Rionya, Fire Dancer MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Wizard
Power 3
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Rionya enhances card utility by copying creatures, essentially doubling their effects on the battlefield.
  2. Her ability works best with mana-generating creatures, shaping powerful multi-resource accelerations.
  3. Tactical play is elevated through Rionya’s ability to trigger instant-speed spells and abilities.

Text of card

At the beginning of combat on your turn, create X tokens that are copies of another target creature you control, where X is one plus the number of instant and sorcery spells you've cast this turn. They gain haste. Exile them at the beginning of the next end step.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Rionya, Fire Dancer offers a unique form of card advantage. By creating copies of other creatures you control, you effectively get more utility out of the cards already in play, potentially doubling their impact without depleting your hand.

Resource Acceleration: While Rionya herself doesn’t directly produce additional resources, the tokens she creates can synergize with permanents that do. For instance, if you copy a creature that generates mana, your capacity for resource acceleration during that turn multiplies significantly.

Instant Speed: Rionya’s ability triggers at the beginning of combat on your turn, which means you can wait until the most opportune moment to cast instants or activate abilities that will maximize the number of tokens you create, thereby holding opponents in suspense regarding your next strategic moves. This gives you a tactical advantage, as it increases the potential for surprises during combat.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the challenges when playing Rionya, Fire Dancer is the necessity to sacrifice other cards to activate her ability. This can be a significant setback when your hand is already sparse, effectively narrowing your strategic options and potentially costing you valuable card advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Rionya demands a distinct mana composition, specifically with red. This can restrict her use to primarily red-based or red-inclusive decks, potentially excluding her from a variety of other archetype strategies that do not align with this color’s resources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that’s on the higher end, when compared to other creatures with similar effects, Rionya, Fire Dancer might struggle to compete for a spot in your deck. The mana investment could hinder your tempo, especially in the fast-paced environment of many MTG games where efficiency is key.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Rionya, Fire Dancer offers a dynamic presence on the battlefield, seamlessly integrating into decks built around spell-slinging or creature-based strategies. Her ability to create token copies of other creatures opens doors to various synergies, whether in aggressive red decks or more intricate multi-color combinations.

Combo Potential: Considering her power to duplicate creatures during each of your turns, Rionya can exponentially amplify the impact of enter-the-battlefield effects or sacrifice mechanics. This can lead to powerful chains of combos, especially in decks that capitalize on instants and sorceries to churn through the deck.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where board presence can be paramount, Rionya gives you the unique advantage of duplicating key creatures. Her ability maintains relevance in diverse gameplay environments, adapting to the inclusion of new sets and the ever-shifting landscape of player strategies.


How to beat

Rionya, Fire Dancer, as an intriguing creature card in MTG, introduces unique strategies to the battlefield. This card shines in decks that focus on creature tokens and spells that can be cast multiple times. Its ability to create a copy of each creature you control at the beginning of combat on your turn can quickly overwhelm opponents. To effectively counter Rionya, focus on removal spells that can target her before the combat phase. Cards like Murderous Rider or Heartless Act are effective, as they can disrupt the combo before it unfolds.

Another strategy against Rionya revolves around limiting the number of creatures available to copy. Board wipes like Wrath of God or Damnation can reset the playing field, nullifying the advantage Rionya provides. Strategic players also recommend utilizing counterspells such as Cancel or Mana Leak to prevent Rionya from entering the battlefield in the first place.

To summarize, beating Rionya, Fire Dancer involves a mixture of timely creature removal, board wipes, and counterspells to keep the opponent’s token army in check. Being proactive and responsive can minimize the impact of Rionya’s ability and maintain control over the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Delving into the depths of MTG strategies enriches your gameplay, and Rionya, Fire Dancer stands out as a captivating addition to your arsenal. Her ability to clone creatures offers an exhilarating twist on token strategies. Whether it’s boosting your board presence or magnifying synergies, this powerful card can ignite a path to victory. However, understanding when and how to use her is crucial, as timing and sequence are key. For those fascinated by the possibilities Rionya introduces, our content is a treasure trove of insights. Learn more about optimizing your deck with Rionya and ensure your strategies burn brighter than your opponents’. Join the BurnMana community to enhance your MTG knowledge and gameplay.


Cards like Rionya, Fire Dancer

Rionya, Fire Dancer introduces a unique twist to creature copy mechanics seen throughout MTG. This resemblances actions from cards like Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker, which also specializes in creating creature copies. However, Rionya, Fire Dancer has the added benefit of potentially producing a multitude of tokens during the combat phase for every nonlegendary creature you have, thus expanding the board presence significantly.

Comparably, Feldon of the Third Path offers a similar method to create token copies of creatures from your graveyard. Despite the parallel in token creation, Feldon’s ability is limited to a single activation per turn and costs three mana each time. On the upside, the tokens gain haste, ensuring immediate impact on the game. Conversely, Rionya’s ability is less restrictive, allowing the replication of numerous creatures, although these tokens will be exiled at the beginning of your next end step.

In essence, Rionya’s style of amassing an army offers a unique advantage for certain red-based strategies in MTG. While it shares some functional territory with other creature copying spells, Rionya, Fire Dancer manages to carve out its niche with the ability to dramatically alter the battlefield in one explosive turn.

Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker - MTG Card versions
Feldon of the Third Path - MTG Card versions
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Feldon of the Third Path - Commander 2014 (C14)

Cards similar to Rionya, Fire Dancer by color, type and mana cost

Fire Elemental - MTG Card versions
Earth Elemental - MTG Card versions
Eron the Relentless - MTG Card versions
Balduvian War-Makers - MTG Card versions
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Fire Elemental - Core Set 2020 (M20)
Earth Elemental - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Eron the Relentless - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Balduvian War-Makers - Alliances (ALL)
Hivis of the Scale - Mirage (MIR)
Hulking Cyclops - Visions (VIS)
Flame Spirit - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Flowstone Salamander - Tempest (TMP)
Ma Chao, Western Warrior - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Covetous Dragon - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Thundering Giant - Tenth Edition (10E)
Dwarven Strike Force - Odyssey (ODY)
Savage Firecat - Odyssey (ODY)
Volatile Arsonist // Dire-Strain Anarchist - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)
Tephraderm - Onslaught (ONS)
Avarax - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Bonethorn Valesk - Scourge (SCG)
Frost Ogre - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Heartless Hidetsugu - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Shard Phoenix - Junior APAC Series (PJAS)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rionya, Fire Dancer MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Commander 2021, 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 Rionya, Fire Dancer and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Rionya, Fire Dancer Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-04-23 and 2021-04-23. Illustrated by Heonhwa Choe.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 901002015normalblackHeonhwa Choe
22021-04-23Commander 2021C21 3822015normalblackHeonhwa Choe
32021-04-23Commander 2021C21 552015normalblackHeonhwa Choe

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Rionya, Fire Dancer has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-04-16 Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger when the tokens enter the battlefield. Any “As
-his creature] enters the battlefield” or “
-his creature] enters the battlefield with” abilities of the copied creature will also work.
2021-04-16 If the copied creature has in its mana cost, X is 0.
2021-04-16 If the copied creature is copying something else, the tokens enter the battlefield as whatever that creature is copying.
2021-04-16 If the copied creature is itself a token, the tokens created by Rionya copy the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that created it.
2021-04-16 The tokens copy exactly what is printed on the creature and nothing else (unless that creature is a token or is copying something else; see below). They don’t copy whether that creature is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or Auras and/or Equipment attached to it, or any non-copy effects that changed its power, toughness, types, color, and so on.
2021-04-16 The triggered ability counts all instants and sorceries that were cast before it resolves. If you cast instant spells in response to the ability, those spells will count.

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