: The Gathering, sharing traits with cards such as Entrancing Melody and Hostage Taker. Entrancing Melody, for example, allows you to gain control of a target creature for a cost relative to its power, which can dramatically affect the battlefield’s balance of power. Unlike Storm Fleet Arsonist, which demands a sacrifice upon entering the battlefield if raid conditions are met, Entrancing Melody does not require a prior condition for its effect.
Then, there’s Hostage Taker. This card also involves an interactive element with the opponent’s board, but instead of demanding a sacrifice, it allows you to exile another target creature or artifact until Hostage Taker leaves the battlefield. Hostage Taker can even cast that card, changing the dynamics quite differently than the Arsonist’s once-off sacrifice trigger.
Each card has its strengths in the swashbuckling world of MTG, with Storm Fleet Arsonist’s raid-triggered sacrifice offering a potent form of removal that can disrupt your opponent’s strategy. Meanwhile, other cards provide control or steal mechanisms, demonstrating the variety of ways to commandeer the helm of a match in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Storm Fleet Arsonist by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Storm Fleet Arsonist MTG card by a specific set like Ixalan, 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 Storm Fleet Arsonist 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Storm Fleet Arsonist 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 Storm Fleet Arsonist card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-01-19 | Raid abilities care only that you attacked with a creature. It doesn’t matter how many creatures you attacked with, or which opponent or planeswalker controlled by an opponent those creatures attacked. |
| 2018-01-19 | Raid abilities evaluate the entire turn to see if you attacked with a creature. That creature doesn’t have to still be on the battlefield. Similarly, the player or planeswalker it attacked doesn’t have to still be in the game or on the battlefield, respectively. |
