Light Up the Night MTG Card
2021-09-24 - Number 356
2021-09-24 - Number 146s
2021-09-24 - Number 146p
2021-09-24 - Number 146
2022-01-28 - Number 146
2002-06-24 - Number 94000
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Flashback |
Text of card
Light Up the Night deals X damage to any target. It deals X plus 1 damage instead if that target is a creature or planeswalker. Flashback—, Remove X loyalty counters from among planeswalkers you control. If you cast this spell this way, X can't be 0. (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
Cards like Light Up the Night
In terms of flexible damage spells within Magic: The Gathering, Light Up the Night is an intriguing card that stands its ground. It can be compared to cards such as Fireball, which is also known for its capacity to deliver a variable amount of damage according to the amount of mana invested. Light Up the Night, however, boasts an additional clause that allows it to exile itself with flashback, granting it a versatile edge for use across multiple game turns. Fireball does not offer this reusability.
Another card worthy of comparison is Explosive Impact. This card delivers a solid six points of damage to any target, consistent and straightforward. However, it lacks the flexibility of Light Up the Night, which can adjust its damage output based on the player’s available mana and strategy, as well as the chance for a second usage thanks to flashback.
Assessing these cards together, Light Up the Night is emblematic of a multifunctional damage spell. Its capability to inflict varied degrees of damage, coupled with the flashback option, places it in a preferential position for strategic players who value flexibility and damage control within their decks in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Light Up the Night by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Light Up the Night. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Grixis Control | Standard | Grixis Control | Traditional Standard Ranked Decklists: April 29, 2024 |
 | 4c Land Combo | Standard | 4c Land Combo | Standard League 2024-04-28 |
 | URG | Standard | Standard Super Qualifier 2024-04-28 | |
| Temur Land Combo | Standard | Temur Land Combo | Standard League 2024-04-06 |
 | Jeskai Control | Standard | Jeskai Control | ~~ Izzet Explosive Experiment Event |
 | Izzet Control | Standard | Izzet Control | Boa Qualifier #1 (standard) |
 | Boros Midrange | Standard | Boros Midrange | Standard Preliminary 2024-02-09 |
| Temur Control | Standard | Temur Control | Standard League 2024-03-07 |
 | Boros Control | Gladiator | Gladiator Games: We're Back | |
 | Gruul Ramp | Standard | Gruul Ramp | Standard Challenge 32 2024-03-16 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Light Up the Night provides a unique approach to card advantage. While it does not directly allow you to draw cards, it offers you the ability to potentially remove multiple threats on the board, depending on how much mana you have available or how many spells you’ve cast this turn, thus indirectly contributing to card advantage by dealing with more of your opponent’s resources with a single card.
Resource Acceleration: Although Light Up the Night isn’t designed explicitly for resource acceleration, its ability to be cast using mana produced by the “Flashback” mechanic can optimize the use of resources from your graveyard. This serves as a form of acceleration by effectively utilizing the cards in your graveyard as an extended resource pool.
Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Light Up the Night is enhanced by its capability to be used at instant speed. This affords you the tactical advantage of waiting until just the right moment to unleash its damage potential, be it during your opponent’s turn or in response to an action, without the need to commit resources during your own turn prematurely.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Light Up the Night demands that you discard a card when using its flashback feature. This requirement can be a hurdle when you’re running low on hand options, potentially leaving you at a disadvantage during critical moments of gameplay.
Specific Mana Cost: With a base red mana requirement that can’t be bypassed, this restricts the card to red-centric or multicolor decks that can reliably produce red mana. This limitation might deter players from including it in more color-diverse builds or those with stricter mana bases.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The card’s starting mana cost can feel steep, especially when competing for space in your deck with other utility spells. When selecting removal or direct damage spells, players might favor lower-cost alternatives that could be cast multiple times over the course of a game, thereby increasing their impact on a tight mana budget.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Light Up the Night is a flexible card that can be slotted into various Red-based decks. Its ability to deal damage based on the amount of mana you expend makes it adaptable for both early game removal and late game finishes.
Combo Potential: With its scalable damage output, this card has the potential to work in concert with setups that magnify spell damage or recast spells from the graveyard. This opens up synergies in spell-slinger or burn archetypes.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment dominated by creature-heavy decks, Light Up the Night can serve as a crucial tool to control the board. Simultaneously, it can also target opponents directly, making it relevant in a variety of matchups.
How to Beat Light Up the Night
Light Up the Night is a dynamic and potent card found in many MTG player’s decks due to its flexibility and the ability to deal direct damage. It stands out from other burn spells with its unique ‘X’ cost that allows players to tailor the damage according to their available mana. Add in its flashback ability, and you’ve got a card that can be a real game-changer, capable of finishing off an opponent or removing a key creature off the board.
To effectively counter Light Up the Night, consider incorporating life gain strategies into your play. This ensures that any damage dealt can be quickly mitigated. Cards like Feed the Clan or Weather the Storm can provide a substantial life boost, dampening the impact of Light Up the Night’s damage potential. Additionally, making use of counter spells such as Negate or Dovin’s Veto can prevent Light Up the Night from ever taking effect, especially since it’s a card that players often rely on for a large portion of damage late in the game.
Control decks that remove the opponent’s resources can also cripple the efficacy of Light Up the Night, as the card relies on both creatures and mana to maximize its damage output. Employing discard mechanics or land destruction can disrupt your opponent’s strategy and leave them unable to fuel Light Up the Night’s damage cost.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Light Up the Night MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, 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 Light Up the Night and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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
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Printings
The Light Up the Night Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2021-09-24 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Wei Wei.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 94000 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Wei Wei | ||
| 2 | 2021-09-24 | Innistrad: Midnight Hunt | MID | 356 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Wei Wei | |
| 3 | 2021-09-24 | Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Promos | PMID | 146s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Wei Wei | |
| 4 | 2021-09-24 | Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Promos | PMID | 146p | 2015 | Normal | Black | Wei Wei | |
| 5 | 2021-09-24 | Innistrad: Midnight Hunt | MID | 146 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Wei Wei | |
| 6 | 2022-01-28 | Innistrad: Double Feature | DBL | 146 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Wei Wei |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Light Up the Night has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Light Up the Night card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-09-24 | "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." |
| 2021-09-24 | A spell cast using flashback will always be exiled afterward, whether it resolves, is countered, or leaves the stack in some other way. |
| 2021-09-24 | 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. |
| 2021-09-24 | 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. |
| 2021-09-24 | You can cast a spell using flashback even if it was somehow put into your graveyard without having been cast. |
| 2021-09-24 | 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. |