Hellfire MTG Card

Legends (LEG)
1994-06-01 - Number 105

Masters Edition III (ME3)
2009-09-07 - Number 70

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery

Key Takeaways

Hellfire clears boards effectively, creating a distinct play advantage but requires careful hand management.
Its triple black mana cost limits its use to certain deck types, demanding strategic deck building.
Despite its risks, Hellfire’s sweeping ability makes it a valuable tool in creature-heavy metas.

Text of card

All non-black creatures are destroyed. Hellfire does X + 3 damage to you; X is the number of creatures placed in the graveyard.

"High on a throne of royal state . . . insatiate to pursue vain war with heav'n." —John Milton, *Paradise Lost*

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Hellfire provides a potent sweeper effect, clearing the board of creatures and potentially leaving you with a significant advantage. By decimating your opponents’ boards while preserving your own key pieces, it shifts the game in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: Despite not providing a direct means of acceleration, the clearing of opposing threats can indirectly accelerate your game plan. By resetting the state of the board, you reduce the need for further resources to handle individual threats, thereby conserving your hand and mana for other strategies.

Instant Speed: Although Hellfire operates at sorcery speed, its sweeping effect is a vital reset button. Its capacity to potentially wipe out all creatures during your turn allows you to plan your moves without worry of immediate retaliation, setting the stage for a follow-up with creature deployments or other sorceries on a clear board.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Hellfire card demands you discard your entire hand, this can put you at a significant disadvantage, especially if the card does not decisively swing the game in your favor.

Specific Mana Cost: Hellfire’s casting cost is triple black mana, which makes it an investment that can only be optimally used in mono-black or heavily black-influenced decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of four mana, including three black mana, Hellfire is a commitment in terms of resources. Considering this substantial cost, players must weigh its impact against other potent options that may be available for less mana.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Hellfire is a powerful addition to decks that capitalize on black’s ability to manage the board through creature removal. This sweeping effect can turn the tide in games where creature control is paramount.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes exceptionally well with strategies that benefit from high creature turnover. Its ability to clear the board can be used to pave the way for game-ending plays or to leverage abilities that trigger upon creature death.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta teeming with creature-based strategies, Hellfire can act as a potent reset button. Decks that are heavily reliant on creature presence may find it challenging to recover post-Hellfire, giving players using this card a significant upper hand.

How to Beat

Hellfire is a potent card that can shift the tide of any Magic: The Gathering game by dealing massive damage to creatures without targeting them. This non-discriminatory board wipe can clear an opponent’s creatures, but its cost is high, not only in mana but also in life points paid by its caster post-wipe. To overcome this black spell, strategies like utilizing creatures with indestructible or regenerate abilities can be key. Moreover, since Hellfire only affects creatures, keeping a diversified threat base with planeswalkers or enchantments ensures that your ability to retaliate remains intact.

Another effective tactic is timing your plays to minimize Hellfire’s impact. By holding back key creatures in your hand instead of overcommitting them on the board, you preserve your resources for a post-wipe resurgence. Using counterspells or cards with discard effects can also preemptively remove Hellfire from an opponent’s hand before it can even be cast. Lastly, remember to capitalize on the life loss inflicted by Hellfire on your opponent, as this could make them vulnerable to a swift counterattack, turning their powerful spell into a double-edged sword that leads to their downfall.

Understanding Hellfire’s strengths and weaknesses will help you weave a strategy that not only mitigates its devastating effect but could also exploit its cost for your gain. The key is anticipation and strategic diversity, ensuring you have an answer to Hellfire before it sets your creatures ablaze.

Cards like Hellfire

Hellfire is a unique card in the realm of destructive black magic spells of MTG. Closely resembling the effects of Damnation, which wipes the board of all creatures, Hellfire adds a layer of complexity by dealing damage to its caster based on the number of creatures destroyed. Unlike Damnation’s straightforward sweep, Hellfire requires a more strategic approach due to the self-inflicted damage.

Another card with a similar function is Toxic Deluge, allowing players to pay life to determine the extent of creature removal. Although Toxic Deluge offers flexibility in the amount of life paid, it doesn’t punish the player further beyond the initial cost. In comparison, Hellfire can be a double-edged sword, devastating opponents while posing a significant threat to its caster’s stability.

Crux of Fate is also worth mentioning for its selective wipe targeting either dragons or non-dragons; however, it does not share Hellfire’s detrimental side effect on its user. Each card offers a tactical advantage in controlling the board, though Hellfire stands out for its potential for a grand, albeit risky, play.

Ultimately, Hellfire carves a niche within MTG as a high-risk, high-reward option for players who seek a game-changing sweep with consequences that must be carefully weighed against the potential for a tide-turning cleanup.

Cards similar to Hellfire by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hellfire MTG card by a specific set like Legends and Masters Edition III, 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 Hellfire and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Hellfire Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1994-06-01 and 2009-09-07. Illustrated by Pete Venters.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1994-06-01	Legends	LEG		105	1993	Normal	Black	Pete Venters
2	2009-09-07	Masters Edition III	ME3		70	1997	Normal	Black	Pete Venters

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hellfire has restrictions

Format	Legality
Oldschool	Legal
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2009-10-01	A creature that regenerates instead of being destroyed doesn’t leave the battlefield, so it’s not put into a graveyard.
2009-10-01	A token creature that’s destroyed is put into its owner’s graveyard, and will be counted by Hellfire’s effect. (Immediately after Hellfire finishes resolving, the token will cease to exist.)
2009-10-01	Hellfire checks the number of creatures put into graveyards as the result of its effect, not the number of creatures destroyed as a result of its effect. For example, a replacement effect that says “If a creature would be put into a graveyard from the battlefield, exile it instead” won’t affect whether a creature is destroyed or not, but will affect whether it’s put into a graveyard or not.