Whammy Burn MTG Card
2019-11-07 - Number 70
2021-08-20 - Number 70
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Instant |
Key Takeaways
- Provides card advantage; cast for damage and draw, enhancing in-game momentum with more strategic options.
- Enables resource acceleration with an efficient damage-to-mana ratio, supporting quicker strategy execution.
- Casts at instant speed for tactical flexibility, optimizing both reactive and proactive plays.
Text of card
Shuffle your whammy deck, then reveal cards from the top of your whammy deck until you reveal an Island or choose to stop. Then, if no Islands were revealed this way, CARDNAME deals X damage to any target, where X is the number of cards revealed. (A whammy deck consists of a Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Whammy Burn offers a distinct edge by dealing damage while simultaneously drawing you a card, helping you maintain momentum and putting more options at your fingertips for subsequent plays.
Resource Acceleration: Key to quickly executing your strategy, Whammy Burn provides additional mana through its cost-efficient damage-to-mana conversion, fueling your game and allowing for faster deployment of your threats or defenses.
Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Whammy Burn at instant speed grants the tactical advantage of surprise, enabling you to react to your opponent’s moves or optimize the timing of your own strategies without compromising your turn’s potential actions.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Whammy Burn necessitates discarding a card from your hand, which might be a setback when you’re already dealing with a hand-size deficit. During tight matches, where every card counts, this requirement can put you at a loss, especially if the discarded card could have turned the tides in your favor.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a specific mana arrangement to cast, involving both red and another color. This can create challenges in mana-fixing and may deter players from including it in decks that are not specifically tailored to accommodate such costs. As a result, it is less versatile and may not fit smoothly into a wide array of strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The casting cost of Whammy Burn is considered high relative to its impact on the game. In a game state where mana efficiency could make or break your control over the board, investing four mana into this spell might not yield the competitive edge one expects, especially when alternatives might provide more immediate or impactful results.
Reasons to Include Whammy Burn in Your Collection
Versatility: Whammy Burn offers flexibility across various deck styles. Its ability to deal damage directly to opponents or planeswalkers makes it a strategic choice for aggressive decks while its low mana cost allows for quick play in fast-paced games.
Combo Potential: This card works well in synergy with other burn spells or with cards that benefit from dealing non-combat damage, amplifying its impact in the right combo setting.
Meta-Relevance: As metagames fluctuate, cards that can deal direct damage at a low cost remain crucial. Whammy Burn fits this role, providing a consistent way to pressure control decks or finish off weakened opponents, making it a smart addition given the current tempo of play.
How to beat
Whammy Burn stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a direct damage dealer that can surprise opponents with significant life point reductions. To effectively counter this card, deploying life gain strategies can be crucial. Cards such as Lone Missionary or Beacon of Immortality can offset the damage inflicted by Whammy Burn, helping to maintain your life total despite its powerful hits.
In addition, utilizing counter spells is a strategic way to handle Whammy Burn. Cards like Cancel or Negate allow you to prevent Whammy Burn from ever hitting the battlefield, neutralizing its threat before it can be unleashed. Moreover, it’s smart to play proactively by removing Whammy Burn from the game ahead of time with hand disruption tactics. Thoughtseize and Inquisition of Kozilek can force your opponent to discard it, thereby pre-empting the potential damage.
Lastly, incorporating damage prevention cards or abilities can be a solid line of defense. Circle of Protection: Red, for instance, can be a silver bullet against Whammy Burn’s red damage-based effect, securing your position even as your adversary attempts to lower your health. Through a blend of preemption, negation, and protection, Whammy Burn can be effectively managed, ensuring it doesn’t overwhelm you during gameplay.
Cards like Whammy Burn
Whammy Burn is a dynamic choice among the red spell roster in Magic: The Gathering, reminiscent of burn spells like Lightning Bolt. Lightning Bolt is a classic, offering simple and direct damage to any target for a low cost. Whammy Burn brings its own flavor to the table, adding potential for a larger damage output based on chance, which can swing a game if luck is on your side.
Analogous to Whammy Burn, we have Flames of the Raze-Boar, which also provides additional damage under certain conditions. While Flames of the Raze-Boar demands a larger creature presence to escalate its effect, Whammy Burn’s power hinges on the flipping of coins, a unique variability that can either soar high in damage or stay on the lower end with minimal setup. Then, we encounter Fiery Confluence, another alternative delivering multi-purpose options with a fixed damage potential. Although it offers consistent results, it lacks the gambling thrill that Whammy Burn introduces.
Ultimately, Whammy Burn carves a niche within the burn category, tempting players who crave the excitement of randomness and the possibility of dealing substantial damage in one fell swoop, setting itself apart from its counterparts with the allure of chance and a bold burst of power.
Cards similar to Whammy Burn by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Whammy Burn MTG card by a specific set like Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 2019 and Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 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 Whammy Burn 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 Whammy Burn Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-11-07 and 2021-08-20. Illustrated by Melissa DeTora.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 2019 | CMB1 | 70 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Melissa DeTora | |
| 2 | 2021-08-20 | Mystery Booster Playtest Cards 2021 | CMB2 | 70 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Melissa DeTora |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Whammy Burn card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2019-11-12 | If you don’t have a whammy deck when an effect refers to it, shuffle a Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest card from outside the game to form your whammy deck immediately before performing any part of that effect. |
| 2019-11-12 | The whammy deck exists in the additional deck zone. Since this is a game zone, it’s not outside the game (for effects such as that of Frontier Explorer). |
| 2019-11-12 | You can’t draw cards from the whammy deck or interact with it in any way other than by effects that specifically interact with the whammy deck. Effects that affect cards you own not on the battlefield don’t affect cards in the whammy deck. |
| 2019-11-12 | You choose a target as you cast Whammy Burn, before revealing any cards from your whammy deck. |
